Ayanda was excited about finishing his project. He loved science, he was a boffin in the subject, and wanted to be an inventor one day. He made a robot that picked rubbish and put it in the bin. He made it with tins and electric wire. He put a device with a programme that he created to make the robot do what he tasked it to do.

That was his dream, which he hoped one day he would achieve. His parents would be proud of him and he would be a rich young man. His family wasn’t that rich but they had everything they needed. Once he achieved his goal, he wouldn’t be a child anymore. He could enjoy his life in peace and freedom. Finally, he could play video games without disturbance.

Soon, Ayanda finished his assignment. The next day he enjoyed the heat and decided to check the weather outside. He stood by the window to take a breather and he noticed some changes to their neighbour’s yard. It was warm and the sunshine shone a glow on the beautiful plants. The house was still in pink and white but something was different. He remembered the previous view but he was still confused. He rushed outside to get closer to it. He was still confused about what the changes were. He noticed that the outside lights were off but that’s not what alarmed him.

“The leaves,” he said softly.

“There were leaves.” He was terrified. The garden looked wet, meaning someone has been watering it. He walked outside his gate towards his neighbour’s garden. He kept staring at it, hoping to see the person who was doing the gardening, but nothing.

“Someone came and swept the yard and fixed the garden…when did this happen?” Ayanda said confusedly. His eyes opened wider when he thought about how the leaves were removed. He looked at the ground. He saw marks of a rake on the ground. Is it my eyes? He thought. He noticed the curtain moving once but it became still again. He rubbed his eyes. He thought he was hallucinating. He walked back home quickly. He was frightened. It could be ghosts and the thought filled him with terror.

“Ayanda, I thought you had gone to your friend. He was here yesterday looking for you,” Ruth said. She intimidated him. He wanted to run away but she pulled him.

“Ma, look at the garden next door …someone watered it and the …,” he tried to talk but couldn’t because he was breathing hoarsely. Ruth patted his back softy to comfort him. She saw the fear in his eyes. She tried to console him but she wasn’t sure what was happening next door. She never bothered checking though because she loved minding her own business.

“Stop being like your father! He thinks the house got repainted with different colours. Why are you now concerned with that house?” she asked, concerned. Ayanda murmured and Ruth couldn’t understand, but she calmed him down and walked him to his bedroom so he could rest.

“Please don’t be obsessed like your father,” she said and left him in his room. Ayanda decided to play video games to forget about the house or he wouldn’t sleep. He has always been afraid of ghosts. He spent the whole day in his room. He decided not to spy on the house anymore or he would go insane. He didn’t join supper with his family. He heard children on bicycles scoffing loudly. The kids distracted him from the game and he looked through the window, hiding behind his blue curtains. He laughed at the kids and suddenly saw something like a man walking in the yard of the pink and white house.

He closed the curtains and took two deep breath. It was dark though and the street usually had kids playing until 9pm. He thought maybe he was imagining it, not actually seeing that the house had a light on inside. In his mind, it was real. He grabbed his hood and sneaked out of the house. His parents had already gone to sleep.

The light was still on when he walked to the gate. He looked at the window with light the on and saw a shadow. He trembled and looked around vigilantly for any sign of ghosts.

“Ayanda get a hold of yourself… it’s not a ghost… not a ghost,” he said in a low voice, tiptoeing nearer.

“It’s a man,” he whispered, hiding behind a tree. The kids had gone to their homes and the street was quiet except for the screeching and chattering of the dark. It could be birds or insects, he thought. The more the echo grew louder, the more it frightened him. He saw the gate was open and he went in. He tiptoed into the garden quietly like a thief. He moved closer to the window with the light. He attempted to find a gap on the curtains to see inside the house, even if he saw a sign of a person so he could clear his conflicts of thoughts.

Suddenly, a load fell on him and he dropped to the ground, unconscious.

Tell us: What do you think has just happened to Ayanda?