Zanokuhle

Chapter 6

ZANOKUHLE
Chapter 6

Tusani’s friends have joined us and I have been trying to find one of my old reads that I maybe like just to occupy myself and I did find one. It interests me just like the first time it did and this time I don’t fight to just understand what is happening but fight to imagine things quiet well and I find myself enjoying the book once more. This place is too crowded and a lot of people are here.
“Zano”, I look up to Tusani and he looks at me.
“Would you like to try a drink?”, he asks me and I smile looking at him and he returns it.
“Sparkling wine”, I say and he frowns before he gets rid of the frown.
“They sell beer and Ciders”, he says.
I am silent after that. I don’t know what to take in, I only know what I had when I was at the Vine yard. I wish I could go back there once again and watch the sun set over the mountains in the quiet field. I liked that I was outside but I had fun too.
“Water is fine”, I say.
He nods and his friend looks at him and myself as well. He introduced me to his friends stating that we know each other of which is true and where we come from when his friends asked about me. From their questions they were not happy with seeing me and I am not happy with seeing them too. I don’t like them already and I have not bothered to try and interact with them. That’s the whole point of me going outside right? It is to try and interact with people.
My phone pings and a message comes in and it disturbs me from my reading. The notification pops up and I look at it. It is from whatsapp. I am not that familiar with it but it what Bhungane said I should have so that I can be familiar with texting so much. Not having many people in your life I just had my phone waiting for a phone call that would come once ever 6 months or close to never if it wasn’t from my aunt telling me to prepare something before she got home. I still wonder why she hasn’t reached out and called me a thousand times before she tells me she will drag me from wherever I am.
‘What are you doing right now?’,it is a message from my new friend.
I enter the chat and he is replying now to my message that I sent a few hours ago but I do understand that people are not staying at home like me. They have busy jobs in the process of their normal lives.
‘I am with Tusani outside.’, I reply.
“So Ms Zano. What do you do?”, I look up and it is one of Tusani’s friends.
I keep my silence and look back to my phone and he is typing.
‘I hope you are enjoying’
‘His friends don’t like me and I don’t like them’, I type away and send it.
I am proud of myself for sending that. Tusani returns with his other friend with a few drinks and some meat.
I don’t see my water in the mix of it all. He settles next to me.
“Is your friend deaf or she is rude?”, one of his friends says and Tusani looks at me.
“Zano doesn’t talk much”, he says.
“Can I have my water?”, I ask as they start distributing the alcohol between each other and he takes out a pink drink and opens it and gives it to me.
“Try this”, he says and he hands it to me.
I slowly take the drink. It’s a brutal fruit. Well that is what it says. I take a sip of it and it is okay but I am not liking it that much.
The music is playing and he is having a chat with his friends. He checks up on me if I am okay or not and I tell him I am okay but honestly I am a bit bored. I wish we could’ve done something very fun.
“How are things man?”, one of his friend asks.
“Work and life is hectic but it is okay with how I manage everything”, Tusani replies and has a sip off his drink.
Tusani gets me a portion of the meat and I thank him. I carry on eating and then my phone pings after that.
‘Have fun Zano and make friends too. Open yourself up for any experience’,he says.
I look at the message and I breathe in and out.
‘I will try’, I say.
I wait a for a reply but he doesn’t reply.
“I am trying to help you be normal Zano. You can atleast talk to us than to keep your nose in your phone”, Tusani whispers into my ear and I look at him.
He moves his face and takes a sip of his drink. He raises his brow looking at me before joining in on the conversation his friends are having. I don’t know anything about sports so I cannot join in this conversation. I keep on drinking and take some meat but I don’t like the wors much so I leave it and carry on with what I am having.
I go back to my reading and I bury my head there.
My phone pings and I quickly rush to his chat. ‘Send your location incase you don’t feel okay. I will fetch you when you need to leave’, I smile.
‘Tell me how its done here’, I type and send.
He replies after some time with video demonstration and it becomes easier for me to navigate where he said I should press. Carefully I use my fingers on my screen and I share my live location for 8 hours. I feel happy with what I have learnt. 
I carry on drinking and just half way through my drink I feel nauseated. I put it down and tap Tusani for his attention.
“Yes?”
“Can I have water, I don’t feel okay”, I say.
He nods and stands up telling his friends that he will be back. He goes off and one of his friends talks.
“What are you with Tusani?”
“We are together”, they look at each other. The 3 of them and one chuckles letting out a “yah neh”,after before he has his drink.
“What is wrong?”
“Nothing”, one replies and I keep my silence.
I don’t want to be here anymore. I do not feel comfortable and I am not enjoying being here too.Tusani comes back with the water and I drink up then tap him for his attention when he is focused on his friends.
“I want to go home”, I say and he sighs heavily before he tells his friends that he is coming back.
We both leave their setting and I am happy that he is taking me home. We get to a distance from his friends and he stops me.
“Why do you have to act like this Zano?”, he gives me an intense stare and I am intimidated.
“I am not comfortable and I don’t want to be here anymore”
“You will not be comfortable at all places and that is life, that is what happens to normal people”, he says and I look at him.
“You need to stop acting like the world revolves around you. You are not that special Zano and we are here to sit. It hasn’t been more than 3 hours and already you are starting with your stunts and they are annoying me!”, my lips quiver as his tone is not a good one with me. He is not happy and it is visible.
“Don’t shout at me, I am not a child”
“Then act like a fucken adult Zano!”
Tears prickle my eyes and they stream down my cheeks.
“Now wipe those tears. I don’t want to have this conversation again and you will find me at the table. I don’t want to see those tears. We will leave when I say we will leave.”, he says and he walks away from me.
Fear engulfs me as he leaves me there. Tears keep on streaming down my cheeks and I quickly wipe them. I take out my phone and send a message to him.
‘Please can you fetch me’, I send.
It doesn’t take a few minutes before he calls me. I answer as I sniff and wipe my eyes with my arm.
“Zano, what is wrong? I am on my way”
“He shouted at me for wanting to leave. I don’t like this place. I don’t want to be here”, I say and I feel like I am loosing my breathe too.
I place my hand on my chest.
“Zano, just breathe and don’t think about what he said just think about getting home safely. Think about anything that makes you happy”, I try to think of the time we went to the beach. I was happy to be there.
I started to calm down a bit.
“Stand wherever you are and wait for me. I will come okay?”, I sniff and nod my head.
“Okay”
He stays on the line with me and keeps on talking to me and he tells me a jokes and tells me to not overthink them and when I don’t overthink them I find myself laughing through the process. The wait doesn’t seem that long with him on the line with me.
“I am here okay?”
“Okay”, I say and look around to see if I can spot him.
I am scared of this place, more especially the random people who were looking at me and some passing near me.
I spot him and I rush to where he is. He drops the call and for the first time since I have known him I hug him. He is taken aback by my gesture but he soon wraps his arms around me.
“It’s okay, we are leaving now. Don’t worry”, he says and I believe him. I believe that I don’t have to worry anymore.
We move out of that place and as soon as I am inside the car I feel safe. I feel like I cannot be a prey to anyone who is out there. He gets inside and closes the door and starts the car then drives off.
“Did you drink?”, he asks.
“Yes, I drank some drink that’s called Brutal fruit”, I say.
“How do you feel?”
“A bit dizzy. I feel like I will vomit but I will not”, I smile at him and his face is stern at the moment. He taps on the steering wheel.
“I am glad you called me.”, he says.
I nod my head and I close my eyes for a moment.