The next day was Saturday and she still wasn’t available on WhatsApp and on her phone. I was a little worried about her, so I went to check her out at her house. A little boy went in to call her. Her face was soaked with tears when she came to me. She didn’t want to break the hug I gave her.
“Tina, what’s wrong?” I asked in a low voice.
She tightened the hug and sobbed even more.
“Tinashe talk to me, why are you crying?” I pushed her breaking the hug, so she faced and looked at me in the eye.
“Tell me, Tina, what’s going on?”
She wiped the tears with her hands, stared at my eyes and exhaled.
“I love you, Mdu. It just breaks me that you don’t feel the same about me. I thought sleeping with you was going to open your eyes and make you see how much I loved you.”
“Tina, I just broke up with my girlfriend less than a month ago. I am not ready to get in a new relationship now. I need to be sure I’m not just looking for consolation,” I said gripping both her upper arms.
“It’s alright Mdu. I will get over this feeling, all I’m asking from you; is to treat me like you used to before I kissed you that night,” she left me standing there and went back home. I never heard from her since that Saturday.
After I finished writing final exams in October, I went to work part-time at the hotel in the Southern Drakensberg. I stayed with my cousin Bongane. It was fun and nice; there was freedom there.
On 16th of January the following year I received a call from Tina.
“Hello Tina?” I answered casually.
“How are you doing?”
“Well thanks and yourself?”
“I’m good. When last did you speak to your cousin Thabi?” I responded.
“A long time. Why?”
“Ooh…” she sighed, more like being relieved.
“We saw each other here in step-more, and I didn’t want you to hear the news from him. That’s why I called. I’m pregnant.”
I felt my heart moving to my throat in chock.
“Wow, congratulations. Who’s the lucky guy?” I wished I was the dad.
Nondu and I had planned that once she completed her matric we’ll make our first baby. She understood how I much I loved kids. But that was not going to happen since we broke up.
“Please, don’t go there. I only wanted to let know you I’m pregnant, not to worry you about who the father is.”
“You sure I don’t need to know?”
“And then do what when you know?”
“It was just a question. So, for how long have you been pregnant?”
“What’s with the questions? I told you not to worry. I got to go now, bye.”
Though I didn’t know for sure but something was not right about that whole thing. Why would she care to tell me she’s pregnant and yet get mad when I want to know who is responsible for the pregnancy.
Could it be me? But she said she was on contraceptives. Oh well, let me not worry. I thought to myself.
After the holidays my part-time job ended and I went to stay with my aunt in Durban. I submitted my application to do military studies since I had no plans for the year and the following one.
***
Tell us: Do you think Mdu could be the father though Tina claimed she was on contraceptives?