"So, it's official? You guys are now an item?" Thato rhetorically asked, as she casually enjoyed a refreshing sip of her lemonade.
"Yes," I responded in spite of myself. I was ecstatic, feeling as if I were floating on air. The words echoed endlessly in my heart, repeating themselves a thousandfold.
"I'm so excited for you guys!" Sienna exclaimed, ecstatic for me, how I wished Thato could be that excited for me. We were best friends for all sake.
"I'm over the moon," I said with a silly love-sick smile etched on my face, I took a sip of my iced tea to calm my racing heart.
"Des, have you carefully considered everything? Do you have enough trust in him to choose him as your lifelong partner? Do you remember our teenage years when you used to express your desire to only date a man who had a deep connection with God? You mentioned wanting a man like David, someone who would endure challenges and hardships for the glory of the Lord. Does Antonio embody the qualities of Solomon, a man devoted to God and committed to bringing joy to his wife?"
Did Thato always have to be a party-popper? Did she always have to come with her negative remarks? Could she not be happy for me for once? Then suddenly a thought struck me like a bolt of lightning, she was jealous!
All along, I regarded her as my best friend, but she harboured envy towards me, particularly regarding my extraordinary boyfriend. She didn't genuinely desire my happiness because she coveted what I possessed-the joy, love, and companionship of Nio.
I stood up, scraping my chair roughly against the tiled floors in the process, "Thato, just admit that you are jealous of the stark fact that I have a loving boyfriend, and you have a non-existent one."
Thato shook her head docilely, also standing up, "No, Des. You are my sister. How could one be jealous of their own sister? We grew up together and came here together because coming here was OUR childhood dream."
I was getting irritated by each passing second, "Oh, please save the speech for someone who doesn't know you. I know you inside and out, and right now it is very clear that you are envious of this so-called SISTER you claim to have."
"Guys, let's peacefully settle this," Sienna said, worry written in her eyes but we paid no heed to her as I continued staring at Thato with anger.
"Are you seriously going to let a boy get in between our friendship, in between your relationship with the Lord?" she whispered the last sentence as her eyes began to water.
How pretentious could she get?
"Please, stop with the crocodile tears. There was no friendship, to begin with between you and I because you decided to be envious of me and betray our friendship. And with regards to my relationship with the Lord, it couldn't get better than it is right now."
"Okay, but Destiny remember that your Salvation should come before anything and anyone," and with that, she turned on her heel, grabbed her Burgundy bag and left. Wiping the streaks of tears from her cheeks.
I must confess, my heart shattered in that moment. Thato was not just a close friend, but also like a sister to me. Losing her was something I never wanted, but I had no other option but to release her from my life because she had already released me.
"Des, what just happened?" Sienna inquired, rising from her seat and gazing at me with concern.
"I... I just lost my best friend," if my heart had not already shattered into pieces, it did at that very moment. I confessed what I had never in a million years thought I would admit.
I slid back into my seat, tears clouding my vision. I landed with a thud as they slowly slid down my cheeks.
How could my own best friend betray me like this? How could our friendship end like this?
Sienna seemed to be at a loss of words, "Wow... Uhm, I'm all this will pass, your friendship is stronger than this." Who was she encouraging herself or me?
There was no coming back from such a betrayal.
****
"She said you deserved someone better than me?" Nio reiterated what had just left my lips as I just nodded my head.
"Amore, forget about her, you have got me right and you have many other friends. You don't need her."
He pulled me into his shirt, as sobs racked through my whole body.
"Nio, how can I forget my best friend? She is the reason I even came to Italy in the first place. She is the reason I was able to recover after my father's death," I stammered as I held onto his damp shirt for dear life.
"She played her part and now she has left. Certain people are not meant to be part of our destinies and are only meant to stay for seasons so maybe it's for your own good that she left your life," his words carried so much wisdom that I was left awe-struck.
"When did you develop such a positive outlook?" I asked, raising my head from his wet shirt and gazing into his grey eyes.
He responded with a blank expression, seemingly surprised by my question.
"I've always been optimistic," he replied, gently wiping away my tears and holding my hands. "And remember, you have me by your side."
We sat in comfortable silence for a while as I was in his warm arms, "I think we should invite my family, Avelina, Giovanni, Lucia, Margaret, Susan and even your friend, Sienna for dinner."
He displayed such a profound level of interest and involvement in my life that he even about my other friend other than Thato. It was worth noting that they hadn't even had the opportunity to meet each other.
"Okay, thank you for being here with me," I hugged his shirt-clad chest.
"That's my job, you don't need to thank me for doing my job," he mumbled against my kinky puff adorning the top of my head.
"I love you," I expressed, getting lost in his grey orbs that never failed to captivate me. They were a swirl of the colours black and grey. Simply mesmerizing.
"Mhm," still the typical Nio, hardly ever voices his thoughts and feelings. But his eyes spoke what his words could not.
****
"You climb taxis to get to places?" Giovanni asked as he chewed on the lasagna Nio had once again surprisingly made.
"Yes, it's like a norm. The person that sits in front of the taxi collects everyone's money and counts it and gives change to whoever needs it before giving the money to the taxi driver," I explained the whole systemic way in which taxis worked in South Africa.
"What if you do not give the money to the driver?" Giovanni decided to ask with an innocent glint in his eye, but his question was far from innocent.
"Only Giovanni would ask such a question," Margaret commented with a roll of her eyes as everyone followed suit with their own roll but that did not discourage Giovanni as he waited for the answer with high anticipation.
"Then, you would butt heads with the taxi drivers, that would not hesitate to remove you from the taxis and embarrass you in the middle of the road."
"Okay," was all he said before we moved on to other conversations.
"Destiny?" Avelina's adorable voice called out to me as I turned to look at her honey-doe eyes.
"Yes, sweetheart?" I could see Nio smiling a tad bit at the term of endearment that I could not help but utter to the little girl who happened to be my boyfriend's only sister.
"Are you and my... Fratello going to get married?" I tried to remember what the term meant as I watched the whole table cough dramatically.
Then it struck me, it meant brother!
We had not even gotten to that stage, sure I loved him to the moon back but I don't think we knew each other enough to spend our whole lives together but if he were to propose today, I would agree and hold out the wedding to at least when I would be done with my studies.
But before I could answer, Nio beat me to it, "Cara, we will get married after we are done with school."
It was as if he had read my mind. I smiled at him as Avelina gave us a toothy grin looking ecstatic, "I love Destiny. I want her to become my sister," she commented, surprising everyone. She was usually a shy girl, especially with me but she was opening up to me and that was all I could wish for.
"I love you too, sweetheart," I replied, my heart swelling with love as I rounded the table and pulled her into a loving hug.
She cried into my chest, "I always prayed for a mommy, but God gave me a sister and I am happy now."
A tear slid down my cheek, I loved this little girl. I'm sure she had gone through a lot growing up without her mother yet she was still a ray of sunshine.
I had lost a friend but in return gained a beautiful, loving and kind sister, boyfriend and family. What more could I ask for?