NEW SWEET LOVE THINGS
The next few weeks of my life were, well, awesome. Winona and I were now officially the school’s most in-love couple; we were the ‘it couple’ and we loved it. Every day was like the first day as we lunched together, studied together and just enjoyed each other’s company. I am telling you, this was exactly how love was supposed to feel like. Mark was jealous of course and tried to sabotage us but to no avail. I would receive life-threatening stares from him and his crew but I did not care.
Winona had literally changed my life. I was always in a good mood because of her, always did everything my mother asked of me without complaining, gave Lucy – our new German Shepard puppy – food every day without ever forgetting, helped our garden care-taker with the garden and even watched mum’s boring soap operas with her sometimes! Life was just awesome for me; I was living the life I had always dreamt of, a teenager’s way.
We would have long, after-midnight calls and just chatted the mornings away, talking about a lot of things. It was more like we were beginning to know each other all over again and I enjoyed every moment of it. Issues ranged from school, social issues and sometimes (just sometimes) dirty, old sex was mentioned. As if the calls were not enough, we chatted lunch and tea breaks away as well, romantically, in the Union Square. It literally felt like the world did not exist anymore; everything around us just seemed to have ceased to exist and yes, I loved the feeling.
I learnt a thing or two during this ‘flaming weeks’ as the Protocol puts it. During this period, you feel extremely in love with your other party and the world matters no more to you. You cannot stop thinking about each other and can almost do anything for each other. Babies and marriage talk comes to work and most of the time, crazy names are decided for the kids you want to have together in future. It was during this time that I learnt, for example, kissing in public, the one thing I had dreaded before. We were just sitting in a bench before going home and Botho sent me a text message, “Lean in for a kiss; it will make Mr. Mark jealous but don’t worry, I’m eyeing him so he won’t do a thing” so I went in for a kiss and we kissed for the first time in public, so passionately. We had found love and we were enjoying every moment of it.
During lessons, I would just smile to myself and did not concentrate much on what I was being taught. I remember this one time during a Moral Education lesson when we were discussing social habits and I was asked to state one. When the teacher did ask me, I was so far away by then.
‘Brandon Chidzala, I said name one common social habit you know of’
‘Winona’
‘What kind is that?’ and I realized I must have gone off track when everyone laughed. I looked around confused but Sethunya luckily tipped me on how to avoid trouble.
‘Tell her about Winona Ryder’s habit Brandon’
‘Oh yes’, and I stood up, cleared my throat and started, ‘The habit is not really that common but studies show it is on the rise. I am not really sure as to what it is really called but Winona Ryder has it or rather had it. It’s a condition where you just steal for no particular reason. Winona is obviously rich but she shop-lifted once’
‘Very correct Mr. Chidzala, very correct. The condition is called Kleptomania and is, as Brandon has come to state, very much on the rise. Let’s give the young man a round of applause’ and the class did just that as I sat down. I looked at Bagomotsi and he was laughing out loud, imitating a heartbeat with his hand underneath his shirt. I smiled and turned back to Sethunya.
‘Thanks Sethunya, you are a life saver; that was a close one’
‘No problem love; just try to concentrate next time’ and we went back to listening, which I did this time.
Just then, a message came in into my phone and it was none either than Winona.
Babes, I am in an English Language lesson and it is so boring. Want to meet up?
I had almost got into trouble because of her and now she was calling me for more trouble. But when love calls out, you cannot say no, right?
Where do you want to meet up then because my Moral lesson is boring too my love
My love…sounds nice babes. You will find me at the girls’ toilets in less than five minutes
I left class under the pretext that I was going to use the toilets, even though I was and in less than two minutes, I was there. I knew what I was about to do was an offense punishable by a yellow letter but I was just going to do it for the sake of love. Fact: love is a very complicated thing; more of a drug I must say. Once you take it in, it controls every bit of your body, your brains included. This was exactly what was happening to me and I know it that on average, it happens to 1 in 3 new lovers like me.
I got in to the toilets and Winona was not there yet so I waited. The toilets were also empty, with nobody there but me. However, in less than a minute of waiting I heard a group of girls coming towards the toilets and I knew I was in big trouble. I hid in one of the toilets and waited in vain. I climbed on top of the toilet seat to get a better view of the girls and there we five of them. I knew two of them from swimming practice and got even more scared. Only God could save me.
‘Did you guys see all those flyers all over school? Apparently there is a face-off this Saturday between two new, not-so-famous groups and they expect us to attend’ started one of the girls and the others laughed.
‘But we have The Halo to take care of dancing in school or The Marrittians, right?’
‘Exactly but there is a twist guys; this new kwaito group, St. Wiz, has Botho Molokai, Brandon Chidzala, Bagomotsi Moalosi, TreShawn Detroit II and Tyler Malokane as its group members!’
‘Wait, you are kidding, right?’ asked the other girls in unison and the other one nodded.
From there they started jumping in joy and as I leant in for a closer look, my foot slipped and I almost fell in to the toilet pot and as such squeaked, making me almost swear. This made all the five girls turn around at the same time.
‘Did you guys hear that?’
‘Yeah, I did and it sounded…like a guy’
Slowly, they moved from toilet to toilet, opening the doors to check. I said a quick and brief prayer and waited for the worst to happen. Finally, they got to my toilet and flung it open. In shock, they stood there looking at me. I smiled and greeted them.
‘Hi guys, I was…I am…’ but stopped when they got really serious and ordered me out.
‘What are you doing in the girls’ toilets, during lessons time?’
‘Well, I was…’
‘Wait a minute; guys, this is Brandon, that pig Winona’s boyfriend’
‘Please don’t call her that, I…’ but they just over-powered me, ‘You are right and he is one of St. Wiz’s dancers’
‘So Brandon, explain your being here before we get really pissed. Did you not see the sign outside that says “Girls’ toilets” or are you as dumb as your little…I don’t know…your little Miss Ego’
‘Actually, I did see it but please stop insulting her. I was here to…I kind of got lost and…’
‘…and you don’t need to explain yourself Brandon’ and they all turned around to see Winona standing at the toilet door-way.
I felt a sigh of relief automatically release itself and one of the girls started pulling the one talking to me but she resisted, ‘Linda, I will not run away all because of her. We have been scared of these Egos for too long. Now Winona, finders-keepers so Brandon is going nowhere’
‘Oh really, is that really so? Are you sure about that because the last time I checked, I brought him here and that means I take him out of here’
‘Oh, so you too were here for a little making out, hey? Very juicy…and interesting I must say’
‘Exactly what we were going to do so please, if you don’t mind, move along before you skunks regret what is coming for you’
I could see a little bit of fear grip the leader of the group and she looked at me before smiling and they all left. This really confused me; how could five girls be scared of one gi
rl? How was that possible?
‘Babe, I am so sorry I took so long but I hope you are okay, right?’
‘Yeah, I am…I am just a little surprised’ and she smiled before coming on to me, wrapping her arms around my neck as always and mine went on to her waist, ‘Don’t worry Brandon, you still have a lot to learn…my love’ and she kissed me. The kiss was sweet and all but that did not mean I was still not shocked, and scared so I stopped her, ‘Babe, how about we do this some other time, maybe in a risk-free environment?’
‘Don’t tell me those girls scared you Brandon’
‘No, it’s not that; just that we are in the girls’ toilets and I am a guy and lessons are progressing so it’s a risk’
‘Well, if you put it that way then, I get you. I’ll see you after school?’
‘Okay but you will have to see me after dance practice because of the upcoming Union Square challenge’
‘Yeah, sure, I’ll join you there. Now, go to class and maybe if we are lucky, we might meet during lunch time’
‘Okay babe, I love you’
‘I love you more Brandon’ and she winked at me before leaving.
As I went to class, I wondered what had really happened in there. Winona had single-handedly chased away five senior girls and I had to know why. There was a mention of Ego and Sethunya had mentioned it before so I had to find out more. This meant a date with the ever-informative Neo. I had to wait for lunch time before I checked on her.