“Hey bra there is this chick, she always looks at you whenever we walk by,” Mlungisi said noticing the girl.
“No ways!” Sfiso looked around but couldn’t see anyone. There were students all over the university grounds.
“Look she’s waving at you,”
“No, she’s waving at you,” Sfiso argued. He then made a gesture asking that girl if she’s waving at him, and the girl nodded.
“You see I told you she’s waving at you. So go and talk to her,” Mlungisi pressed.
“No bra, I have a class to attend,”
“Come on brada, we always arrive five minutes earlier, remember? A two-minute chat won’t hurt,” Mlungisi said pushing him.
“Stop pushing me bra, you’re embarrassing me. See how she’s looking at me as if I’m a coward,” said Sfiso.
Eventually he walked up to the girl. She was sitting under the tree with a book in hand.
“Hey!” greeted Sfiso a little too loudly.
“Hey,” the girl answered looking up from her book.
“How are you doing?”
“I’m fine and you?” said the girl with a smile.
“I’m fine as well, so what’s your name?” asked Sfiso, unsure of what else to say.
“I’m Chomie, and you are?”
“Mlungisi, Uh, I mean Sfiso,”
“Oh nice to meet you,”
Then they both became silent. They stared at each other, until Chomie said a word.
“So what do you do here, which course are you doing?”
“Oh no, I’m a Sociology teacher,”
“Oh that’s great!”
“Ja, how old are you?”
“Why are you asking?” she asked shocked.
“I just want to know!”
“Okay okay, I’m twenty-six. And you?”
“Tjo, you’re older than me. I’m 24”
“Come on, love is no age,”
“Anyways, wena, why are you always sitting under this Mango tree?”
“Oh, I’m unemployed. I get bored sitting at home for the whole day so I decided to sit under this tree and read books,”
“Oh you like reading?” Sfiso exclaimed.
“Yes I enjoy reading, especially stories written by African writers. Currently I’m reading Crazy about Love by Mbu Maloni,” Chomie replied.
“Cool. Maybe one day I must come and sit with you, so we can read together. I’m a fan of African stories as well,”
“That would be awesome; no one is ever willing to stay with me under this tree. Most students think I’m crazy,”
“Oh speaking about students, I have to go before I am late for class,”
“Oh okay, don’t forget to join me,”
“Ok I won’t”
“Tomorrow!”
“I’ll see what I can do,” Sfiso replied while running to his friend.
“Anyways she’s older than me bra,” Sfiso reported to Mlungisi.
“How old is she? Did you tell her your age?”
“Yes bra I did,”
“Why did you?”
“Because I asked her first and she told me,”
“Whaa dude! You don’t ask girls for their age. What did she say when you told her yours?”
“She said love is no age!”
“She told you that!?”
“Yes bra. I don’t know for what reason she told me that!”
“Waaah bra, it’s because she loves you!” Mlungisi teased.
“Nonsense,”
“Come on bra, she loves you, she loves you!”
“Ay, I don’t want to be deceived and give myself fake hopes, because I’ll find myself drooling in class,” and they both laughed.
***
Let’s chat: Do you believe in love at first sight? Should Sfiso talk to the girl?