The next few weeks weren’t great, for any of us. My brother took a long time to heal. It hurt me to see him so weak and broken, when he’d always been the fit, strong one. Princess went to hide out with Rubi’s stepsister Nothando for a while, who was happy to help because of her own blesser experience.
Princess’s blesser was still hunting her and she needed a place to stay that he didn’t know about. He was doubly furious with her, because of the trial. My brother had opened a case of assault against him and his hitmen, and Princess was going to testify about the threats he’d made. She’s got courage, that girl.
Me, I had a lot of explaining to do, to everyone. That’s the trouble with lies. They always catch you out in the end. Coming clean on FB was pretty hard. Everyone got to know the story of the catfisher who used his brother as bait. It’s made me famous, though not in in the way I wanted. But I don’t mind too much. It’s a big relief not to have to feel the guilt or worry about being found out anymore.
Most of my Facebook friends have stayed my friends. They still call me Prinz. Only it’s my own picture up there now. And I’ve changed my status – to “taken”. I don’t need to go babe fishing anymore, yabona. I’ve found my Number One.
She walks up to join me where I’m sitting at the juice bar after my gym workout. Just a baby one, you know, nothing that will shock the muscles too much.
“Hey,” she says. “Good haircut.”
I grin at her. “Good hairdresser.”
She sits down next to me like she owns the stool.
“How’s it going with your brother?” she asks. “Is he speaking to you yet?”
“You know Prince. He doesn’t hold a grudge for long.”
“Is he here? Back at work?”
“See for yourself,” I say.
I point through the window into the sweat pit, where my brother is back doing the rounds as usual. He moves a lot more slowly than he used to. But he’s getting there. The doctors say that being in the good shape he was has helped his recovery. His face has been rearranged a bit. A new bump in his nose, a few other cracks and creases that weren’t there before. Funny thing is, on him it all adds to the glamour. It just makes his handsomeness look more interesting.
One of the gym babes takes a break from her treadmill and goes over to talk to him. They laugh together, showing lots of happy teeth.
“They look good together, don’t they?” my Number One says. “The Prince and Princess. Maybe they’ll fall in love for real and end up together, just like in the fairy tales.”
I nod without answering, still feeling the pain of finding out that my dream girl wasn’t mine after all.
Rubi looks at me sideways and takes my hand.
“Does she know yet? That you were the one she was pouring her heart out to on FB? Have you told her?”
“Yes,” I say.
“And what did she say? Has she forgiven you?”
I shrug. “She had to. She had her own apologising to do. She deceived me too.”
“Told you,” Rubi says. “Secrets are always better when they’re out in the open. You must listen to me more often, Gcina.”
I lean over and kiss her, thinking how lucky I am. Sometimes The One is there under your nose all the time. You’re just too busy feeling sorry for yourself to notice.
***
Tell us: Do you agree that lies always catch up with you in the end? What do you think of how things worked out?
