“Ekse Q-man”, I said outside the door

“Ekse majita, how’sit?”

“We’re good,” we replied.

“Q-man, why do you always stay alone here as if you don’t have a family to go to?” I asked.

“I don’t like moving up and down like a baby man. I just enjoy staying alone here and waiting for my girlfriend to visit me. I go home when I’m hungry bro, it’s the way I am,” said Qetelo.

“Oh! So you mean to say that I’m a baby coz I’m the one who always visits you, mov-ing up and down?”
Q-man laughed.

“No man, it is not like that, I didn’t think you’d take it that way. Thanks for coming to visit your brother. Do you still remember that tomorrow school opens, are you ready to be my classmate?”

“Are you laughing at me because I’m going to be to one class with you?” I asked.

“No man, I’m laughing at that guy, he’s been chasing that girl the whole of December last year,” he said pointing to my reflection in the mirror. I suddenly saw the girl I was looking for when I went to go look in the mirror.

“Q-man do you know that girl?” I asked.

“Yes, I know her. She’s been here since last year December and many boys around the village tried their luck with her and no one has succeeded,”

“Do you think she will deny me too?”

“Who do you think you are Xolani, she’s from Cape Town,”

We chilled for a bit and then left for home. I arrived home and my mom was back from town.

“Hey mom, I see you’re back, I hope you bought me something nice?”

“How can you ask me that question? You weren’t even here when they offloaded my groceries by the stop. Who do you think was going to carry them for me when you are not there?”

“Sorry mom,”

Later on that night I went to Phomolo’s home, he lived next door and I found him in his room lying on the bed.

I’m back. Where is Lokisang?

“He went home.”

“Look Phomolo, I’m going to chase that girl until she accepts me as her boyfriend, I’m telling you. I heard Qetelo saying that most of the boys here in the village have tried their luck but they failed. I told him that I’m not one of those boys, I am me.”

Phomolo laughed. “Yes, boy! Let’s show them.”

“So tell me Phomolo,” you’ve finished your Grade 9, which high school are you going to?”

“Actually, I’m not going to high school, I’m going to Ingwe College.”

“Oh, why are you going there? Do you like it there?”

“Yeah, there is this elder in my neighbourhood and he advised me about this college thing, granny and I agreed about it,”

“OK Phomolo I hear you, so is it possible to get a matric certificate there?”

“Yeah, it’s possible and what I like about this idea is that I will be studying and work-ing because we study and do things practically.”

I was impressed about this college idea. When I got home I was still thinking about it. To me, college was for those who have finished Grade 12, I had learned something new.

I lay on my bed thinking about my future and my life. Out of all the thoughts I had I couldn’t stop thinking about the girl who stole my heart and put it on the level of fall-ing in love, a level at which I couldn’t think of other girls. Her body was like a green pasture, which was watered for me to see.

All these thoughts made me feel drowsy and I fell asleep.

***

Tell us: Do you think Xolani will get the girl?