THE AFTERMATH
01
The DJ turns up the music and he looks at Kuyasa.
Kuyasa said this would be fun,but the music is so loud he can’t hear himself think.
The lights keep changing colour he can hardly keep up.
One of the girls Kuyasa brought puts a hand on his lap and he sighs.
Besides their cheap perfume none of them have caught his attention or enticed his appetite.
He stands up and Kuyasa looks at him.
“Uyaphi?”
“To get some air” he says.
“Do you want me to come along?”
“Angiyona ingane Kuyasa” he says,glancing at him.
Kuyasa nods and let’s him be.
He makes his way to the roof top and sigh in relief when he finds the space empty.
The cold breeze hits his skin and fills my lungs.
He shuts his eyes and slowly takes in the moment.
He lits up a cigarette and takes the first puff hits the rights spot.
“Yah Maphafuza”
He opens his eyes and turns around to find a girl staring at him.
He looks around then back at her.
“Excuse me?”
“Ngithe yah Maphafuza,you walking air pollution” she says.
She walks up to him and takes the cigarette,drops it on the ground and stomps on it.
“Your lungs will thank me”
“What are you doing?” his asks,his forehead already creased.
“Saving a life,doing a good deed for the day”
His eyes widen as she searches him and finds the whole pack.
“Your parents are going to thank me”
She breaks them in half and his eyes almost pop.
“My parents are dead” he says.
She gasps and covers her mouth.
“I am so sorry”
She abruptly pulls him into a hug and holds me tight.
Again invading his privacy.
He tries to get out of her hold but she tightens her arms.
“Don’t fight it” she says..
This is the weirdest thing to ever happen to him,but somehow he’s allowing it all.
Or maybe the shock of it all is what’s allowing this.
“If you want to cry,I will completely understand,we can both cry it’s okay I i dont mind” she says.
“You are weird”
“Thank you” she says,letting go.
“That wasn’t a compliment”
She tilts her head and lifts her nose.
“I hate the smell of cigarette”
“I don’t care” I say.
Her lips curve and start quivering.
“You don’t?”
Her voice now soft.
He opens his mouth but nothing comes.
Tears fill her eyes and she starts crying.
He looks around then back at her,this must be a sick joke or something..
She burts into tears and panick sets in.
This is not how he wanted to celebrated
“I am sorry okay!I care. I care about a complete stranger not liking the smell of cigarette.”
Her eyes soften,promising to stop.
“You dont like the smell of cigarettes and I care” he says,crossing his fingers.
“You do?”
He nods she breaks into a laugh before wiping her tears.
His mouth drops and she laughs even more.
“You are sick”
“And you are polluting the air” she says walking towards the edge of the building.
“I hope you won’t jump because I am not in the mood to save a life”
She looks at him and laughs.
“We are all going to die eventually”
“True but trust me I am not in the mood to save a chatty weird stranger”
She gets up to the edge and he narrows his eyes.
He looks to the sky and clenches his jaw.
“Why would you choose today of all days to test me?”
“Talking to yourself I see”
His eyes jot to the crazy girl.
She’s still standing by the edge.
“Like I said I am not in the mood,now get the fuck off that ledge”
“Make me” she says.
Her voice firm and commanding.
He takes a few steps closer to where she is and she smiles.
“Get down”
“Make me”
She opens her arms and raises one leg.
He quickly pulls her back and she laughs.
“Fuck this, this isn’t how I wanted to spend my night” he says.
“You smell horrible” she says
“And you are a walking menace”
“Thank you”
“Sikhanyiso”
They both look back.
“Is everything okay?” Kuyasa asks
“Eveything is fine” Sikhanyiso says.
The menace slowly stands and walks up to Sikhanyiso.
“Seli” she says,stretching out her hand.
Kuyasa shakes it and looks at Sikhanyiso
“Don’t ask” he says.
“We’re going to Capetown” Kuyasa says.
“When?”
“Now” he says.
“As in right now?”
“It’s your birthday and I know you love the sea”
He lets out a chuckle.
“Okay”
“Yay! we are going to Capetown”
“Kahle ukuqina wena we dont even know you” Sikhanyiso says..
She folds her and looks at him.
“I thought we’re friends”
Sikhanyiso scoffs.
“I just met you and not voluntarily” he says.
“We have enough space” Kuyasa says.
She runs into Kuyasa’s arms and hugs him.
She then turns and sticks her tongue out at Sikhanyiso.
“Can I call a friend?”.
“Sure” Kuyasasays.
She pulls out a phone from her purse and calls the friend.
“Oh I can’t wait for this trip” she says.
Sikhanyiso shakes his head and looks Kuyasa.
Sometimes he wonders what goes on in this one’s head.
“She’s your responsibility” Sikhanyiso says walking away.
“Sikhanyiso”
His heart misses a beat and he looks at her.
She walks up to him and opens hers purse.
“Happy birthday” she hands him one sour worm and smiles.
“This is the only thing I have” she says.
“Thank you,I guess”
“Dlana”
He chuck the damn thing in his mouth and Kuyasa laughs at him..
“He loves sour worms” Kuyasa points out.
“Me too!” she says.
She hands him another one and takes one for herself.
“uyabona kodwa ukuthi ngiyakondla” she says,walking away.
Kuyasa laughs as he ook at the second worm.
Contemplating what to do with it.
“Just eat the damn thing” Kuyasa says following her.
.
.
His whole body hitts the floor and he opens his eyes.
He struggles to breath and tries to stand up,but his efforts prove futile.
Panic sets in when he realizes his whole body is wrapped up in this white thing.
He starts screaming and just then someone sits on top of him.
He flips his body,managing to get them off.
“Who are you?” he asks.
“Don’t scream” the voice says.
“I can’t breath” he says.
“Then stop screaming” she says.
She sits on top of him and opens the sheet revealing his head.
“You!” he says..
“Hi”
“Why am I wrapped up like this?”
She smiles nervously and shrugs.
He opens his mouth to scream and she quickly puts a hand over it..
“I might be the reason you’re like this”
His eyss widen,last night wasn’t a dream she really came with them and now she’s trying to kill him.
She removes her hand and he takes a huge breath.
“You tried to kill me”
“No I didn’t”
“Yes you did!”
“It’s not my fault you sleep like a dead person,I tried waking you up and you wouldn’t open your eyes”
His eyes shrink,why would she try to wake him up and why are they in the same room.
“You should have checked my pulse”
“I did!”
“And”
“Well I couldn’t feel anything and I was still drunk,so excuse me for not being able to tell if you’re dead or just asleep”
“So you just wrapped me up?”
She nods.
“You could have called the police or better yet my brother.”
“And have them arrest me for something I didn’t do”
He looks at her then her handy work
“I panicked,I woke up next to a dead man who happens to be a stranger,so forgive me for thinking on my feet”
“You’re a murderer”
“You’re not dead!”
“Because I woke up and disturbed your plan,lord knows what you would have done to my body”
He looks at his salotaped feet.
“You’re sick”
“Kancane” she says
“Untie me now!”
“I am sorry”
A knock comes through and they both look at the door.
She starts panicking and points at him.
“Ungamemezi” she says.
The knock persists and so does his lack of patience.
“Ngena!” he says
Kuyaasa walks in and they looks at him..
“What’s with the noises,and why are you tied up? Wait are you two role playing”
He clenches his jaws and looks at kuyasa.
Maybe his parents did drop him when he was just a baby.
“Bafo kwenzakalani?”
He breathes in and out and looks at his murderer.
“Your friend here tried to kill me”
“Ngixolisile nje,kanti wena awuxoli yini?” she asks folding her arms.
“Kuyasa”
“Calm down,I am sure it was a mistake”
“Exactly!”
“You know what,get out,get out before I say or do something I will regret” he says.
“So much for helping your drunk arse to your room. You are so ungrateful”
She grabs her shoes and purse and makes for the door.
Just as he is about to breath a sigh of relief she makes a turn and walks back to him.
She just a pack of Manhattan sour worms on top of him and turns to walk away.
Kuyasa laughs and he shakes his head.
“Kancane nje” she says making another turn.
She empties the pack and divides the candy equally.
One remains and she bites it in half..
“Mina khamisa”
He looks at Kuyasa holding in his laugh and opens his mouth.
“Bye”
She hurries out and helps him out of the hotel sheets.
He stands up and looks at the door.
One thing for sure that girl has a few screws loose.
“Happy birthday Mzala” Kuyasa says,handing him a gift box.
He opens the small gift box and smiles.
“I figured you would appreciate something of this sort”
He takes out the cufflinks and smiles.
A picture of his beautiful mother nicely put in each of the cufflinks.
“Baba gave me the picture,I hope you like them”
He pulls kuyasa into a hug and smiles.
“Ngiyabonga Mzala” he say.
2 month later
……….