Palesa and Nora paced back and forth alongside the bus stop, their agitation growing with each passing minute. They had been waiting for what felt like an eternity for Lerato and Thandeka to arrive, and the silence was starting to get to them. “Where could they be?” Palesa wondered aloud, her brow furrowed in concern.

Nora shook her head, her eyes scanning the horizon for any sign of their friends. Just as it seemed like their frustration was about to boil over, Palesa’s phone buzzed, breaking the tense silence. She quickly rummaged through her handbag, her fingers closing around the device as she pulled it out.

A notification from Lerato flashed on the screen : “Sorry, we’re running late, the driver had to refill, we’ll pick you up soon.” Palesa’s face relaxed as she read the message, and she turned to Nora with a reassuring smile. But before she could even share the news, a commotion from down the road caught their attention.

A cab came into view, and Lerato and Thandeka’s cheerful faces appeared in the window, waving and screaming at them with uncontainable excitement. Palesa and Nora’s mood quietened down, replaced by a mix of relief and amusement at their friends’ antics.

As the cab pulled up alongside them, the two friends couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of Lerato and Thandeka, who were practically bouncing with energy. “What’s gotten into you two?” Palesa asked, chuckling, as they piled into the cab. Little did they know, their friends’ strange behavior was only the beginning of a day that would change their lives forever.