The break bell rang and the girls sat down to have their lunch in silence, listening to the background sounds of loudly chatting students and music playing from cellphones.

Karabo found herself deep in thought about Themba and she felt both guilty and excited. She was feeling guilty because she had a secret crush on a boy who wanted her friend, yet she also felt excited because of the person Themba was. There was a sense of gentleness that came with Themba, and Karabo wished that he would ask her to be his date for the farewell.

Lesedi also found herself deep in thought about the same boy. There’s a sort of gentleness that comes with Themba, she thought, like her friend. But Tshepo’s exciting, fun and spontaneous.

Her thoughts led her to her mother, who used to plait her hair every second Saturday. One of those Saturdays, Lesedi had gathered the courage to ask her mother about how she and her father met.

“Sasa,” her mother said, using her special name for Lesedi. Her voice was husky, yet gentle. Lesedi had expected her to refuse to tell her, but she opened up immediately. “Your father was a gentleman from the beginning and he still is. We met at boarding school. And he only spoke to me a week before our matric dance, asking me to be his date,” her mother had said.

Lesedi remembered watching her mother’s reflection in the mirror, her face decorated with a blush as she spoke. The memory was so intense that Lesedi could even smell her scent in the air.

“When we stood up to dance, I knew that your father was my soul mate. So, after the dance I spoke to my mother. I didn’t know how to start … but I had to find out what her wise words might be. ‘Thuli,’ she said to me, ‘think of sitting down with a cup of sweet rooibos tea, across the table from this man, day after day. For ten, twenty, thirty years. Is he who you would want to spend the rest of your life with?’ I readily said ‘Yes’ and my mother responded, ‘Good, because love knows no hesitation.’”

Lesedi wished that she could be that definite. But things were more complicated than that.

Soon the bell rang again.

“Divas, Kabo and I broke up!” Kitso said suddenly, dramatically.

“What happened this time?” Karabo immediately responded. Kitso and Kabo broke up almost every week, simply because Kitso was hard to please.

“This time it’s final, guys,” Kitso said in a voice that begged for sympathy.

Lesedi just kept quiet as they walked back to their next class.

“Good morning, class,” Mr Mooki said.

Lesedi wasn’t able to be excited about being in her favourite class; the memories of her mother made her sad.

“Because I am kind, I will give you the scope for your test,” Mr Mooki continued.

“Aw, Sir, because you are kind, you can give us the answers,” Tshepo said from the back.

“Tshepo, maybe you can exercise some kindness and keep quiet,” Tebogo said.

The class laughed and the expressions on their faces suggested that Tebogo was winning this one.

“OK, quiet everyone, please take out your text books,” Mr Mooki said firmly, keeping the class calm.

He went through the scope and Lesedi was relieved because she had covered most of the things as she was studying.

“This is going to be easy peasy, lemon squeezy,” Tebogo whispered to Lesedi. She nodded, remembering that she wanted to show Tebogo who was boss with her test results.

Then it came to her! A plan so brilliant that Lesedi felt suddenly cheerful. But for now, she turned her full attention to class.

The final bell rang, and the girls ran to the changing rooms to get ready for hockey practice.

“Sedi, you better decide which boy you want, otherwise I will take them because I now don’t have a date for the farewell,” Kitso said, leaving the girls in stitches.

“Speaking about the boys, I have a master plan that will help me decide on which boy to date,” Lesedi said in a whisper. She didn’t want the other girls who were in the changing-room to hear. School rumors always started here.

“Say what?!” Karabo said, barely managing to contain her excitement. Second to chocolate came her love of making plans. She was always prepared, she double checked everything and always had a plan B – even a plan Z.

Kitso did her ‘I’m excited’ dance. It was a mixture of hlokoloza, ingwazi and some of the other dances she learned from her favorite kwaito and hip hop music videos.

“Before you get too excited girls, please check the time,” Lesedi said in attempt to calm them all down.

“Maybe we could bunk practice and start with the plan. I can’t wait!” Karabo said.

“That sounds very tempting, Diva,” Lesedi said as she ran out of the changing-rooms with the girls following her.

“Sedi, just so you know, I’m taking the boy you don’t want. Kabo must know that I’m over him,” Kitso said jokingly, leaving the girls laughing even harder.

Soon the practice was over and the girls went back to the changing-rooms to get ready for home.

“Sedi, out with the plan!” Karabo exclaimed, impatient and excited.

“Sorry girls, let’s talk about this tomorrow. My transport is probably here already.” Lesedi grabbed her sports bag and rushed out of the door. She allowed a smile to dress her face. A sense of excitement always crept in when she teased her friends.

“But this is a master plan,” Lesedi said softly to herself as she got into the car that drove her smoothly home.

***

Tell us: Do you have a special older person to confide in? What would happen if, like Lesedi, you were to lose that person?