“What do you want now Nkhensi?” she greeted standing at the door. “Don’t you think you have done enough damage already?”
“Please, Amu I didn’t come to pick a fight. I came to apologise; for everything I’ve done to you,” I said as humbly as I could.
“You’re sorry, Nkhensi? Do you think your sorry will heal the pain I felt after you treated me that way? Like some used teabags with no use anymore?” she asked.
“No Amu, I know how I treated you is inexcusable and maybe nothing that I’m about to say will even make a difference but I really am sorry.” I replied calmly.
“Woah, woah woah, woah Nkhensi, do you really think you can come here and give me the ‘I’m so sorry speech’ and everything will be ok? After everything? Really?”
“That’s not what I’m saying, Amu, but please forgive me for everything.”
“But why did you Nkhensi? Did I really deserve that? Have I been such a horrible friend to you that you felt the need to do that?” she asked.
“No, of course not. It’s just that ever since Lebo’s dream, I just thought that messing every relationship in my life was the right thing to do, since I would be gone anyway.” I said almost crying.
“But Nkhensi, do you know how much it hurt when you of all people abandon me?”
“No, I don’t, but the thought of you being alive and pursuing your dreams while I would be dead, buried and forgotten, just emerged more and more hate inside my heart. It turned me into a monster,” I said explaining to her.
“You’re not gonna die,” Amu said taking my hand. “I love you, Nkhensi, I can’t afford not to forgive you.”
The fact that she had forgiven me meant the world to me. I couldn’t help but squeeze her tight. Now that I’ve mended my friendship with Amu I felt relieved. But there was one uncertainty I still had to set straight.
I left Amu’s house heading for Lebo’s house.
I just barged in without even greeting. “Was there ever a dream, Lebo?”
She decides to take a year to reply. And being such a nice soul, I decided to help her talk. I walked to her and put both my hands around her neck. And then I started squeezing. I held her against the wall and repeated my question slowly.
“W-A-S T-H-E-R-E E-V-E-R A D-R-E-A-M, L-E-B-O?”
She was panicking and trying to free herself. Then when she tried to speak I loosened my grip on her neck.
“Please… let… go off my neck,” she said between breaths.
She coughed and coughed. But finally she spoke.
“Well I had a dream but… it wasn’t really your face I saw. Everything was foggy so I assumed it was you,” she said, showing no sign of remorse – at all.
“What? You assumed? Assumed Lebo? I can’t believe you!” I said walking out with my face covered in tears of disappointment.
I got home I cried even more, but this time more with relief that the nightmare I’ve been praying so hard to wake up from was finally over.
“I’m free!” I screamed in my room knowing, no one would hear.
So turns out my frenemy, friend turned enemy, Lebo was fake. I really was glad it was all vague because now I looked forward to fixing things with my family and most of all the love of my life, Gift.
Before the drama I was much fun, a person who enjoyed outdoors. So I sent Amu a text inviting her out.
Gal I fil lyk goin out this wkend, r u game?
Within five minutes my phone beeps with a message from Amu.
sho. ofcos gal dat goes without asking
That weekend we had the best girl’s night’s out ever. And now I truly can feel I’m alive. My life is back to normal and though my story doesn’t really have a happy ending; there’s hope for me that I can still ‘be someone’ and of course ‘leave a mark’.
I’m so grateful that God saved the words of that boy to give me hope when I needed it most.
After all maybe all I ever needed to break out of this cage of hell was faith and positivity. But either way after a long time of being locked in a prison, here I am stronger than before and happier.
Nothing will ever push me to ruin my life like I did with Lebogang’s vision. I am only relieved it was a vision that never came through.
The End
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Help our first time writer: Did you enjoy the story?