I arrived home, dropped my school bag on my bedroom floor and jumped onto my bed. After a while I heard the front door open. I quickly got off my bed and changed out of my uniform.

“Vatiswa!” a yell came from the living room.

I went to the living room and there was my mother, looking at me as if I was some kind of thief.

“Are the dishes going to wash themselves while you lock yourself in your room?” she demanded.

I did not dare to answer, even though I could have said: “but mom, I just got back from school”.

So, I went off and washed the dishes then went back to my room to clear my mind. As I was lying in bed my mother came in and sat next to me on my bed.

“Vatiswa, you know I don’t have the money to send you to university next year…”

I just lay there without saying anything. I knew that if I did well in all my subjects I could land a bursary and I wouldn’t have to worry about study fees next year.

“Who are my parents and where do they live?” the words just came out of my mouth without warning.

“You want to know your parents? Go dig them up from their graves!” She said, storming out of my room and leaving me with my mouth wide open and with tears rolling down my cheeks.

So, my parents are dead, I thought, I will never meet my mom. I started crying very hard, wishing for these people that I had never known. My phone rang and I answered it without even looking at the incoming number.

“Hi, Vatiswa, it’s Vusi,” the voice said on the other side.

Where the hell did he get my number from? I thought. “Oh, hi Vusi. I can’t remember talking to you or giving you my number…” I said in a rather husky voice.

“Well I wanted to say hi since I was a bit rude this afternoon at school”, he said. I wanted to ask him again where he got my number from but he kept on talking, “you just took my breath away and I found it difficult to greet you and your friends, please forgive me for that.”

I didn’t know what to say but I eventually found some decent words after a long silence, “Oh thank you for calling, it was nice of you”.

We chatted some more and he told me his surname and he was the same age as me.

Vusi Phathwa was also 17 years old and I hate to admit this but I was starting to like him.

Tell us what you think: Could this be real or is just infatuation? Can Vatiswa handle a relationship with all her other worries?