I kept thinking about Jimmy and almost forgot to get off at my bus stop. I saw my mother coming from the shop with plastics full of groceries. My home was a few meters from the bus stop but a kilometre from the shop.

“Khanyi, you are glowing,” my mother chuckled.

“I just had a good day,” I said, trying to not make eye contact with her.

“That’s good, so long as you put your studies first,” she said as I helped her carry the plastics.

It was my duty to cook that day, my mother cooked three times a week and I then took turns with my sister, Rudo.

My phone rang as I started cutting the vegetables. My mother was packing the groceries close by, and I looked at the screeen and saw it was a number that I didn’t know. It’s Jimmy, I thought, oh God I needed privacy. But then I thought maybe it was not him…but I did think that it was. He didn’t waste much time.

“Khanyi answer your phone,” my mother shouted while putting the meat in the fridge.

I quickly rushed to pick it up.

“Hello, hello…” I said as I walked slowly away from the kitchen. I glimpsed at my mother who was peeking at me.

“Hi,” was the reply in a low voice.

“Hello, how are you?” I answered gently.

“Wow, Khanyi, you aren’t shy on the phone!” he said in a raised tone as I laughed.

“Yes… Maybe that’s because I didn’t expect to meet a handsome guy,” I replied confidently.

It’s true – I am shy in the real world but on the phone I’m unreserved. We talked for five minutes, with Jimmy cracking plenty of jokes and speaking about himself, his life and family.

He was a PA at Nocim. He had a car but preferred walking. He was not stubborn and an outgoing person – unlike me, shy and very stubborn. He had an older sister and his parents stayed in the village.

“Khanyi, the pot will burn,” my mother yelled from inside.

I hoped Jimmy hadn’t heard the background. I felt embarrassed of him knowing about my over-protective, bossy mother. I pretended to act as if I was obedient to my mother… but really all I wanted to do was to talk to Jimmy.

“I must go, but we can talk tomorrow,” I said quickly and dropped the call.

I think I heard him say, “What about later?” I then rushed to the kitchen to finish cooking.

***

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