Reaching the Top

CHAPTER FOUR

The city of Bulawayo was warm and green with the weather at its best like it knew the apple of God's eye had arrived, I thought to myself feeling nothing close to His apple at that moment.

Anyways my sister and parents went out of their way turning my flat into a home before they left me. I've always been independent so being that far from my family meant I had finally been weaned and was cruising in adulthood.

The parents spent the night in a local guest house while my twin and I created memories in the only place we were not going to be sharing for the first time.

"It's beautiful isn't it?" Gracie cut in my thoughts.

"Hell yeah, especially because it's all mine and mine alone," I teased.

"Like I care," she said and I laughed.

'I'm going to miss you, you know that, right?' I said looking at my sister.

"I can tell," she laughed, "With the way you've been avoiding me lately, I feel like I'm finally out of your hair."

I rolled my eyes and sighed.

'Why do you want to spoil our last moments?'

"Because I want to be back home knowing that I haven't lost my sister."

'Oh Gracie, don't get all emotional on me,' I tried brushing her off.

"I'm serious Glory why won't you just tell me...what happened, who hurt you...or is it me, we used to be best friends, where did it go wrong?" she sounded sad and hurt too.

I swallowed hard feeling tears welling up in my eyes.

'You are going to hate me if I tell you,' I said fighting back the tears.

"So, there is something?" Gracie said folding her arms and turning to face me and waited.

We were standing by the balcony taking in the picture of the CBD and of course Joshua Nkomo's statue.

I didn't know how to tell her or where to begin.

Grace and I believed that singleness was synonymous with virginity, not because we were old-fashioned nor that we did not know better. It was not that we were too naive to have heard that people our age have been committing adultery and fornication millennia. It was not that we were not liberated or plain stupid. It was because we prized the sanctity of sex and what I had done made me feel like a traitor.

"Okay Glory, you don't have to tell me," Grace said after I had hesitated as she started walking back in the house.

'I had sex with Mr. Huni,' I said with the calmest voice I could muster.

"You what?" the shock on her face and in her voice made me shudder.

"Oh my God Glory, when...how," she pulled me in her arms as I started crying and comprehended it all.

It was unbelievable even to my own ears.

"I don't know what to say love, I cannot begin to imagine what you've been going through or how rotten you must be feeling right now."

'You don't hate me?'

"I'm shocked, I'm disappointed, I hate what you did but I can never hate you. We are sisters for life," Grace said not leaving my gaze, " I'm sorry this happened to you," she hugged me, "You are not telling mum?"

'I will eventually, I'm just not ready now.'

"I'm sorry I pressured you, but I'm also glad you told me, you don't have to carry the burden alone."

'Thank you for making me tell you, my heart feels lighter already.'

We talked about nothing in particular afterwards and the walls that had come between us tumbled down. I had missed my sister and here we were back to normal, it felt so good. We sang, we danced, we ate treats and goodies before we fell in the arms of sleep on top of the bed cover and our parents woke us up the next morning knocking on the front door.