Reset us

CHAPTER 1: The stars that aligned

2010

It's the 5th of February 2010; orientation week is going to be this week at UCT. Mom and I have been packing boxes of essentials for a month now, but I still feel unprepared. I am going to be in another province from home. The distance is great. I need to be rid of my mother.

"Junior, do you think you could move your boxes a little faster? Or do you maybe want to stay home for the year?" My mother has a thing for punctuality; she likes everything to happen accordingly. I load the last of the boxes in the boot and close it. My father is supposed to be driving us if he can make it out of the shower fast enough. "Karabo, come on can you hurry up please?" He makes it out of the house, dragging his feet to the car.

"If we miss this flight what will happen then, why do you always have to be so difficult?" "Nomsa, please I am done am I not?"
"Yes, but you took your sweet time as if we have all the time in the world." "Can I please just drive, or do you maybe want to do that for us, since I can't do anything right?" My mother kisses her teeth looking out the window and Dad starts the car.

They have been arguing with each other a lot recently, because my mother found another woman on his phone. This is not the first time so they will probably be like this for a week, on Monday he will make her breakfast, either a bouquet of flowers roses perhaps depending on how much he can get it for, or jewelry and they will talk through it and move past it.

The flight was okay, we made it on time luckily, it was just a two-hour flight, so it didn't impact me badly. We make it to the accommodation and sign in. Luckily it is not a sharing so I will be able to have my own space. "Do you want us to help you settle in?" My mother asks while already putting cutlery in the cardboard. "He is grown enough to do that for himself?" She turns to glare at him and he just makes his way to the bed. "Ma, it's okay I can do it myself." "Are you sure?" She scrunches her face, I nod yes, and she lets out a sigh.

"We will be here for five days, so if you need anything just give me a call, alright?" "Yes Ma." She pulls me in a hug, and I feel the urge to cry but I don't. When they finally leave the room I can finally breathe. In the silence I can feel now that I am alone. After finishing unpacking the boxes, I decide to order some food because after seven pm it is way too late to try to cook anything. The delivery arrives outside the building, so I go fetch it at around eight pm.

I am walking up the stairs as I am about to make my turn. I walk into someone lightly bumping their shoulder. "Sorry" I apologise without looking back to see their face. "No problem, killer jacket." When I turn to say thanks, she has already made the corner.

2025

It is the 12th of February 2025, I just finished my night shift at the hospital, there was a major car crash, luckily no one has died from it. When the clock struck midnight and I saw the date, a lot of memories came flashing by of HER. I mean embarrassingly enough I always thought of her randomly but on this day specifically she consumes my mind.

I am going to be seeing her today; it has been exactly three thousand six hundred fifty five days since I last saw her. I was able to gather some information from our mutual friend to find out where in town she moved to exactly to pay her a visit. I haven't seen Kim ever since she graduated and left Cape town. But now that she is back, I get to see her on a good vibe instead of a bad one...like last time.

I park the car a little further than the house. It looks exactly like something she always dreamt of owning. A dusty brown brick fence, it looks like a two bedroom, bright flowers in the front yard. I wonder if she has a library room like she said she wanted. I walk through the gate, the ground beneath my feet feels rough and unsettling. I forget how to breathe when I get to the doorstep. As I put my hand out to knock, the door sways open and there she is.

Her big bright brown eyes are still as warm as ever. Her hair tied up in an afro bun with daisy pins in it, she must have just gotten it done because the smell is recognisable. Her caramel skin is glowing, she is glowing, she looks like a dream. "Juju?" " Kim."

2010

It is the 12th of February, classes start today. Orientation week was long. I haven't made any friends. I don't think I will anytime soon honestly probably for the best because I will be swamped in books. The bus is never full so I know everyone's face already. Expect the girl that just walked in now. She has very big eyes, a vibrant afro and she really stands out from everyone with the bright orange dress she has on. She walks in my direction and stands next to my seat before waving for me to take off my earphones. "Hi, sorry I just really like that seat, it's the only window that opens on the bus. Could I please sit next to you if it's not taken of course?" I respond with a nod because I can tell that I will stumble on my words if I speak. I do want to speak to her so badly, but I hate small talk, the conversation would die eventually. I get up so she can go to sit down.

I hope she cannot see me shaking right now, that would be embarrassing, I put my hands in my jacket just in case. "Do you want me to close the window, I don't want you feeling cold?" she whispers into my ear, her breath is warm, how is she so comfortable with a stranger? "It's cold either way so the window is okay. Are you not the cold one?" I hope this will start up a conversation. "After a year of being here the weather does not feel that bad honestly, you will tell me the same next year watch." she smiles and that when I notice her dimple on her right cheek. "So, Cape town takes the black out of you? Because what you said is some white stuff." she laughs, her laugh is contagious, so I laugh along with her. She playfully shoves my shoulder and that just is HUGE to me. "Boy, you are crazy shem. What's your name melanin?" "Junior" "Mine's Kimberly."