Is falling in love always this hard? Juliet moaned to herself, then she began to cry again. Suddenly she felt hungry. She opened the fridge and the first thing she noticed was a huge bar of chocolate. She tore the wrapping off and stuffed her mouth with it. Then she raided the freezer and found a carton of chocolate chip ice-cream. She demolished the lot in about five minutes.

Then without even bothering to get undressed, she crawled into bed and fell into an exhausted sleep.

* * * * *

It was a week later. Juliet overslept on Saturday morning. She looked in disgust at the empty ice-cream container by her bed and groaned. She had gone to bed with a carton of ice-cream every night this week. She had gone through every brand they had in the shop.

After a quick shower and breakfast she decided to go for a jog. And that was enough comfort-eating now. It was time to get her life back on an even keel. Mahamba was gone. He was past history. She wasn’t going to allow him to take up any more space in her brain.

Once she returned from her jog, Juliet felt much better. She wondered what she was going to do and then on a whim decided to go shopping. Yes, a bit of retail therapy was just what she needed to get her mind off Mahamba.

She drove to Green Acres and parked outside the Woolworths entrance. A dress in Young Designers Emporium caught her eye straight away. It was purple, with a low cut bodice, and flared out at the hem.

As she walked, laden down with bags, the aroma of strong black coffee brought her to the Mugg & Bean. Once she sat down, Juliet realised that she was starving so she ordered a cheese burger and French fries. As she was waiting for her food to arrive her cellphone rang. She looked at her caller ID and saw that it was Mahamba. Again.

He had called several times during the week. She had been terrified that he would show up at the shop, but he didn’t. She was happy that Mama Pinky didn’t know anything about them. She thought back to the night she had that horrible dream. She wanted to keep on working with Mama Pinky; even in the short time she had been there, she had learnt so much.

Juliet held her phone in her hand for several moments. Was she being childish in not answering his call? Maybe it would just be better to talk to him. She’d tell him that there was no future for them. She’d never let him know how much he had hurt her.

She had once asked her mother how she got through those first, terrible, bleak and hard days.

“First I wanted to just hide in bed. Then I decided to ‘Fake it til you make it’,” Ma said, and hugged her close. “I hope you never have to go through something like this, darling. You just feel numb with pain. It’s like living in limbo.”

Juliet drove home and packed away all her shopping. Then she decided to clean her flat. She started on the kitchen and grimaced as she threw out all the empty ice-cream containers.

She washed and scrubbed all the kitchen surfaces. Next she decided to vacuum the lounge and polish the furniture.

Just as she sprayed polish onto the coffee table, her doorbell rang.

“Juliet. We need to talk.” Mahamba was standing on her doorstep. “Ma told me you met Mpho.”

“Yes, I met your fiancée. Congratulations by the way. Now can you please leave? I’m busy.”

“Are you going to spray me with that?” Juliet realised she was holding the tin of polish in her hand.

“Yes, if you don’t go I will!” Juliet was serious.

“I was engaged to Mpho but we broke it off several months ago.”

“Why is she still wearing your ring?”

Mahamba was silent for a few moments. Then his eyes darkened with anger.

“Mpho had an affair. Then when he dumped her she came crawling back to me.”

Juliet could see how difficult this was for him. She knew he was telling the truth.

“How long were you engaged for, Mahamba?”

“Six months, but our families grew up together.” He drew a deep breath and let it out slowly.

“The guy she had the affair with was a good friend of mine.”

“I’m sorry. It must have been hard on you.”

“It was at the time but now I’m beginning to think it’s all for the better.”

“Did your Mom know all this?”

“I tried telling her but Mpho is very manipulative. She told my mother it was me who had been unfaithful.”

“How did you find out she was cheating on you?”

“Her best friend told me and then she tried to get me into bed. She said revenge sex would be good for me.”

“And was it?” Juliet asked.

“I never did find out. I told her to leave. She wasn’t very happy. She’s just as cunning as her friend.”

“I’m so sorry, Mahamba. It must have been very difficult.”

“It was, and Mpho made it worse by stalking me. She kept calling in to see Mom at the shop or at home. She was always hoping that I would be there. My mother believed every word she said. She thought I was being the bad guy here. We had so many rows over it.”

“Does she still think that?”

“Up to last night she did. But then I did something I’m not proud of.”

“What did you do?” Juliet asked softly.

* * *

Tell us what you think: What did Mahamba do?