At Anne’s Place

There is a way you walk around a museum. You strut slowly, carefully taking everything in. You are in awe, but you contain it by striking a conversation before the awe spills over. That is how Samkelo walked around Anne’s living room. She picked one family picture after the other, carefully inspected it and then put it right back where she found it. She stopped at the final picture which was of Anne and what seemed to be her boyfriend. They had matching red and white tracksuits, smiling widely as though they were in a Colgate advert. Samkelo caught herself smiling, then she cleared her throat, making way to the kitchen where Anne was cooking.

Her jaws dropped as she looked at the marble counters and double-door fridge. She had always found white kitchens not so thoughtful, given the fact that you cooked and ate in them more than once in a day, but Anne seemed to make it work; it was squeaky clean. The natural light sipping in from the blinds gave the place a glow and some much-needed warmth.

“This place must be costing you a fortune; how much do you pay in a month to be living like Queen Elizabeth?” Samkelo asked.

“R2700. Oh my, you will not believe how long it took me to find a place. I almost settled to sharing those in-camp matchbox flats. I was on the brink of giving up when my brother’s friend recommended these dormitories and I must say, it was love at first sight. Paid the deposit immediately and the rest was history. Pity there isn’t any room left, it would have been lovely to have you here,” said Anne.

“I couldn’t afford it even if I wanted to. I’m comfortable where I am, it doesn’t stress me much at the end of the month when rent is due,” she laughed.

Anne’s smile slowly dissolved, and she did not know what to say next.

“Your family seems like a lovely bunch; do you miss them?” Samkelo asked waving her pointy index finger towards the living area.

“Girl, between orientation, getting familiar with the lecture halls and getting started on work for the first semester, there’s just no space for me to miss them. I’m a certified busy babe,” Anne laughed.

“Ah, so you’re the type that exaggerates?” Samkelo.

“I’m not exaggerating. What, you miss your family already?”

“I am an only child. I left my sickly mother back at home alone, so yes, I miss her. My brother died in a fire years ago,” Samkelo said casually.

Anne paused stirring in her pot not sure what to say. She had learned to avoid saying sorry to people because it just made them feel worse.

Samkelo violently clapped her hands mid-air, catching and squashing a fly that was irritant and buzzing around the kitchen.

“Oh, my word! What was that? You could be my father’s daughter. He catches flies just like you did. He has no patience to wait for the insecticide, so he just claps, and it is done. I must call him and tell him I have met his twin,” Anne snorted laughing out loud.

“You should keep your kitchen clean, so we don’t have to be dealing with flies,” Samkelo was almost defensive.

Anne raised her hands in surrender, “I wasn’t attacking you; I’m amazed. Wash your hands and join me, I’m done dishing up.”

Samkelo washed her hands and followed Anne into the living room, “I think I might just keep you as a friend if you make such mean meals hey, my love language is being cooked for.”

“I am just trying to make a good impression. To seem like a cool friend to have, I don’t do this often,” Anne said.

After a while Anne caught Samkelo staring at their family picture then she cleared her throat. Samkelo panicked, quickly moving her eyes to the last picture.

“Is that your boyfriend from back home?” she asked.

“Yes, he’s also studying on this campus, so I am getting my fairy-tale,” Anne blushed.

“So how are you finding your dorm mates?” Samkelo.

“Tumi is a third-year med student, so she is rarely ever here. The B pharm is also showing Hilda flames, so she is always at the library. I am the landlord here, it’s so cool.”

“So what time are your classes on Friday I want to pass by and say hi,”

“In the morning until midday,” answered Anne.

Samkelo’s phone rang then she glanced at the screen with a straight face. She put the phone in her pocket and stood up.

“I have to go, see you on Friday,” she said.

“Is that your boyfriend?” Anne laughed.

“No, that’s my smoking buddy reminding me that it’s time to hit a blunt.”

“You smoke?” Anne.

Samkelo smirked and disappeared behind the door.