Mrs Jaxa

Chapter 22

Chapter 22

I can literally feel the ringing sound in my ear. What did this man just say to me? I know it's just three years apart from what I'd initially said, but thirty-six? That's an age difference of seventeen years; enough for my parents to have made me a sibling who'd be of that age.

"Friend, what's wrong?" Buhle asks, noting my sudden state of mind.

I wish I could articulate how I'm feeling but my tongue feels heavy, and my throat is dry.

"Khanya, you're scaring me. What's going on?" She asks, leading to an area where I can sit.

My heart is literally pounding against my chest. I can feel my blood pulsing through my veins.

"Okay, where's your phone? I need to call your ma -" she says, patting my body in search of it.

"NO!" I shout, uttering seemingly the only word I can formulate at this moment.

She stares at me with confusion which I can understand but I just can't get into it right now.

"Why don't you want me to call him? I mean, look at you! You're clearly not okay so why -"

"P-please," I whisper while greedily trying to fill my lungs with oxygen.

I see her trying to make sense of what's going on but judging from her facial expression...

"Okay, none of this is making sense to me and since you're not willing to tell me what's going on I think I should take you home."

How do I tell her that my keys are at the house of the person whom I'm trying to avoid?

"Mhm-mhm," I sound while shaking my head.

She huffs and throws her hands in the air in frustration before dropping her body beside me. He is old enough to be my uncle. What if he has a child or even worse... married? Oh my God. I will be labelled as a homewrecker. My breathing stops and I start to hyperventilate.

"That's it, I'm calling him! You're not going die in front of me because of your stubbornness."

She attempts to unlock my phone, but I smack it out of her hands and it lands on the ground.

"Are you crazy?" She shrieks while looking at the surely damaged phone lying on the pavement before looking back at me.

I'm the least bothered about the phone. My main concern right now is my breathing and dealing with this mess I've landed myself in.

"Great! Now, your screen is cracked," she says, showing me the results of my handy work.

Is she really going to bother herself with my phone as opposed to helping me breathe?

"Khanya, you're scaring me," she says with concern before taking a seat beside me.

I don't respond but note that the phone stunt worked in helping me regulate my breathing. Sigh.

"I don't know what's going on with you, or what got you in this state but I'm here," she says, but her words go in one ear and come out the other.

She sighs when she realises I'm not going to say anything, not any time soon at least.

"Okay, what do you propose we do? Just sit here and watch people walk past us?"

I nod because I'd rather be surrounded by chaos than be smothered by my own thoughts.

"What about your lecture?" Oh ja, that's that kanene.

"Let's go."

Her shoulders sag in defeat. I know I'm being unfair right now, but I'll make it up to her. I just...