In class she made a list of all the people the sms could have come from. It wasn’t Khosi, playing a joke because she hadn’t had her cellphone, she had lost it. Besides, now that she had a boyfriend she wouldn’t have time to send a joke to her friend. Thumi had been going to tell Khosi about her mystery caller. But now, she decided not to. And when Khosi asked if she could borrow her cell to call her new boyfriend, Thumi said, “Sorry girlfriend, I’m out of airtime.”
As Mr Mashu wrote a whole list of sums on the board, Thumi’s mind wandered. Perhaps the caller had made a mistake. That happened all the time. People punched one digit wrong in a number – and sent their “Hey sweet cheeks, cutie pie” message to a complete stranger! Thumi had done it once! Eish! That was embarrassing! Yes, that’s what must have happened. The only strange thing was that K had said “Lyk da new braids” and Thumi had just done her braids. She had gone with Khosi to the station. They had saved up the money they had earned selling Simbas at the soccer matches they loved to watch. Yes, it was puzzling. How did K know she had just done her braids?
While Mr Mashu wrote furiously on the board, trying to explain a very difficult equation, Thumi wrote a list of all the pupils at school she knew of, whose name began with K. When she came to Katlego her heart skipped a beat, and she found herself drawing a heart on the page. It was foolishness. Katlego was in Grade 12 and had never, ever, even so much as looked her way. And rumour in Grade 10 was that he had a girlfriend and she was gorgeous! But maybe… just maybe…
At the last soccer match she had gone to with Khosi, he had looked up at the stand where she was cheering with her best friend and waved. But Thumi couldn’t’ be sure. Was it a wave? Or was he just shielding his eyes from the sun? He was the best goalie the school had. The girls “oood” and “aaahd” every time he stopped a ball from finding the back of the net… What if? Thumi thought… What if he had noticed her? She should have waved back.
At breaktime, just as she was leaving the class, another sms came.
Meet m at Jake’s Tavern. 8pm. Dnt b l8 – K.
No, it wasn’t a mistake. Who sent an sms to the wrong person twice in a row? Only a complete fool! And now this K was inviting her out. Dnt b l8… it said. Her heart raced.