A Mother's Pride

Chapter 45

"Nina was my best friend. We were very tight and she understood me on a whole other level. We did everything together, we grew up together. But when we got to high school, she met you and forgot all about me. You have no idea how hard it is to lose a best friend, the only person who was always there for you every time you needed a shoulder to cry on." I really did not know that they were friends. But Nina is a good person, I don't think she would ever just bail on Helen unless she really sucked as a friend. Because when we were together, we would trash Helen together. I did not even know that they were friends before.

"So I hated it. And well, you. I was alone for a while at school until in grade ten when I met Thembi." Our school was really big, I don't remember ever seeing Thembi and I hardly saw Helen either. I have no idea how she could keep a grudge over that for so long. Really, she feels as though I stole Nina from her?

"Then Thembi hosted her sweet sixteen party. At that party I saw a guy--"

"Look Helen, how does that involve me and why are you telling me this?" I really do not get it. "Get to the point." I say. I am too impatient for a flashback of Helen's lousy high school life.

"Seriously, stop with your pride and rudeness already." She rolls her eyes and drinks her drink.

"So I met this guy but he was seven years older than me. But I did not care. I was crushing on him and Thembi would make sure that whenever he visits, I'm there. We would all hang out and I liked it when he talked about his job. He was so handsome and sounded smart. I started liking him, like really like him. When I started dating him, we had to keep our little infatuation a secret because if people found out that I was dating a guy that old, they would start judging.

"There was this time Nina came to my house, and I told her about him. Nina and I had started talking again since we paired up on this other project. But she was still closer to you than she was to me. A few months later, I found out that you were dating that guy, I knew--"

"What the..." It's Thabo. How is that even possible? Helen hates me because I dated the guy she was really into. But that was years ago, shouldn't she be over it by now?

"So what you are saying is, Thembi is Thabo's cousin?"

She looks at me and I can see the tears in her eyes. Helen has feelings? I still do not get why she kept the grudge for so many years. It was in high school and I had no idea.

She nods, answering my question. So that's why they were at the hospital and that's why Thembi is well, kind of sad. She is probably worried. But I understand why Thembi was there, what I don't get is why Helen was there. Also, why didn't Thabo introduce me to Thembi back then? He was hardly in touch with his family when we stayed together.

"Thing is, I was dating Thabo. We had been dating for about four months when I found out that he was dating you. I was mad because I told Nina about it and as a good friend she was supposed to stop you from dating Thabo. But I felt like she told you about him then you made it a mission to steal him anyway, just like you stole my best friend. I started feeling like you were ought to get me, and you wanted to steal everyone I was close to. That you somehow wanted my life. I did not understand what I had done to you for you to screw me up that way. So I started hating on you. I did not want anything to do with you.

"The worst part was finding out that you were pregnant with his child. I still loved him, a lot. I thought there was hope and I was willing to wait for him. I dated other guys but it was nothing compared to what I felt for Thabo.

"When you joined the support group a few years later, I wanted revenge. I looked for something to get back at you but did not find it. Thembi then told me that you and Thabo broke up so I wanted to know who you were dating so that I can date him. I know it's kind of childish. But nobody knew anything about your life; where you lived, who your friends were, and I never saw you around the neighborhood so I wondered where you lived. I knew something was up and I made it a mission to find it.