Ntsika, for the first time in his life, was early. He was dressed to the nines, with a V-neck t-shirt that held his muscles so tight that it was like it would tear apart. Whatever evil deeds he harboured in his heart were covered by the well-placed smile that played on his face.

He knocked on the door.

“He is here, he is here,” shuffling feet and the excited voice of Theresa could be heard inside.

When the door opened, a beautiful girl stood before him. Ntsika was stunned, such beauty he had never seen in his whole life.

“Uhm… you look… you look…” he stuttered like an old car refusing to start.

“Different?” Elsa finished the sentence for him,

“Yes! Different… and beautiful too,” he said taking her hand in his. They walked towards the car, where Thando was to be the driver-cum-butler of the night. Thando opened the door for Ntsika and they shared a wink like two devils that knew a secret.

Ntsika and Elsa sat under the moonlit night outside the Humanities Faculty departmental building. The falling water from the waterfall provided a beautiful musical background.

Ntsika had gone out of his way to please her, dinner under the stars, with red wine aplenty. Thando was the perfect butler, quick to respond whenever he was called upon.

“What do you want in life?” Elsa asked him, his hands in hers.

Ntsika thought deep and hard. He thought of what he had always wanted since he was a child, moving from family to family because he was an orphan. He thought of what he had always wanted in high school when all teachers labelled him a bad boy, of the days he was the clown in the class. There was only one thing he ever wanted: a listening ear.

“Am I listening to you?” she laughed naughtily. He looked into her eyes, and all he ever wanted was there: the confident and intelligent girl who listens. How he wished she was his. Was there a way of turning back now?

He asked to be excused; he wanted to go the loo.

He whistled for his butler. And within seconds, like a well-trained dog, Thando was next to him in the toilet.

“What do you mean you are aborting the mission? After all the trouble I went through, that ain’t happening!” Thando barked angrily.

“Mfethu she is innocent…” he said trying to explain himself to his friend, “I love her!”

“Love her!?” Thando spat the words with scorn, as if they were dirty. He stormed out of the room, and left Ntsika standing alone like a stranded man in the cross roads of life left only with the choice of choosing direction.

*****

Not even the cool breeze that blew in that damp summer night could cool Elsa’s mind; it was in turmoil. She just couldn’t stop thinking of Owethu. He tried, but failed, to focus on this present moment.

She picked up Ntsika’s jacket and tried to smell his fragrance. But it was so foreign she couldn’t recognise it.

“It’s too late now, this might be my only chance…’ she muttered to herself.

“Are you talking to yourself?” Ntsika’s voice brought her back to reality.

She didn’t answer.

On seeing his jacket on her hands, he asked: “Are you getting cold?”

*****

Elsa’s lips were soft and her body was warm. They kissed passionately sitting on the sofas, not caring anymore about the movie that played in the background. Ntsika scooped Elsa into his strong arms and lifted her from the sofa, taking her to the bedroom.

He undressed her and she undressed him; two naked bodies. Just as Ntsika was about to switch off the light he heard the front door barged open, footsteps were heard. He dressed in his boxers quickly, and ran to the kitchen swearing and cursing beneath his breath.

“Where is she? I demand to talk to her now!”

“Damn! What do you want here Olwethu?”

“Are you deaf? I said I want to talk to her…” he said trying to push past Ntsika.

“Olwethu what do you want here?” Elsa’s voice broke through the madness of pushing and shoving. They stopped and stared at her.

“What have you done to her, you bustard!?” Olwethu shouted, “I told you to stop. I told you she was innocent, but did you listen to me? Oh no Mighty Ntsika never quits a game…”

Ntsika buried her face in embarrassment.

“Wait, wait, what’s going on here?” Elsa was confused; she looked at the two, expecting clarification.

Olwethu cleared his throat like the old people in his village used to do before they narrated a story.

He started the story from the day they first saw her.

“So you mean to tell me that I’ve been nothing more than a…” she couldn’t bring herself to say the word “game”, her voice quivered. She looked at Olwethu, her beautiful eyes were like cloud-cover skies minutes before a terrible storm. Disappointment. Hurt. Betrayed. She ran out of the room her eyes full of tears, her heart in tatters.

Olwethu and Ntsika reciprocated a look, and they both sank on the sofas, knowing that they’ve broken an innocent heart.

***

Let’s chat: How would you punish Ntsika and Olwethu if you were Elsa