One night Themba stared from his bedroom window the wet darkness as the rain showered the grass near the soppy gate. Boredom. He exhaled, his breathe made a fog on the window. He slid close the curtain and went to bed, taking his phone with him. 

Themba clicked Facebook. Nothing Interesting there; it was just some posts about jokes, memes and latest songs. His eyes opened up more at this one’s profile picture. The one who posted one of the petty jokes (when U go thru your man’s phone & find that all gals are rejecting him. Lol) she looked cute. 

Under the sheets, the phone’s screen being the only illumination to his face, Themba once again smiled, not at the joke but at the girl. He pressed her picture and zoomed it a little. Zoey Nkosi was her name. Short haired yellow bone chick whose smile was of teeth white as paper. Themba zoomed on her face. No sign of pimples; her face was a new-born baby’s; her eyes a reflection of twinkle stars in the black sky; smiling lips so pink and wet Themba felt like kissing the picture on his screen. The quality, it became apparent that she had taken this selfie with no any other device but an iPhone. 

Themba texted her hi. Who was he kidding? Pretty girls like her probably get a dozen DM slides everyday, there was a slim to nothing chance that his hi text might go unnoticed. 

But after Themba pressed the back button a response text popped up on his screen: Hello. 

He blinked twice, thrice, four times, five times, blinking and blinking, but his eyes were not playing a trick on him. Or was it a text from a different person? He checked the name. Zoey Nkosi. It was her, alright. Same girl, same picture. He blinked some more, the message was still there. So She really responded, so quick too. 

He heaved his back to sit up straight, pushing the sheets away from him. He bit his lower lip, thinking of an entertaining response to counter her with. He typed something and deleted it, typed something and deleted it again. She might go offline if he continues to stall more time, so Themba punched the keyboard for words of praise for her beauty, and pressed send.