There she was, waiting patiently for the train to pass by. It was late. It was supposed to pass by two hours ago, unless she had missed it. She began to panic.

“Oh, no! I am late.”

She was the only one waiting there, and that made her feel uneasy. The storm wasn’t showing any mercy at all. It was dark. When she turned to sit down, she almost ran for her life when she saw a young man, same age as her. He was looking down in defeat. What was he doing here? Was he a junkie? Why didn’t he greet? All the questions ran through her mind without clear answers.

“Hey, can I help you?” she yelled at him, but the boy paid no attention.

Why was he looking down? He was wearing black clothes, his face looked pale as if he was a ghost – or was he indeed a ghost?

“Can you at least say something or rather look at me?” she continued.

He said nothing and continued to look down. Two hours passed and nothing changed. At long last the boy looked at her. She almost ran away again but she couldn’t. Her legs were denying any movement, her big blue eyes were wide.

The boy’s face was covered in blood. He wasn’t breathing.

“What happened to your face, why aren’t you breathing?” she asked.

“Bonolo, will you please marry me?” he asked.

“How do you know my name? I cannot marry you, I don’t know you. Besides, I am only fourteen. What do I know about marriage?” she asked.

The boy looked at her as he released his last breath.
“Will you please marry me? Do not think of tomorrow or today or yesterday. Just marry me and please save me.”

Bonolo looked back at him, puzzled. “No, I cannot marry you.”

“Cannot or will not?”

She became angry within a second and shouted, “No! I will never marry you! Not now, not tomorrow! Not in this lifetime and never! Stop manipulating me!”

The boy suddenly disappeared and the train approached the station. She got inside and settled down behind two elderly woman and began eavesdropping on their conversation, which seemed interesting.

“The train was very late today, what happened?” one lady asked.

“Yoh! There was a car crash along the way.”

“What happened? Was there any survival?”

“The family of four managed to pull through but the young boy in the other car died. He was so young to be driving a car. Properly fifteen years. Apparently, he was on his way home after his girlfriend refused his proposal. He was angry so he deliberately hit the car. He died on the spot. They consider it a suicide.”

“This is heartbreaking.”

When the train reached the next stop, Bonolo saw the same young boy waving at her. Reality hit when she realised that the boy whose proposal she denied was asking for a chance.

“Sis, Bbbbbbb,” a voice echoed.

“What happened? Where is the boy?”

“Which boy, sis? You were dreaming!”

“Can you please lend me your phone.”

“Ja, here it is.”

She went straight to the internet and saw that indeed the accident had happened.

“What happened? You look shattered?”

“Sis, do you still remember Saviour Nkati?”

“Ja, my ex-boyfriend.”

“Well, he died today in a car crash.”

“What?”

***

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