“Damn it!” Thandiwe exclaimed.

“What, what is it?” Themba asked, concerned.

“My bag ripped again, these cheap knock offs my mom keeps buying are just a curse.”

“But Thandiwe you know your situation,” Themba said sadly.

“I know bro but couldn’t she try something else.”

“This is not you Thandiwe you’ve never been ungrateful before,” Themba said.

Thandiwe is usually a shy kid, everyone knows that, even she does. This puzzled Themba and he really didn’t want to know why she was acting this way. So he reached out.

Thandiwe turned to look at him with her brown eyes. She had round brown eyes that would make anyone melt, a short afro that was always neatly combed and cute; whenever her dad had a great financial month she would show up plaited or with a perm.

“What, what’s this? What are you doing?” Thandiwe asked in shock. She knew what was going on she just didn’t want to accept the offer as she always did.

Themba looked at her with a serious face. His light skin and dark brown eyes with a neat fade on his head and smooth skin was always sure to melt Thandiwe’s heart. She was darker than Themba but her red blushing cheeks were visible.

“Don’t make this hard, Thandiwe give me the bag and let’s talk about the day as we always do,” Themba concluded.

“Okay, but I’ll take it again when we get to that corner,” she said pointing to a far corner.

She gave him the bag and he put it on his back facing backwards and the opening pressed against his back. Then they went on walking, talking about the game of tag they had today at school. They were only 12 years old and that game was their God at the time. Themba was the best in school, he could go for the whole week without being tagged.

Thandiwe on the other hand was the worst, always getting tagged by anyone and always desperately trying to tag someone. That’s why she would just sit and watch and laugh. She was the best at that, laughing.

She would laugh at last year’s news like it happened yesterday. Themba admired that about her, though he would try to keep up, he would fail dismally and end up with an awkward laugh.

“Hey kid,” someone said interrupting their conversation.

“Me?” Themba asked turning and seeing Katlego with his sister at their gate.

“Come in let me give you a bag, that one’s busted.”

“It’s not mine, it’s hers,” he said looking at Thandiwe waiting for her approval.

“Yes I would love to,” she concurred.

They went inside of Katlego’s house and he gave them a bag.

“Hey what are your names?” he asked while they transferred books into the new bag.

“I’m Themba.”

“I’m Thandiwe,” they answered.

“Are you dating?” he asked smiling.

“No!” they both replied vehemently.

“Well, too bad. You look like you were made for each other,” Katlego said laughing.

Themba looked at Thandiwe’s eyes who looked back and quickly turned away. It was the perfect love story in his mind. Their parents did tell them that they were friends straight from Pholosong Hospital. It would seem that they were born for each other as they were friends for that long and had shared everything from birth.

“Thanks for the bag Mr Katlego,” Thandiwe said leaving.

“Okay then, bye bye,” Katlego said waving at them.

“Well that was weird,” Themba said desperately breaking the ice.

“Yeah very weird, but he’s a very nice guy.”

***

Tell us: Do you agree that the two were meant for each other?