I turned around and saw Thandi looking at me. She had the most beautiful smile. She leaned against the pole of the netball court.

I don’t know, but whenever Thandi is around, I can’t think straight. It’s as if she takes over my brain or something. I just can’t stop thinking about her.

I looked back at her with a big smile. But the smile on her face disappeared.

“Look out!” she exclaimed, pointing in my direction.

I turned around but it was too late to get out of the way of the ball.

At that moment I wished I was able to stop time and get out of the way.

OOOOOMPH!!!!

The ball hit me in the stomach, knocking the air right out of me. I fell to my knees holding my stomach. Through my blurry vision, I saw Sam running towards me, holding his head with his eyes and mouth wide open.

“LYOH!!!!” he mouths. Perhaps he did actually say it, but I couldn’t hear well.

I rolled over and lay on my back, my eyes closed.

“Bra, are you OK?” he cried.

I didn’t respond. Then Thandi came.

“Bongi, are you OK?” she asked.

I opened my eyes and Sam was gone. I wondered where he had gone. I lay there for five minutes. He arrived back with a bucket of water that he wanted to throw over me. I quickly jumped to my feet.

“Guys, I’m fine.” I said.

Thandi was smiling.

“Yoh, bra, I thought that I’d killed you,” Sam joked.

Thandi came to stand next to me, holding my arm. I caught a whiff of her body scent. It was beautiful.

“I’m sorry I distracted you, Bongi,” she said.

“Nah, don’t worry, it’s OK. I’m OK,” I said.

“Yeah, he’s fine,” Sam added.

“Good,” Thandi said softly.

SILENCE. The last rays of the sun started to disappear behind the stadium slabs.

“We’d better go, it’s getting late,” Sam said. “Y’all know someone got killed here during the holidays…”

“Yeah, you’re right – it’s not safe to be out here after sunset,” Thandi added.

“You’re right,” I said. “But maybe those guys who killed that dude have already left…”

Thandi and Sam looked at me strangely.

“Maybe,” I continued, “the guy who got shot was part of the gang and he was going to split on them to the cops. Maybe he knew that they were going to kill him so he had to hide somewhere and that’s why he came here. But instead, they found him and killed him.”

“Maybe,” said Sam.

“Will you two stop talking nonsense. Let’s go now, please,” Thandi pleaded, looking a little fearful.