Ulanda was the best chat-mate on Siya’s Mxit. They shared everything, even if it was a personal matter. Things were going great between them; they were enjoying chatting with one another. Siya would even save their conversations before logging out.

They hardly knew each other; in a real life they never met. The only thing he knew about her was the name of the area where she stayed. This was because of the new Mxit version that gives you access to search anyone, anywhere you want. So Siya did too and found where Ulanda stayed.

Siya never felt so happy about his mxit mates the way he felt about Ulanda. But that was before things got out of hand between them. Things started to fall apart when she no longer logged on to Mxit. That did not suit Siya well, instead it drove him crazy. She could have quit Mixt because it was seen as childish, and that could mean she thought of him as being childish.

Their distance didn’t give Siya peace in his life. He would always think about the things they talked about, the advices they used to give each other and the fun they had when they were chatting. It had been four months since she last logged in.

Siya decided to do something about it; he was trying to figure out a way to find the real her. He went around asking his friends and neighbors about the place called Ormond View, which was where she was staying. But no one seemed to have an idea. It seemed like it was the first time they heard about Ormond View.

It was Saturday morning when Siya woke up early and made his bed quickly, with the aim of catching the only train that went straight to Johannesburg. The only thing he was nervous about on his journey was that he didn’t know where he was going. He had no idea how to get to Johannesburg using a train, and a train was the only thing he could afford at that moment.

He arrived at the station 7:00 a.m. The train arrived and everyone got in. The coach he was in was full of people also going to Johannesburg.

Every time the train stopped, he would step out to check the station. He was shy to ask people around him. The scary part was that he would hide behind the toilets when he saw the guards demanding tickets, because he was not sure if the ticket he had was right for the place he was going to. But the ticket was right. This happened at every station he stopped.

At last he was so happy when he saw the sign “Welcome to Johannesburg”.

He decided to take a taxi to Ormond View. Ulanda didn’t even know he was on his way to see her. He didn’t even have her phone numbers or address. He only knew he was going to Ormond view.

He believed that he would ask someone on the street. Luckily he saw a lady asking a taxi to Ormond and he was happy that things were still going accordingly.

He followed the lady to the taxi; on the way he made sure not to lose sight of the lady’s. He figured that if she got off then that meant they were in Ormond. People got off one by one until it was only him and the lady left in the taxi. The taxi went to another rank; Bara at Soweto and they stopped there.

The lady got off and went through a passage just behind the rank. Siya was following her. He accidentally dropped his phone and the parts went flying in separate ways. Picking it up and putting it together caused him to lose the lady. He believed he had arrived in Ormond.

There were houses and a few shacks. When he asked he was told the place was Bara and he had to take a taxi to Ormond.

He started to lose hope and he decided to go back home. He found a taxi to Johannesburg but it was already full.

“No driver, this taxi is full,” said Siya.

“Ngena, awungene sihambe,” replied the taxi driver.

On the way back to Johannesburg he saw a board written ‘Ormond View Shopping Centre’. But Ulanda stayed at Ormond View Expo Centre; a suburban area. As he saw the board his heart was filled with joy.

“Whoah… whoah driver. This is the place I’m going to, you can drop me off here,” Siya said with happiness.

“Are you sure my boy?” asked the fat taxi driver.

The taxi took off leaving Siya sitting on the grass next to the board, waiting to ask someone. And then it started to rain. Luckily he saw someone.

“Oh sorry sir, is this Ormond view right?” asked Siya.

“No this is Gold Reef City,” replied the man.

Siya could not believe it! He was frustrated and disappointed. He had no choice but to go back home this time. There were no taxis passing, so he walked and walked and got soaking wet. He stopped an oncoming taxi and squeezed himself in.

Everyone in the taxi was busy eating, except him. Suddenly he was hungry; he kept licking his lips whenever he looked around him. When he finally arrived in Johannersberg and he saw his neighbor as they got into the taxi heading back home.

“Shit! What a journey! But I can’t rest until I find her,” Siya said, lying on his bed with a plate of porridge and meat next to him.