The sound of traffic in Pretoria annoys me, it’s the same thing with Joburg. I wake up and grab my phone to say ‘Morning’ to Sue and she replies quickly. She is a morning person or maybe she wakes up early for her job. She tells me she is going to church, then will pack and finally go see a hairdresser. I tell her that we can’t travel because it’s a Sunday and we have to wait till tomorrow. She sends me a smiling emoji and a blowing kiss one.

“I want to see that girl of yours. You are always glued on your phone,” Freddie, my younger brother, chuckles.

Ellie texts me but I don’t reply. Why did I put myself in this mess? She wants me to choose. She stresses me out, she knows Sue and I are unbreakable. We may fight but I am willing to make things right for her.

I wake up feeling the pain in my neck. I try to stretch it after I get out of the car when we make a stop.

“My brother, you have to be strong,” Freddy says.

“Eish, don’t worry I’m fine,” I try to smile.

“We’re going home tonight,” he says, attempting to cheer me up.

“I want you to see the love of my life,” I smile.

I told Freddy about Sue, he’s never met Ellie and doesn’t know that I stay with her. He will probably judge me if he knows. My relatives have never visited me but I do visit them, I always make excuses.

He smiles and gently touches my shoulder. I stare in space as he walks out of the gate. I am crazy in-love and can’t keep my feelings in check; they want to spread wider and further.

I hear from Sue that she left Mokopane at 6 p.m. and was now entering Louis Trichard, but we are still in Pretoria, held up by traffic. My heart aches, crying out because I miss her.

We are finally on our way after being held up for hours in traffic. Since none of us had a driver’s license we used the R101 way. I was gazing through the window, only able to see the trees and mountains embracing the darkness. I fell asleep not aware of my phone which kept vibrating.

I check it and there are messages from Sue as well as Ellie. I first answer the annoying messages. Ellie wants me to marry her, I agree so that she can be quiet. I mean nothing by it, I just want her off my back. Ellie is crazy and aggressive, and what she wants, she must get. Being with her is the worst mistake I’ve ever made but I dug my own grave.

To make myself happy I check Sue’s messages.

Where are you?

Passing Bela Bela.

Very soon I will be at the border.

Which bus are you in?

Kkkkkkkk (Laughing emoji)

Are you in Munenzwa?

(Laughing emoji)

Baby you know that bus is disaster.

The network vanishes, I hate it. I don’t want to miss a minute of chatting to her, I cannot! She is in a bus called Munenzwa with chickens bus, everyone calls the bus a skorokoro, an old broken bus. Why would Sue use that bus? She is going to spend two or three days on the journey and it’s not good, especially during the festive season. I just hope we meet at the border.

We pass Mokopane and my phone vibrates. It’s Sue on WhatsApp.

Bus has died.

You see what did I tell you?! Where are you?

We passed Mokopane 30 minutes ago.

Sue goes offline.

We see a bus at a tollgate after Polokwane. Could Sue be in the bus? I keep staring at it and trying to get through to her but the network still hasn’t returned. It can’t be this bus, no one is outside, except the policemen and a fat, tall man dressed in black. I think the passengers are sleeping in the bus because it’s late.

It’s 2 a.m. so I decide to sleep.

***

Tell us: Do you think Paul and Sue will see each other?