Once I got into town I called Thabo, who was still at school. I ordered him to take the next taxi into town to meet me.

“Why man? Did someone die?”

“Dude, do you want to get drunk or not?” I asked him impatiently.

“Okay, sure ntoana. Why didn’t you just mention alcohol in the first place? Give me fifteen minutes. It will take me a few minutes to try and sneak out of here.”

“Man, just get here or you will find all the money gone.”

“You wouldn’t dare! Besides, we will just call your Sugar Mommy, I mean Julia, to send us more. Okay, don’t move. I’ll be right there.”

I ordered myself a beer at the bar while I waited for Thabo. While sitting there, I received a text from Julia.

Julia: I’m at the mall and you are not here. Where the hell are you?

So, she thought after all that unnecessary drama she created that I would still have energy to go shopping, let alone with her? That woman was crazy. In fact, all women are crazy. I just needed some time away from all of them. I switched my phone off, sipped my beer and patiently waited for Thabo.

Thabo didn’t take all that I told him well. “You did what? Dude, what if she throws you out? Do you plan to sleep under the bridge?” he said.

“She wouldn’t dare! That woman would kill to have me sleeping in her bed every night,” I answered confidently.

“Ntoana, I don’t know how you can be so calm, boy. Are you prepared to go back to the hell house you called home? I mean, if that’s the case…”

“Thabo! Boy! You need to learn to relax. Sit back and watch how this game is played bra. I’m the man here and whether she is older or younger, she is the woman. Now besides, with all the money and cars she throws around what has she really got to lose? Nothing! That woman needs me as much as I need her. In fact, that woman can’t live without me. So boy, stop stressing, enjoy your beer and allow me to get you another round.”

“Wow, I always knew you were born for this boy, but I underestimated you. I thought this sugar business was going to turn you into a sissy boy,” he laughed, patting me on the back.

“I’ve got this boy. What’s my name? I’m the ‘ladies’ man’. Leave the lady business to me. So…how’s it going at the car wash?” I tried changing the subject.

“Man, the car wash is whack without you! Everybody keeps asking about you man. What did you give these people?”

“These people just can’t get enough of this pretty face, boy. Nothing else.”

Catching up with my boy always left me feeling good. We decided to call it quits at around seven o’clock. Besides, I didn’t have much money left on me. I was drunk as hell, and so was Thabo. We sang all the way to the taxi rank, with no care in the world about who was watching. On our way back to the hood, the taxi driver put on this song that reminded me of Mimi. In that moment, I thought I was going to die of heartbreak. It was as if she was the one singing it to me. It went:

“I love lying next to you
I could do this for eternity
You and me – we’re meant to be
In holy matrimony
God knew exactly what he was doing
When he led me to you

When you say you love me
Know I love you more (I love you more)
And when you say you need me
Know I need you more
Boy, I adore you, I adore you…”

“Ntoana, I want to see Mimi,” I whispered to Thabo, choking back my tears.

“Thaps, it’s high time you get over that girl. Get over her, bra. She’s not worth it,” Thabo said, sounding annoyed.

The thing is, he just didn’t understand. I didn’t expect him to really. The things that girl made me feel were foreign to the world we live in. How do you explain such feelings to someone who doesn’t even have a girlfriend?

As the taxi was approaching Mimi’s place, I asked the driver to drop me off.

“Thaps mfethu, this is crazy,” said Thabo following me.

“Mfethu, these are matters of the heart. It’s out of my control. I really need to see her, boy, or I might just die,” I said while walking away from him.

He grabbed my hand and said, “Dude, you might think you have Julia eating out of the palm of your hand, but she will kill you if she finds out.”

“Let Julia kill me. Let Mimi’s mother kill me. I’m going to knock on that door until she agrees to see me.”

I tried opening the gate at Mimi’s place just as Thabo busily fought to close it.

“Boy, have you lost your mind? Let’s go man. Julia must be worried sick. Please man, I know you are drunk and all, but don’t do this.”

“I’m sorry man. I’m not sleeping without seeing Mimi and that’s that!”

I finally managed to push through the gate, then removed his hand from the kitchen door and knocked. When Thabo saw me knock, he ran away. Hah! My friend was such a coward. Bet he was already imaging Mimi’s mother coming out with a rifle, popping my brains out with one loud shot. I knocked for almost ten minutes, but there was no answer. I sat down on a chair left outside. I had never in my entire life felt so defeated. There was nothing left to do but to go to Julia, serve as her sex toy, just so I could be allowed to sleep peacefully.

“All I’m asking for God, is for her to hear me out. I love her. I love you Mimi. Where are you?” I whispered to myself, tears falling from my eyes as I spoke. I cried till I couldn’t cry anymore. But the high alcohol consumption eventually collided with the crying. It all became too exhausting and I fell asleep, right on that chair in the middle of Mimi’s front yard.

“Thapelo? Is that you? Oh my God! Are you drunk?”

I woke with a start, thinking that I might be dreaming. Could it be? Could it really be Mimi talking to me?

“Babe?” I said groggily.

“No…no Thapelo! There is no babe here. What if mama came home with me? Then what? Look at you. Arg man, you are so childish.”

She turned to unlock the kitchen door. Did she just say ‘what if mama came home with me’? That meant her mother wasn’t home now right?

“Mimi please! I desperately needed to see you. Please don’t shut me out like this. Babe, I need you.”

For a second, she gazed at me with eyes full of pity, but then turned away and left me outside. But she hadn’t shut the door closed all the way, which meant only one thing…I was invited inside.

***

Tell us what you think: Do you think Thapelo made the right choice by going to see Mimi while intoxicated?