“Can I speak to you for a minute?”

It was Sipho, waiting for Kamvi after supper.

“Sure,” said Kamvi, stuttering a little, “but be quick cause I don’t feel so well …”

“Well …” said Sipho hesitantly. “It’s just that … well … we’ve known each other for a long time, haven’t we Kamvi?”

“I suppose so,” said Kamvi, stifling a sigh and glancing at her watch.

“You shouldn’t be so rude to me you know Kamvi.”

“What?” Kamvi looked up. Sipho was frowning at her, his face a mixture of hurt and indignation.

“Rude? I–” began Kamvi, but Sipho interrupted her.

“I was your friend when you first came to this school Kamvi. All you had were your stupid books. When you had no friend, I was the one who looked after you.”

“Pardon?” said Kamvi. She was confused. This was a side of Sipho that she had not seen before, and she did not like it.

“I must go Sipho,” she said quickly. “I told you. I don’t feel–”

“No,” said Sipho harshly, suddenly grabbing Kamvi’s arm. “You must listen to me. I know what you are planning Kamvi. I don’t know what all those books have been teaching you, but it’s not right. I know. And it’s not right. You must stop it now!”

Kamvi caught her breath. She looked up at Sipho and was startled by what she saw in his eyes. She tried to pull her arm away.

Sipho held her arm tighter, but at that moment Kamvi did not care what he thought. Kamvi had never liked to be told what to do, by anyone.

“Leave me alone Sipho. I don’t know what it is that you think that you know, but you have no right to tell me what I can or cannot do!”

Sipho squeezed Kamvi’s arm again, this time so hard that she flinched.

“God made a woman to be with a man!” said Sipho harshly. “Nikita thinks it’s such a joke that you are going to go to the Matric Farewell with her! She is laughing at me Kamvi! You were always going to go with me! It was always meant to be like that!”

Kamvi’s heart leapt in her chest and she felt her hands becoming clammy.

“Oh,” she said, with a mixture of relief and irritation. “So that’s what you are on about.”

Kamvi pulled away from Sipho and stalked off down the passage. When she was a fair distance away from him she turned and waved her finger at him.

“You made a mistake with me Sipho. You are not my friend, and I was never going to go with you to the Matric Farewell! You cannot tell me what to do. I will do whatever I like! You better leave me alone!”

Sipho walked away angrily, stopping once to spit out only one sentence at her, over his shoulder: “I will get you for this!”

***

Tell us: What is your reaction to Sipho’s statement, “You were always meant to be with me!”