They successfully completed the assignment. “Now all that is left is for your teacher to give you phase three.”

“Thanks Mpilo, I wouldn’t have completed this assignment without you.”

“I’m glad I could help, makhelwane (neighbour).”

“Uhm eish Mpilo, actually, there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you.” Things started to get serious in the room. Lizzy continued, “I like you, like really like you. I’ve liked you since I first saw you back in December, I don’t know what to do with my feelings but I’d like you to be my boyfriend.”

As Mpilwenhle was about to reply the girl kissed him, and yes he couldn’t resist her lips, they were too soft and sweet; so it became a deep kiss. From that day they started dating, kind of. Mpilwenhle never told the girl if he liked her, she never gave him a chance to.

Days went by and everything seemed to be fine between them until the day Mpilwenhle decided to end it. He didn’t really like the girl, she was just not for him he thought. He missed his ex-girlfriend, very much. Every time he was with Lizzy he thought of Okuhle, his ex; he liked everything about her. Their heartbreak was a disaster, leaving Mpilwenhle with an injured heart. He thought of Okuhle everyday, wishing she had never cheated on him, and then everything would be normal. Seems like he made a mistake breaking up with Okuhle, he would want to forgive her but thinking about what she did would crush his heart, but it was too late anyway, Okuhle had moved on as if Mpilwenhle was never there. He suffered everyday; he really loved her.

“What!?” Lizzy exploded in pain when Mpilo broke the news. She couldn’t talk anymore, it was a catastrophe. They had a good thing going only to find the guy never really liked her, he liked his ex, I mean what kind of bull was that?

“I’m really sorry Lizzy, I don’t know what to say,” Mpilwenhle frowned in tears seeing Lizzy crying like that. He saw heartbreak in her eyes, he knew exactly what it was and never wished for anybody to experience it. He was once a victim and now he was a perpetrator of it. His heart broke again and didn’t know what to do to fix this.

Lizzy quickly stood up and ran out, slamming Mpilwnhle’s door. Gogo was shocked to see the girl pacing out.

Lizzy ran to her room, locked the door, then sobbed. Nosihle came to check up on Lizzy.

“Lizzy it’s me, open the door,” Nosihle said.

Lizzy opened and told her everything. Nosihle tried to calm the dark angry storm, but it was just too dark.

Mpilwenhle finally opened up to his friend, Sethu. He told him how he’d done a stupid thing, didn’t see it coming but had hurt Lizzy’s feelings. He told him about everything that happened in Durban, how he and his ex, Okuhle, had the best time and how he missed her so much and wished they’d get back together. He showed Sethu some pictures of him and Okuhle together. Sethu advised him to let go of Okuhle, he should delete those pictures, he couldn’t hold onto her forever, she was gone and was never coming back, and it was time for him to move on too.

Mpilwenhle showed Sethu the books he wrote including the one ‘Pieces of mine’. It was about Okuhle. Sethu was surprised to see that Mpilwenhle had been through a lot.

“You should get those published on FunDza,” Sethu had said jokingly.

Tell us: Do you think Sethu gave the right advice?