On the Sunday, Aimée’s uncle has borrowed the truck and wants to deliver the chair to Mandla. Aimée sits next to her uncle and gives him the directions to Mandla’s house. She is nervous. Mandla still hasn’t called. But, this was the arrangement, and her uncle wants to deliver what has been paid for while he has the use of the truck.

They drive through a section of the township she hasn’t been to before. A section of nice houses with well-maintained yards and gardens.

They pull up outside a house with a big white Toyota twin cab parked in the driveway.

She and her uncle walk up to the door and knock. A woman opens the curtain to check who is there, then comes to the door.

“Can I help you?” she says, looking at Aimée blankly. It’s the same woman Aimée saw with Mandla in the parking lot. It’s his aunt.

“I’m Aimée,” she says.

But the woman just stares – no smiles.

In that moment, she realises with a horrible feeling, that Mandla hasn’t told them about the chair he bought. He hasn’t told them that he has a girlfriend called Aimée. He hasn’t told them anything.

“We’ve come to deliver the chair,” her uncle says politely.

“I know nothing about a chair.” The aunt looks suspicious now. She calls back into the house.

A man comes. He looks like an older version of Mandla. He must be his father, thinks Aimée. He blocks the doorway.

“What do you people want?”

“Your son bought a chair from us. We are delivering it,” Aimée’s uncle says.

“Why would my son buy a second-hand chair?” Mandla’s father says, puzzled. “We have a new suite inside. Out of the box.” He looks at the chair. “Why would we want this rubbish? It must be a mistake.”

“I am at school with your son. I am his girlfriend,” she wants to tell him, but the words stick in her throat.

“I am sorry. He hasn’t told me about you,” he says coldly. “I can’t help you. There must be some mistake.”

He shuts the door.

“Where is Mandla?” Her voice is breaking with tears.

“Come Aimée, let’s go,” her uncle says, trying to lead her away. But Aimée stands – she can’t move. “Let’s go Aimée. I’m sure you can sort this misunderstanding out at school. Mandla seems like a nice boy.”

He is more than a nice boy, she wants to say. I love him.

Why didn’t he tell his father they were coming? He asked her to deliver the chair. Anger wells up inside her. How could he let this happen? And where was he last night when she needed him?

As they turn a corner in the road a car swings past them. In a flash, before they are gone, Aimée sees Mandla. He is sitting in the passenger seat. A girl is driving. And then they are gone.

That night she waits for an SMS, but nothing comes.

On Monday morning her mother won’t let her go to school yet; the danger’s not over.

She thinks of Noki and Chantelle. They SMS her and tell her they will take notes and come visit. She sends them her address at her uncle’s home. And she SMSes:

Hav u seen Mandla?

Noki replies:

Not @ skul

And she adds:

Mssing u already.

That night he still hasn’t called her.

It’s true, what Princess says, and Noki. Family is stronger. He hasn’t told them – his family. He can’t. He won’t. She can never be his girlfriend. And does she want to be someone’s girlfriend if he is too scared to tell his family about her?

She sits out in the yard in his chair and feels so alone. She thinks of his arms wrapped around her, of how safe it felt. Of his kisses and the way he made her laugh, and the way she could make him laugh.

She can’t go back to school. She can’t bear to hear Princess say: I told you so. And Noki’s pity. And Mandla’s, “I’m sorry. But it’s over. It’s how it has to be. I have to obey my father’s wishes.”

She loses track of time, sitting in the dark with her blanket. The clouds have cleared enough to see a scattering of stars. She has lost her coin again and she has lost Mandla.

The gate rattles as it opens. Someone walks into the yard. She doesn’t turn. She freezes. Fear rushes through her like cold water, but she can’t move. Perhaps they won’t see her if she sits very still.

She gasps as she feels two hands on her shoulders. Then she hears his voice. Soft. “Mandla,” she whispers, standing up. They look at each other.

“Noki told me where you were. I had to come. I had to explain.”

“There is nothing to explain. You weren’t there. You don’t know how it felt when your father closed the door on us. How it felt when I realised they knew nothing about me. About us.”

“I know.” He looks away. “I know. I was a coward. But now I have told my family. When my father told me you came and he told you to go, I couldn’t bear thinking about it. I told him everything. Once I started I couldn’t stop. I told him I don’t want to live in the village. I don’t want to be the next chief and marry whom he has chosen. I want to have my own life. Find my own way. I want to be with you.”

She looks at him in the dark.

“I’m sorry, for how they treated you. I’m sorry I wasn’t there. If you want me to go I will. But before I do, I have something for you. Here.”

He reaches out and takes her hand. He opens her palm. He presses the coin onto her skin and closes her fingers around it – then his hand around hers, warm.

“Hey, Princess won’t bother you again. I promise.” He hesitates. “Do you want me to go?”

Aimée shakes her head. He hugs her close.

“Not now that you’ve found me,” she whispers.

“Finders keepers,” he says softly.

His breath is warm against her skin in the cold night. Tomorrow she will go back to school. Mandla will come to fetch her in the morning, and every morning until things are safe again. And even after that.

* * *

Tell us what you think: What is your opinion of Mandla and Aimée’s relationship? Is there is a future for them? Why or why not?