36 Questions to Fall in Love...in 36 days!

Chapter 57: Pens Down Party and Broken Phones

I'm laughing again, my stomach cramping.

Mkhulu doesn't seem amused by this,  his lips pulled to a straight line.

“Anything else?” I ask, reigning in my laughter.

Mkhulu opens his mouth to say something but stops himself short, the words coming out in mumbled breaths.

“Be safe, Leonardo.” Mkhulu orders, firm.

“I will, Mkhulu.”

He holds my gaze, as if keeping me to my promise. Mkhulu sighs, releasing the tension that was building on his shoulders.

He turns back to the television and we continue watching.

A haze falls over my mind, my eyelids heavy and I feel myself drifting. The television's sound turns to murmurs and Mkhulu's stories of his past become a lullaby. I drift, my head falling on Mkhulu's shoulder, my eyes failing at resisting and finally closing.

Mkhulu lets me stay on his shoulder, unlike other times where he'd shove me with his shoulder and tell me that I'm not his bed.

I drift, the haze closing me in comfort. The last bit of light I see and hear is Mkhulu. He speaks, a tenderness to his baritone voice. I catch the last of his words before I black out.

“ It may not look like it, Leo but we'll only go up from here…the pain never makes sense but I'll be here. I promise. Another one has left but not me.”

❄️❄️❄️

It's nine  pm.

The moon hangs over the sky, glistening its silver light over everything.

Music  blasting inside the house, wrings out into the night air, in a low hum.

I stand right outside Dominique's house, dressed in jeans, a flannel shirt and a beanie. 

The Pens down party sign, designed in a bright orange and yellow with hints of white hangs over me.

Inhale. Exhale.

The party began with a bang. People arrived earlier than expected, bringing along snacks and drinks. There was this surge of energy that emanated through everyone. We danced with everything in us. We sung to our hearts content.

Dominique even played the remix of the school song he created, with added beats and a faster tune. The crowd went crazy at that, a new love for the school song, surging from within us.

The charades game was played. Truth or dare. Never have I ever and more.

Then they were the speeches.

Dominique and I, along with a few of our friends would chant over and over :"Speech Speech Speech!"

We'd chant that and randomly give someone the mic and they had to make a spontaneous speech; how they were feeling, any last words and more.

It was funny watching a lot of people stutter through the nonsense they uttered from their mouths. It was funny hearing from the arrogant boys who claimed that by this time next year they'd be billionaires.

It was inspiring hearing those who were ready to pursue their dreams with everything.

Now, I'm here, right outside the party thinking about nothing else, focusing on nothing else but the sound of my breathing.

Inhale. Exhale.

Then I see Maggie, in a white dress that flows  down her legs. She crosses the road, making her way to the house.