In the past, I thought that the windy season was just an annoying term, but a few years back something occurred to prove me wrong. I was sleeping when I heard some freaky noise outside. I ran out and saw flower buds and rubbish all over. I watered my flowers again.

You know how difficult it is to fall back asleep. Suddenly, I came up with a solution, and I went for sleeping pills in my mommy’s room. The bottle said, “Regular users can become addicted; take these only if they are prescribed for you.”

I didn’t care about the instructions. After taking two tablets, I fell asleep like a baby; the rough wind could not reach me in my blankets. I arrived at Geshtown and played pool in Shumani Casino. I was playing it for the first time: when the other boys used to play around my location I’d stay behind and watch, telling them that I was not interested. I would deceive because I was afraid that they would call me names after noticing I couldn’t play the game. It was very rare for a person of my age not to be able to play. In the casino, I heard the voice of a girl speaking behind me. There was an echo when she spoke. I was only dreaming: instead of turning around I tried to wake up.

I began having stupid thoughts. I thought it would be better if I rolled or crawled to my mommy’s room to wake her up, so that she could wake me up. My mom was even not around, and I just had to face the girl. I don’t know what to start with. Her hair wasn’t styled, she had an afro. I don’t want to talk about her face, there was something lacking on top of her head: a crown. The girl was gorgeous, she was Beyoncé times a million. It wasn’t possible for me to grab her into real life.

I wanted to show my mom the girl of my pursuit. I hated the way she thought I wasn’t decent, but somehow I did understand why she thought I was in love with flowers. I used to spend so much of my time staring at them, enjoying their perfume, that common smell that every girl will leave on your T-shirt after embracing. I’ve always thought there were some resemblances between a girl and a flower. The gorgeous girl requested that I put a necklace round her neck.

Malebs woke me up before I stretched my arms.

“What, Mommy? Who wakes you up when you are sleeping?” I asked her. I realised I had slept for several hours. I didn’t know how long the dream was going to last. Maybe I was having the Spring Nightmare.

The other day my mom was doing something strange, watering flowers. I saw the way she was looking at me, expecting applause.

“Which one is your favourite, Thapelo?” Malebs asked.

“All of them, Mama.” I said.

“I hope you would marry this one if flowers were human beings,” Malebs said, smiling.

I had to think of something before she prolonged the conversation. I didn’t want her to end up telling me about the guy who was in love with flowers and never wanted to interact with girls for the rest of his life. I know there was never such a person, the paranoia and anxiety was just killing Malebs.

“Dad is considering coming back home, Mom,” I said.

“I know, I took your advice of sending him flowers. Everyone is now talking about it at work, flowers for love, not love potion for marriage,” Malebs said.

“See? There you go,” I said.

“But it feels like you are confusing it. No offence, but I think it would be better if you had a girlfriend and were spoiling her with them. You are too old,” Malebs said.

“It was Tsakani, Mama. She did this to me.” I gathered my manners before speaking again.

“Tell me about it.”

“The other day I went to my friend’s place, I was excited about Tsakani and me and I was going to brag about it. I didn’t knock as usual, and I saw Tsakani giving all of herself to Bongani. Bongani did apologise but showed no remorse.”

“I didn’t know, Thapelo.”

Of course she wouldn’t, not everyone who is a patient needs a cure. I mean, she can’t have a solution for every problem. The pain that I have suffered for years can’t be cured by her medicine. Fortunately, flowers will never be regarded as my lovers.

***

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