Brian sits down next to Iziyo on the bench. They sit in silence for a while. They avoid making eye contact. Brian moves his eyes to Iziyo’s hands, to the bracelet on her wrist.

“You still have that? You have kept the bracelet I made for you all those years ago?” He breaks into a smile.

“Yes,” says Iziyo.

Another silence lingers as the two search for each other and themselves. Brian lifts his head. Iziyo follows with her eyes. They both gaze at the almond tree above them. Being the end of winter, the trees have shed leaves. They seem sad. Brian looks at the bottle of whisky in his hand.

“What happened, Iziyo?” he says.

“You know exactly what happened, Brian,” says Iziyo. “You said you didn’t want to spend time with me anymore.”

“I still wanted to spend time with you. I did. I do …” Brian mumbles.

“Then why did you end it? Why did you end our … friendship?”

Brian swigs from the whisky bottle to give him courage.

“What is it Brian? Talk to me. Make me understand.”

He takes another swig.

“I need to know, Brian.”

She tries holding his hand but he jerks it away and the bottle goes flying through the air.

“I was afraid, Iziyo!” Brian shouts as the bottle shatters on the roof of a bus shelter outside the library grounds.

Iziyo is taken aback.

“I was just too afraid, Iziyo,” Brian says, and starts to sob.

Iziyo is shocked. She is not used to seeing a grown man sob like a child. She reaches out and hugs him to her. She holds him close and he cries on her shoulder.

“I was just too afraid, Iziyo. I did not believe that I was worthy of you. Your family would not have accepted me for their only daughter …” says Brian.

“Who said that?” Iziyo is angry. And then she knows. She hears Mam’Gobhozi’s words, as if the woman were really there, on the street, on the other side of the wall.

“And you believed her?”

Brian takes Iziyo’s hands in his.

“Can you ever forgive me, Iziyo? I … I … still love you Iziyo. I’ve always loved you.”

Iziyo looks into his eyes. She has been through so much in her life. She has just lost a baby and she lost the person she really loved. She has learned not to believe in words anymore. She has learned to find the truth or lies by looking into a person’s eyes.

“Iziyo, I still love you.”

Iziyo sees only sincerity in his eyes. She says nothing for some time. She looks down at her hand, that is held in Brian’s hand. She looks into Brian’s eyes, then takes her hand away. Brian is left with the bracelet in his hand. He slips it into his pocket.

“Brian, look at you! You are just drunk!” says Iziyo. “You don’t know what you are saying. I hear you are engaged. Where is your fiancée?”

Brian doesn’t answer. They remain quiet for a while. They look down, away from each other. It turns cold and Iziyo gets up.

“Where are your car keys, Brian? You are in no condition to drive,” she says. “I’ll take you home. You need to sleep.”

The whisky and emotion have taken their toll and Brian hands Iziyo the keys. He closes his eyes and falls asleep as she drives him home. When she pulls up outside his flat she carefully takes the bracelet from his hand and puts it into her pocket then she gently shakes him awake.

Brian calls a cab for Iziyo. As she climbs in he leans against the window. He is about to say something, then changes his mind and the cab drives off. He says the words to himself as he stands on the pavement. There is sadness and regret in his voice: “I am sorry I was just too afraid, Iziyo.”

Iziyo watches Brian in the rear view mirror as the cab drives off. He is still standing, watching her drive away. Iziyo feels something that Brian felt years ago. She feels like she is losing a part of herself – her other half.

Tell us: Is there a chance for them? Will Brian have the courage to leave his wealthy fiancée?