“Phondo lenkomazi kababa, ngiyesaba ukukwelusa ungihlaba ehliziyweni. ngibawa ungaphatheki kumbi thuthumbo lemibala bala. Mina ngibona wena hlangana neentombi zoke…” (My father’s precious inkomazi horn, the pretty colorful flower. I only see you amongst all the girls) He praised her the way old Ndebele guys do. He said all this kneeling on the ground as if it was a wedding proposal.

“Please Bobo, kusese sekuseni khulu. Ngibawa khujame.” (It’s still too early for this, please stop) She cut Bobo short trying to end the scene it was starting to become. Everyone was gathering around, giving them the unnecessary attention she’d been trying to avoid all these years. She obviously liked the idea, but not now that the other learners were eavesdropping.

Boys thought she was boring in this village. Why would a happy guy like Bobo want her for a date, every learner wondered? This was a joke, The holy Miss Mabhena and the rebellious druggie Bobo? This was specifically Jane’s thinking.

Jane, the hard-drinking and smoking girl around this neighborhood. She fell pregnant twice last year; she had an abortion with her first pregnancy and within the space of three months, she fell pregnant again. Rumours say that she aborted the first pregnancy because she didn’t know the father of her child. Other rumours say she fell pregnant the day they were having a threesome at a party just few houses away from hers. What’s funny was that she despised Sophie deeply. “She thinks she is better than everyone.”

“Ngiyazi phimbo legolide.” I know, golden voice, but it’s not easy coming across you anywhere. Maybe if I can get your cellphone number, I might stop,” he replied, not demoralised at all as she would have hoped.

“Give me yours and I will call you. I don’t know mine by heart.” She broke one commandment from the Book of Life she had always lived by. Exodus 20:16: You shall not lie. She did, with the hope that she would keep him there until she knew he was the only choice she had.

“Of course, bring it!” he said with his hand reaching out.

She froze. That wasn’t the plan. This was all going wrong. She couldn’t come up with a counter-plan, so she looked at the time before she handed it over.

School was long due. She looked around, but no one seemed to care. She should be studying her books right now. Every second matters now since the final exams will be starting shortly after the matric dance, she thought.

Her phone beeped in Bobo’s hand in the middle of him trying to save his number into her contacts. He accidentally opened it.

The message read: >HaPpY BiRtHdAy My FrIeNd. MaY ThE GoOd LoRd CaRrY YoU ThRoUgH. Faith. He quickly called his newly saved number to have hers. He was thinking about surprising her. It couldn’t be better timing for him to win her over, he thought and gave the phone back to her.

She started walking away, along with everyone dispersing from the well-displayed art from both sides. Learners were talking about it as they were shuffling to their classrooms.

TRY REASONING WITH A HIGH GUY she posted on Facebook as she, too, shuffled away.

“Those were some crazy vintage pick-up lines ntwana,” teased the boys sitting on the boot as Bobo went back to them. “Phondo lenkomazi kababa!” (My dad’s milk cow’s sharp horn!) added Bheki, making fun of him. They all cackled, but they laughed because it was funny, not because they were high.

“So, how was the test drive in the two-stroke ntwana?” one guy asked in the middle of the loud laughter.

Bobo nodded confidently, shoving the keys into the ignition and starting the 325IS loudly, rattling it. He was getting annoyed with the stupid remarks of his friends; he now had far better and more important things to worry about, like the surprise for Sophie’s birthday.

They drove into the school yard stylishly as they always did. A single spin and as the dust erupted, they drove into the parking lot. They were out of hand. For the teachers, it was not getting to the day of the exams fast enough. They had had enough of these four boys.

The day matured and there was nothing out of the ordinary, except for the news on everyone’s lips about what had transpired earlier. Most girls were jealous. It was more the case for Jane than the rest because these two had an unusual relationship. There were times where Jane had declared herself as Bobo’s girlfriend.

#HANDS OFF MY MAN, BITCH. Jane posted a picture of herself and Bobo on Facebook. That was the post which started a lot of controversy around them. They spent the night together after a party they were at. For Bobo, it was just a one-night stand, but for her it was everything she had been hoping for.

Bobo denied being involved with Jane. Later that week, he posted his own. SWITCH ON YOUR PRIDE, WHORE. STOP MAKING OUR ONE NIGHT STAND SOMETHING TO BRAG ABOUT. That was enough to extinguish the rumors.

“Eish! Ouch!” everybody exclaimed after reading it. Girls giggled at her every time she appeared. Now Bobo was trying hard to get Sophie, and this caused a problem between Jane and Sophie.

***

Tell us: Judging from the way these characters live their lives, who will make a better match for Bobo?