The day went well like any other and break time came. The children went out and I was caught among them. I almost fell when someone caught me. Sipho, my hero. I looked in his eyes, lost in his love until I realised Mosa had been watching us. He quickly let me go and we walked out.

I went to our usual spot, near the class on the stoep. Well, it wasn’t that much of a spot but everyone knew we were always there. Natasha and Thuli were already there and I joined them. I couldn’t even keep my face up as Mosa came to us. Now I was sure she had put two and two together and solved the puzzle. For some time, she pretended nothing had happened, but then she had to break it and sell me out. I never blamed her though.

“So mam’ fundisi, you have a boyfriend now?”

I looked down and rolled my eyes around. Natasha and Thuli broke into laughter, they never thought I, Kgaugelo, the goody-two shoes daughter of a preacher, had a boyfriend.

“Mosa, let’s get real now, we’re talking about Kgau here! Do you have any idea how many boys she’s rejected in her life? She’s such a respectful girl, she has no boyfriend, I’m sure.” Natasha said.

“Well she does! Can’t you see the guilt on our friend’s face? She can’t even look at us.” Mosa said.

I confirmed her by saying: “She’s telling the truth. I do have a boyfriend and we’ve been dating for quite some time. It’s Sipho.”

I just had to come clean. It was time I faced the music and stopped switching it off like a coward. If I was able to tell father, then I should also tell my friends. People who were my age understood young love, my peers who I knew would stand by me.

“Oh…Sipho, just like my brother. Which school does he attend? Is he from your Church?” Thuli asked me.

I found it hard to explain to her I was talking about her brother. “No Thuli, I mean your brother. I am dating your twin, Thuli.” I finally let it all out. I felt scared but relieved at the same time. To my surprise, she looked at me and smiled, congratulating me. Everyone was happy for me, unlike my own father. But, of course they were going to be. They were my friends and understood me and I was just doing what they all did. Natasha even said she was proud that I was finally acting like a girl. It felt nice to have someone not oppose my relationship with Sipho.

“Um…chommie, isn’t Thuli’s brother in that gang? The ones that go around robbing people and old ladies ge ba etswa motenteng?” Mosa whispered to me worriedly.

Thuli confirmed that her brother and his friends were misunderstood and that they weren’t gangsters or did all they were accused of.

Sipho had been sitting near us with his friends and they came to join us. We left to sit under the big tree behind all the classes. I laid on Sipho’s lap and he put his arms around me. Thuli sat on Thabang’s lap and Natasha and Mosa were left alone looking at us, the ones with the boyfriends. It felt good to be the one doing something and to have my friends left out for a change.

The day ended and Sipho accompanied me home. It was the first time and I didn’t care anymore. Besides, I was sure daddy was at church as he was on every Monday to see that everything would be well for choir practise, because he was never there on Tuesdays. I was set on giving up my old self, but one of the other things I wanted to hold on to was singing. I loved to sing and especially in the choir, praising God.

I was glad to find out I was right and dad had left for church. Mam’ Becca’s car was there but she wasn’t, so I figured they took dad’s car. I always had a key in my backpack and I opened the kitchen door. I found that everything had been done and I just had to do my homework. My chores were a big part of my schedule, my routine. It felt…somehow…I couldn’t put that feeling together, it felt that way to find that another female was replacing me in my father’s heart and house. I didn’t like the sound of that, but what was I to do?

Maybe Sipho was right when he said I should be glad, as I would be leaving and I wouldn’t have to worry about daddy. Now I would leave, knowing he was fine and well taken care of with two young children running around. Perhaps this whole wedding and remarriage thing of his wasn’t such a bad thing, maybe it was even a blessing. I loved father and I had always wondered what would become of him and how his life would be with me away, now I could go to school without worry. But I had said some bad things, including how I wouldn’t go to their wedding.

Now I thought hard about everything as I lay on my bed to take a nap. I regretted the things I had said. I was feeling sad in my own home, pretending to be sick and leaving in the early mornings. It wasn’t like Mam’ Becca was there to steal my father from me or tear me from his heart. She was there to show him love and take care of him. Maybe I was just overreacting. I ended up drowning in my thoughts and they put me to sleep.

My nap was a bit long and when I woke up it was six o’clock. Daddy still hadn’t come home, which was weird. But this was an opportunity for me to make it up to daddy. I set the dining table as nicely as possible. I reheated the delicious stew Mam’ Becca had prepared and added some spices. It wasn’t long after I had finished that I heard daddy’s car hooting outside. I rushed out to open the gate and they entered. I ran back into the house and saw that everything was in order, the best plates, accessories and glasses. But I had a surprise in store.

***

Tell us: Now that she has decided to be nice to her family, do you think they will accept her apologies about how nasty she had been?