The opulent and contemporary restaurant was full of them; rich people with fake friends. Arrogant old men with egos far more fragile than the exclusive bottles they were drinking. Shallow young women that know how to dig deep into the wallets of our BEE brothers with money to blow. Vanity slaves cuffed from wrist to neck with expensive chains. It was kind of embarrassing to think that I was just like them. My priorities were pathetic. And it wasn’t until my in life-after-death that I began to understand the saying ‘Not all that glitters is gold.’

The waiter brought what he called their deluxe specials menu. Dintle and I went on and on about her topics of interest. She spoke a little about her life, particularly her previous relationship. I fabricated my past as Tiro. We also talked about art. She loved photography. We touched on politics, the current state of the basic education system and other mind-stimulating things. She was impressed. I was having a good time. Never in my life have I ever been so immersed in such a warm, simple, genuine and pure feeling.

Pushing out a deep and smoky voice, I reservedly asked, “So, do you think you can ever trust a man again after everything your ex put you through?”

She flinched.

“Not sure, hey. I gave that relationship my heart and soul but it still wasn’t enough to make him stay. His career was far more important to him. Which he wouldn’t have in the first place if I didn’t help support him when he was still struggling to get a break. I stood by him, convinced he loved me as much as I loved him.”

I surveyed her beautiful face with eyes that made my heart lose its cardiac chorus and drum a careless beat. Her dimples that appeared whenever she smiled, hair which went down to her back like black braided vines that allowed wisdom to climb down from her intelligent mind.

“His loss,” I stated enthusiastically.

She pulled up another forced smile from her sore sentiments. Trying to keep it together. It really pierced my heart when I saw the pain I caused the lioness that supported my pride. Her eyes were beginning to well-up and she started looking miserable.

“Sorry. I… I just don’t usually talk about this. Forgive me for boring you with my sob story.”

“No please,” I cut in to comfort her, feeling ashamed that I was the reason why she was in that dark depressing place. “It’s okay. Let it out. Sometimes we just need to exhale to heal.”

“Thanks.” She said, sending manicured fingers to wipe the corners of her eyes. Then gave me another soul-smouldering look. “Now… shall we order?”

I picked up the specials menu. Studied it. Looking for whatever that looked ‘special’ enough to eat. Flame-grilled steak and chips. Chicken with local-lekker sauce. And there was one dish I wasn’t sure how it was pronounced: Ela Mataba Hamana. I thought it was some type of French cuisine or something. My mind was about to imagine what it was made of when I got a call from nature. It felt urgent. Very urgent. Not sure what was going on…

“I’ll be right back,” the urge to use the bathroom got stronger. When Dintle indicated with a nod that I could be excused, I pushed my chair back and hurried towards the restrooms.

I had walked less than six steps into the men’s room when I felt a sudden rush of cold air overtake me from behind. It came with a scary swirl of a sinister activity. The roof and its room were rapidly replaced by a starless night. A harsh caw from the crows stabbed the eerie stillness. I shivered a little when my senses saluted the dead weather. The landscape extended into a disturbing darkness. I didn’t think it was possible to spook a ghost until terror gripped me. Thinking I was in hell’s belly.

I rubbed my eyes, trying to tell myself that what I was seeing wasn’t real. I said a silent prayer, hoping my frail faith would shake me out of this bad dream. When that didn’t work, I knew that I was wide awake. And judging by the haunting mourns and growls coming from the dark and forbidding overgrowth of bramble bush, so were the other things out here. I wasn’t alone. The strange sounds grew louder. The grass got shorter. They stepped out of the deeper shadows as silhouettes shaped like bulls. Their emerald eyes stared at me. Long lizard-like tails were waved at me. But I didn’t want to stay and greet them.

One of these creatures sniffed air. It found the smell of fear. I confessed that I was indeed scared when I took a step backward. That’s when they jogged forward. I ran as fast as my feet allowed. Which was not fast enough. They were quickly on my heels. I could hear their nostrils flaring behind me. Their hooves pounded the ground harder and harder. I kept running for all that I was worth. Wishing that I had been given Hussain Bolt’s body.

When I felt hot breath brushing against my neck, I knew they were going to take me down at any moment. It was over. I cried out. A miracle answered. A white gate opened a few meters to my right. I pivoted sharply, running for it. I didn’t care where it would take me. Anywhere was better than here. The change in direction bought me a few more seconds. Just enough to throw myself into the bright light.

That’s when I woke up with a gasp. My heart was racing. It took my mind a moment to realize that it had only been a bad dream. I shook my head when my memory tried to retain residual images from the nightmare. The bedroom door opened and mama Nompilo entered dressed in her white Afrocentric regalia. She looked at me, somewhat relieved.

“You made it out. Thank goodness. How are you feeling?”

I gave a lazy shrug. “Confused, I guess.”

Nompilo walked over and kissed my forehead. “It’s okay, my pumpkin. You were under a demonic trance. A consciousness trap with an illusory scene that would have forced you to accept a fate desired by the caster.”

Nompilo paused a while to make sure I was still tracking. She could see there were some cracks in my comprehension. “You got hypnotized by Wonderers; souls cursed to haunt the earth until they find their true purpose. They got you when you read an enchantment you thought was an exotic dish; Ela Mataba Hamana. It was meant to lead you to your doom. But fortunately for you, I have eyes everywhere. Some of my birds, dogs, plants and insects were watching you and came to me when they picked up anything suspicious. They saw a bunch of evil spirits following you and I figured that they were up to something.”

***

Tell us what you think: Have you ever been caught in a nightmare? How did you feel