Karabo found herself back at PE international airport a week later, this time collecting her bags and walking out of arrivals, looking for Isla and the rest of the Hepworth clan. The quiet airport seemed almost deserted, until she saw Isla racing towards her, arms outstretched. Before she could even untangle her arm from her bag, Isla was around her.

‘You’re here! My best person in the world. Finally! A week of just you and me!’ said Isla dramatically, studying Karabo from crown to toe. Finding an error in her scan, Isla curled up her nose. ‘You seem different. We obviously need to talk,’ she stated, before spinning on her heel and dragging Karabo towards her family. Within minutes of joining the Hepworths, Karabo was surrounded by hugs and questions. She loved their family, and once again was happily swallowed up into their world.

‘How is your glamorous mother Karabo?’ asked Mrs Hepworth, clearly prying into the relationship between mother and daughter. ‘She’s great Mrs Hepworth. We had an amazing time together. Great bonding time,’ said Karabo, watching Mrs Hepworth’s face with curiosity. Her eyebrows rose up neatly.

‘How wonderful!’ Mrs Hepworth said, before moving onto her next question, as they made their way to the car.

At the holiday house, within the sanctity of Isla’s closed bedroom, Karabo was being questioned: ‘What’s going on? Something is going on.’ demanded Isla. Karabo smiled a knowing smile. She had thought she may be able to keep her new ‘gift’ a secret from Isla, but clearly she was wrong. She decided she was going to tell her. She trusted Isla.

‘Remember that stuff that happened in the sangoma’s hut when we went to the derby?’ asked Karabo. Isla nodded. ‘Well, that started something in me. And don’t get freaked out here, but my grandmother was a sangoma. It missed my mom, but I’m showing all the signs of being called by my ancestors,’ explained Karabo, trying to sound very rational, as though this was an everyday, common occurrence for young people. Then she pursed her lips in thought and walked to the bed and sat down on the edge, eventually placing her head between her legs as though she had been feeling faint.

‘Isla?’ asked Karabo.

‘I’m fine, just freaked out. Working on it,’ said Isla from between her legs, voice slightly muffled.

‘OK,’ said Karabo, starting to regret her decision to tell Isla. Time moved slowly. Eventually Isla raised her head, her face pink from all the blood that had rushed into her head. She shook her head.

‘This is unusual,’ she confirmed. ‘You’re saying that you’re a sangoma now too. That the ancestors are calling you? So, does that mean you’re leaving school? I’ll die if you leave school, you do know that!’ stated Isla. Karabo walked over to Isla and sat next to her.

‘I love that you’re such a drama queen!’ said Karabo, trying not to laugh at Isla. ‘I’m not leaving school, everything is the same, except I will have to spend time with a sangoma who will be a teacher to me. And I’ll be like the apprentice you know, learning about herbs and stuff, the spirit world, whatever that means,’ said Karabo, trying to make light of her training.

Isla began to cry in relief. ‘Poor you Karabz! It sounds so hectic! But you can’t leave me, you are my person,’ she mumbled and wiped at her face. ‘Please don’t stop being my friend because    I don’t understand all this ancestor stuff. My folks are like Methodist or something, we’re clueless,’ Isla explained. Karabo nearly burst out laughing but managed to control herself.

‘No telling anyone, Isla, ABSOLUTELY NOBODY, not even Mzi, are we clear?’ demanded Karabo.

Isla nodded emphatically. ‘I promise. No way I’m telling anyone,’ she said. They laughed together and then decided to take a walk along the beach before dinner.

Kenton was quiet at this time of year compared to December, when hordes of holidaymakers descended from Johannesburg. The sandy brown beaches stretched along the coast, and Isla and Karabo were almost the only people walking along the beach, besides a group of people walking towards them in the distance. One of the boys stood out – the way he flicked his hair and walked. Karabo thought she was seeing things. It couldn’t possibly be.

It was. William.

What was he doing here? He was surrounded by a group of similar age kids, boys and many girls – some definitely younger. Karabo felt her stomach lurch and wondered if he would even acknowledge her and Isla.

As he looked at her, she saw his eyes widen. But instead of looking away quickly as she usually would, she looked back at him, too surprised to look away. He smiled at her before calling.

‘Karabo!’ he shouted as he walked purposefully towards her and Isla. He wore loose jeans rolled up and a pale linen shirt, his lean body hidden in the flapping baggy clothes. Isla’s back stiffened as she realised who it was. ‘What’s he doing here?’ she hissed at Karabo. Karabo shrugged.

‘Hey William,’ said Karabo, trying to be friendly despite Isla’s ice-cold glare. ‘What are you doing in Kenton, of all places?’ Isla asked, a fake smile spreading across her face.

‘Hey Isla,’ said William, purposefully standing in front of Isla, demanding her attention. Isla raised her eyebrows and glared back at William, head tilting back to look up at him as he towered over her. Eventually she stepped back to get away from him.

‘I’m on holiday like you,’ he said, the sarcasm evident in his boyish grin. Karabo could die. He was so insanely gorgeous and revolting at the same time. She wanted to slap him. But before she could think of a clever retort, he flicked his fringe and continued. ‘So, anyway, seeing as you are here too, you may as well come to my party tomorrow night. It’s going to be a biggie, so bring your party face Isla. It’s the black house along the beach. Easy to find, at about nine. See you there?’ he asked. Karabo nodded robotically, as Isla drew her chin in towards her neck as if she had smelt something disgusting.

William smiled. ‘Great!’ he said, before carrying on along the beach, catching up with his troop of friends. Isla hooked her arm into Karabo’s and continued to march them in the opposite direction. ‘That guy kills me Karabz!’ she spat. ‘What’s his problem, why doesn’t he just ignore us?’ she asked, clearly furious and confused.

‘I have no idea Isla. One minute he doesn’t know my name, like the whole of last term since the derby, and now he knows both our names and wants us to go to his party. Which, by the way, we are definitely going to!’ stated Karabo. Isla stopped them in their tracks and turned to face Karabo,

‘Are you mad? What on earth is the point of going to the party? We don’t need his kind of people Karabz,’ stated Isla.

‘Cummon, Isla, it’ll be fun. We haven’t been to a party in ages, I’m dying to see inside that house, and spying on William is tons of fun. Besides, you don’t want to go because you have Mzi. I, on the other hand, have no one. This could be my lucky night,’ said Karabo, winking and appealing to Isla’s wing man status.

Isla stomped around Karabo, thinking before answering. ‘Fine. We go to this, this party, but we have a dance, check the place out, maybe some booze, see if there are any prospects for you, and then we leave. Fair?’ agreed Isla.

‘Yessss!’ said Karabo, jumping up and down, ‘You’re the bestest bestie ever!’