July
Saturday
I finally packed my things to move back to my place before people come back for school. Karabo and I were ready to leave our partners for each other. I just had to tell Sihle before Karabo tells Nyiko. Karabo drove me to my place where when we arrived; he decided to spend the night. Some people were already back; Sihle will be coming back tomorrow, and Monday, is 'back to school'.
Sunday
We spent our morning just cuddling Karabo and me. In the evening he left, as Nyiko was waiting for him at his flat. And as for me, we didn't want Sihle to come back and find Karabo here. After he has left, I called Sihle to hear what time he's getting here. He's not getting here today, he told me he just caught his bus, and he will arrive Monday morning. I guess I will only talk to him after the Chemistry lecture tomorrow.
I rushed to call Karabo to tell him to wait on ending things with Nyiko.
"Babe, I couldn't pretend with her, I have already told her we can't date anymore. I didn't think it will do any damages in a few hours. Have you talked to him yet?" he asked.
"No, he's still on his way, he will get here in the morning. It's okay, though. I don't think Nyiko will go and post such thing right after it happened." I hoped. "So how did she take it?" I asked.
"She's mad. Really mad"
"I feel for her; and Sihle. I hope she doesn't run to tell him before I do though,"
"I don't think she will, at least not tonight. She is still angry and ashamed."
Monday
In the morning, I sent Sihle a message that we need to talk after the Chemistry lecture. I could see that he was already suspecting something terrible because, for people who love each other and missed each other for a month, our first interaction was awkward. We just hugged, and I then walked to my seat, instead of kissing him or sitting next to him.
Karabo at that moment, just played along like we are still frenemies from last semester.
It was surprisingly a long lecture, and I was just all nervous. I wasn't ready to break the bad news to Sihle; I wasn't prepared to break his heart. Has anyone ever been prepared for that anyway?
After the lecture, it was time for me to come clean to Sihle, no matter how hard it is going to be, I must do it.
While walking out of the lecture room, along with the crowd, I could see Sihle standing outside waiting for me, and as I look around, Nyiko was standing there too, talking to Karabo. The moment I walked out, she started lashing her hurtful words toward me.
"Are you leaving me for this bitch? Are you? I mean I knew she didn't go home, but I didn't think she stayed for you, hoe," she screamed, as people start to gather around. Sihle walks toward me too as I was staring at Karabo who was doing nothing to stop her.
"Babe, let's just leave," Sihle said the moment he took me to his body. Without even waiting to hear what Nyiko is trying to say. Why is he always good to me?
"I mean I never said anything before, but this is too much, she just can't stop following you, can't she?" Nyiko continued.
"Hey, I don't know what you think you know, but this is my girlfriend, and I don't like the way you are talking to her," Sihle comes to my rescue as Zinzi tries to drag me away from the scene.
"Yeah as always you will just worship her no matter how she fooled you fool. Does he even know you have been fucking his girlfriend since he introduced you to her?" Nyiko asked, looking at Karabo and Sihle just froze. This time he heard it, he didn't want to ignore it.
"What?" Sihle asked, looking at me all confused.
"Sihle I..." I didn't know what to say, I just stood there, embarrassed as people suddenly start judging me with their eyes.
"Oh. I take you didn't tell him," Nyiko said, looking at Karabo who just stood there saying nothing. "Hey fool, she was a virgin when you started dating, do the maths." She finished.
"Tshedza let's just go," Zinzi said as I try to talk to Sihle, but he didn't even want to look at me. As we were about to leave, while Zinzi tries by all means to drag me, I heard screams, and when I looked back, Sihle punched Karabo so hard on the face and in a second Karabo was down. Not thinking, I escaped Zinzi's hands and rushed back to Karabo to check on his face, and while I was down on him, I saw Sihle looking at me, disappointed and then left.
"Get off me," Karabo screamed at me, and I was just surprised.
"What? Me?" I asked, mad.
"Tshedza please, I just want to be alone," he shouted and then left too, while Nyiko still screams like a turkey.
I started walking from the crowd with my hands on my mouth. I couldn't believe the secret was out. It was all out in front of all those people. Zinzi followed me and tried to comfort me, but in my head, I just wanted to talk to Sihle, apologise for the way he got to know the secret.
"I can't believe she would do that," Zinzi said while we walk toward the path that leads us to the gate. I guess no more lecture for me today. I just wanted to be in my room, maybe with Karabo but he's angry at me, I don't know why.
"I was planning on telling Sihle everything today. I wanted to let him go respectfully. She ruined it," I said as I wiped my eyes.
"You wanted to break up with Sihle?" she asked.
"Yes. I wanted to tell him everything and end things. I wanted to tell him that Karabo and I are dating,"
"You what, you are planning on leaving Sihle for Karabo? Okay Tshedza, is one thing that he broke your virginity but dating him, having sex with him again?"
"I love him Zinzi, and we have had sex multiple times since then. I tried to deny it, but I love him." I confessed, and she was just surprised.
We got to my place, and I said my cheers to Zinzi as I wanted to be alone. She went back, rushing for her lecture, and I got in and waddle to my bed. I took my phone out and dialled Karabo's number. The phone rang, but there was no answer, it scared me not to get hold of him.
Tuesday
The following day I dragged my ass to school. Even though I didn't feel like going, I had to. Is the first week of the second semester, I must not miss anything. I did okay for my June exam, not as good as I should have but I passed, nothing like my year resolution where I was hoping to get distinctions in everything.
I got to ILS lecture room, and Zinzi was already there.
"How are you holding up?" she asked the moment I sat next to her, and I just looked at her, smiling.
"No one died Zinzi, I am fine," I said, and she smiled back.
"Good. Karabo was looking for you,"
"He was?" I asked, happily and she was surprised.
"You never saw him last night?" she asked, and I just shook my head.
"Nope. The phone just rang and what's worrying me is that I don't even know why he was mad," I said.
"He will explain when he sees you; maybe he will come back,"
"He better,"
After the lecture, Karabo was waiting for me outside, with a single flower which I guess he stripped from the garden. I walked toward him, and when I got to him, he just stared at me with apologetic eyes. I was furious that he scared me to death by the way he reacted yesterday.
"I'm really sorry, I shouldn't have been angry at you yesterday," he said, handing me that single flower.
"You hurt me, you know. Why were you even mad at me?" I asked as I wrap myself around him.
"I don't know, is that it felt like you were taking Sihle's side; like you didn't want him to know..."
"Are you kidding me, there was no side. And I wanted him to know, but not like the way he did."
"I'm sorry I jumped to a conclusion. Can we just forget about it," he said, and we hugged each other one more time. "We are now free to do this, I waited for so long to do this..." he said, starting to brag.
"And here we go again, you are starting again," I said, and we just laughed.
"So, have you seen him yet?" he asked, referring to Sihle.
"No. You?"
"No, he's not picking my calls,"
Days went by while Karabo and I lived the best of our lives, repeating June holidays but not in hiding. Sihle was trying to dodge me and so was I, until Friday when I saw him walking from the campus. Most of the tutorials and practical's, he has switched them to dodge me, I guess.
As I was walking to my room, Sihle was walking toward the gate as well. He was coming from a different path but looking at our pace; we will meet at the entrance.
I grew some few balls to make sure we reach the gate at the same time. We had to talk about what happened so that we can move on.
"Hey," he said as we start walking together.
"Hey. I haven't seen you in a while,"
"Yeah, I know,"
"I've wanted to apologise, to say I'm sorry I hurt you,"
"Okay,"
"I am really sorry, Sihle. I never meant to hurt you, and I definitely didn't want you to find out like that."
"You didn't just hurt me Tshedza; you lied to me." He replied. He is still angry at me.
"I know, but I just want to say how sorry I am. I know it's not going to change anything, but we will be better if we move past this."
"We can never work Tshedza so...."
"I know, I don't want us to work anymore, but I don't want to be your enemy. I just want you to know how sorry I am for lying to you."
"It's fine. I have to pass by somewhere. I will see you around," he said and entered through Braamfontein centre. I said 'bye'. I could see he just couldn't stand me. He didn't want to walk with me.
When I got home, I called Karabo to let him know that I have talked to Sihle, and although he is still mad, he will forgive us eventually.
"That's good. Maybe I will talk to him next week Monday," Karabo said.
"Yeah, you guys were friends, you shouldn't fight because of me," I said.
"Yeah. I will come to pick you up at around 7?"
"7 is cool, I will be waiting," I said, as I prepare to go play house again.
After talking to him, I finally called my sister to update her that the Sihle she liked is no longer mine.
"What happened, you cheated on him again?"
"Why is that your first guess? No, I didn't, we just broke up."
"I was just asking. Don't be like me who played with my college boyfriends, now I can't even find a life partner," She said, and I felt sorry for her.
"Don't worry, you will find a partner soon," I said, and we finished our conversation.
Karabo arrived to pick me up. "So why you wanted me to bring a dress, where are we going tomorrow?" I asked him while we walk downstairs.
"It's a surprise, you will see when we get there," he said, and I just smiled, but I was confident he was taking me to a fancy restaurant for lunch.
We got to his place and continued with playing house.
Saturday
In the morning, we got ready to go out. I wondered what the surprise is. We drove for about 2 hours, and I was just thinking we were going on a getaway. We arrived at a hometown. Karabo's big brother, I knew him from the pictures, came to our arrival. Karabo took me to his family gathering.
"You want me to meet your family?" I asked, scared.
"It's my mom's unveiling; everyone is here. I wanted you to see where I'm from."
"You should have warned me a bit, how am I supposed to react."
"Don't worry babe; nobody gives a fuck here so it will be fine."
We got off the car, and his brother greeted us. I got introduced to a lot of other people. I saw his big sisters, his nephews and nieces, his cousins. Everyone was happy that Karabo brought a friend from school.
Everything was going great until someone arrived. Karabo got mad and started fighting the elder guy out. I soon heard that it is his father. He just walked in with a lady who looks 20 years younger than him.
"Who invited him?" Karabo questioned as his father have already been escorted to the other side of the house. And I was just sitting away with others, eavesdropping on their conversation.
"Young one, he is our dad, she was his wife we can't..." His brother said,
"We can't what, I was 16 years old when he left me, you were not there, I was just a boy, and I needed him more than ever." Karabo cried.
"I know, I remember. But we can't hold that against him for forever. He is our father,"
"He is your father, he is dead to me," Karabo said and walked to me. "Let's get out of here," he said to me, dragging me from the crowd. I knew he hated his father, but I didn't think it was this much. I wanted to calm Karabo down to explain to him why he should forgive his father, but it wasn't my place, at least not at the time.
We drove off while Karabo's phone kept on ringing from his big brother's number.
"Should I pick it up?"
"No Tshedza, I don't want to hear anything from them. let's just go home,"
"Are you okay to drive back?"
"Why are you always judging my driving, you always..."
"I was just asking. We were planning to sleep there so?"
"I can drive a thousand miles if it means getting away from that pig,"
"I'm sorry," I said and just looked outside the window admiring the trees.
He looked at me and just kept on driving. Soon we were slowing down, and when I looked outside, it was a hotel.
"Why are we stopping here?"
"I'm sorry I yelled at you. We can spend the night here, we will leave tomorrow in the morning," he said, and I just nodded.
We got into the hotel and checked in. We spent the night there, and Karabo was still not in the right place, he was still angry.
In the morning, when we were about to leave, checking out, I saw two people walking outside admiring the garden, holding hands. When I looked closely, it was my sister and Brandon, what the hell.