Thirty minutes later, we arrived at our destination. You could tell that it was the end of the month by the many people in the mall.

I was so hungry that I was happy when Liyanda suggested that we get something to eat at a restaurant before we went shopping. As I have said, Liyanda knew me quite well. She could even tell when I was hungry. We took a table close to the door and ordered two steak and kidney pies. After lunch, our day started properly.

“So tell me, why were you so quiet in the car, is something bothering you? Asanda you know that you can talk to me right?”

“Uhm…..there’s this guy,” I said when she interrupted me before I could finish.

“Oh my God! Asanda, you’re in love. I am happy for you my sister,” she said smiling at me.

I just smiled back at her.

“So tell me all the details regarding this guy,” she said staring at me.

I didn’t know where to start. So I told her that I’d seen him passing our house a couple of days ago and that I didn’t know who he really was. Her phone beeped just then, it was a message from Thandikhaya saying that he wanted to see her urgently.

“Sorry sis, we have to go back home, Thandikhaya is waiting for me there,” Liyanda said apologetically.

She then kissed me on my forehead then we made our way back to the car and drove back home.
At home, Liyanda and Thandikhaya were talking in the lounge and I was lying on my bed in my bedroom. I got up and looked out of the window; all the other boys in our neighbourhood were thugs and that disinterested me. I went back to my bed and decided to take a nap.

I dreamed that I was in the street, vulnerable and alone amongst the thugs in my neighbourhood. I was scared and thought about running to my best friend’s house, Avile, but it was too dark outside. There were people coming home from work but all were walking in different directions. The only way I could get out of there was by talking faster.

As they were closing in on me, I started to panic. How was I going to contact my sister? I stood thinking for a while then I decided to walk straight through them.

“Hey Princess, where are you going?” One of them said as I passed the group.
I kept quiet and I started running. Someone caught me from behind and I fell on the ground. He grabbed my shoulder and said, “Where do you think you are going?” He was tall and had bruises on his face. I could hear my heart trembling with fear through my chest. This guy was not laughing at all.

“I said where are you going bitch?” he asked me again.
His pals were laughing at me.

“I’m going home please, don’t hurt me. Let me go,” I begged with tears in my eyes.
The older one of them came over to where I sat on the ground.

“Leave her to me, I’ll teach her a lesson she won’t forget,” he said menacingly. “You are beautiful indeed, no wonder my friend was calling you princess,” he said caressing my cheek.

I started crying.

“Hey, don’t you dare cry, where do you get the audacity to walk around here this time of the night? Do you even know what time it is? It’s 9 p.m., no one is allowed to walk here except us, the legends of the streets,” he finished.

Then there came a loud noise from down the street, everyone looked up to see where the noise came from. It was another group of boys. Oh my goodness more thugs, how will I survive this? I said in my heart. They were a group of six with baggy jeans and matching sneakers.

“Hey, guys what are you doing to this young lady?” One of the newcomers asked. When no one answered he continued, “Are you okay dear?”

“Yes, I am. I just want to go home,” I said quietly.

I had sprained my ankle in the fall and it hurt. I looked up to see who my hero was. I couldn’t believe my eyes; it was the guy I had been fantasising about over a few weeks ago.

“Let’s get out of here guys,” he said placing his one hand around my waist to help me up. “You look familiar, what’s your name?” He asked.

“I’m…” I fumbled for words then I felt someone patting me on my back.

“Hey wake up, I’m home,” Liyanda said trying to wake me up.

“Oh, my God, it was a dream,” I said confused.

***

Tell us what you think: What did you think would’ve happened in the dream had Asanda not woken up?