When I arrived at our spot he noticed right away that there was something seriously wrong with me. It must’ve been my grumpy face, my lack of the usual jolly walk, or just my dull, un-carefully picked clothes.

“Baby what’s wrong?” he asked getting up to greet me.

Struggling to hold the tears from flowing down my cheeks I reply, “Someone had a vision of me being raped.”

I could see he was struggling to hold in his laughter. “Really?” he asked holding me in his arms.

“Oh no, I’m joking. Of course I’m serious,” I felt like he was mocking me.

He looked at me as if I was insane. And then he bursts into laughter. This triggered the tears I had been holding up inside. It must’ve made him realised that I was serious.

“But baby you do know that it could’ve been a dream and nothing but a dream, right?” he tried to comfort me. Listening to his sound words I managed to return the tears from where they came from.
“But you don’t understand; her dreams have always been real; they always come true. First she dreamt of a phone being stolen and it happened.” My voice was raised two notches higher.

“Look, I understand that. But do bear in mind that not all her dreams will come true,” he said.

I looked at him with disappointment; he didn’t understand. And, he too didn’t take this issue seriously.

“You know what?” I said getting up. “We’re done… for good.”

“What? Don’t be ridiculous, Nkhensani,” he said still holding on to my hand. He wasn’t getting up to stop me though.

“I’m sparing you the embarrassment of being with a ‘soon to be rape victim’,” I said pulling my hand away. “Bye.”

I turned and ran home. I heard him calling after me but I didn’t look back. I just ran. And as I ran, so did the tears down my face. I couldn’t stop them; I didn’t want to stop them. So I just cried and ran.

Many would think I’m being unfair or selfish. But what I was doing was going to work out in both our favours or mine at least. Getting home, I thought I would be so teary and just bury myself in bed, considering I had just lost or abandoned the loved of my life. But that was the least of my worries. I had to come up with ways to deal with my ‘soon to be crisis’.

I had done my research on how to deal with rape trauma but man, it wasn’t really a walk in the park. Reading all the things people have gone through and how they dealt with it dampened my spirits. I was not sure I could even deal with being so traumatised; it would just ruin my wellbeing. It’s better to equip yourself, prepare yourself for this coming ordeal, I told myself.

As I was going over my research there was a knock at the door. It was Amu, just what I didn’t need. She always knocked once and then just let herself in my room; we did that since we were kids. But this day I just wished she would wait to be invited in, I thought to myself.
“Nkhensi, what’s wrong with you lately?” she asked standing with the door closed behind her.

“What’s wrong with me? if Why didn’t I chase after you when you decided to be melodramatic, you mean, Amu?” I ask with a very cheeky tone.

“No, normally even if we have our arguments we…”

“We”? I cut in. “We didn’t have an argument Amu, you decided to walk away,” I said interrupting her. I was mad. If my best friend had walked out on me on simple thing as forgetting our date, then how much more when she discovers I was used goods?

I was protecting myself.

“Ok fine I walked away, big deal – but we do chat, call and get over the whole thing. But it’s like there’s something bothering you; something you’re not telling me.” she said very concerned.

“And what if there was, what would you do? Hold me against your chest and let me lean on your shoulder? Then everything would be OK? Is that it Amu?” I asked with so much anger.

“Oh, come on Nkhensani, we’re friends; we aren’t meant to keep secrets.”

“But I know that you’re not gonna believe me even if I tell you Amu,” I said my tone almost calmed with regret.

“Try me,” she said.

I took a deep breath and told her. “I’m going to be raped soon.”

“You’re going to be raped? Huh? How do know that?” she asked very confused.

“My other psychic friend told me this,” I said lacking the energy to say more.

She was quiet for a while and I thought my friend understand. But then she did the unthinkable; she laughed.

***

Tell us: How do you feel about the way Nkhensani is handling things? What would you do if you were in her shoes?