.jpeg)
7
7AT THE DORM
After another long day with lots of practical work, Thando dragged his feet across the floor glad he finally made it back to the dorm in one piece. The sun was minutes away from setting, and the night slowly creeping in, it was a beautiful evening. The room was silent and lonely, but it was nothing he was not used to. After putting his books away, his body carried him to his bed as he felt sleep hinting in. His phone rang in his pocket annoying his half-sleepy self.
It was a call from his mother, a surprise call he did not want to receive, a call he did not make on purpose, and a call he had no intention of making now or in the near future.
[on call]
Thando: Mama…
Nomuzi: you don’t seem happy that I called? Are you okay?
Thando: I am doing fine, you just caught me on a bad time
Nomuzi: are you busy?
Thando: no.
Nomuzi: but you said—
Thando: why did you call Ma?
Nomuzi: I wanted to check up on you. I was getting worried. You haven’t called or texted ever since you left home.
Thando: nothing is wrong, stop worrying
Nomuzi: how can I not worry Thando, you don’t call, don’t text for the whole 2 months and you expect me to sit back and do nothing?! NO son! Not me!!
Thando: are we fighting?
Nomuzi: no
Thando: then why are you shouting at me? Mama, I told you everything is fine, and it has not been 2 months since we last talked… it has barely been a month. Just—just… next time just wait until I call, okay? Please…
Nomuzi: but Thando—
Thando: bye Ma.
[call ends]
After the unwanted phone conversation, Thando tossed his phone on the nightstand and prepared to take a shower after realizing his sleep totally left him. He was angry and annoyed, he wanted everyone to stay away from him, especially his mom, he was in a battle to prove he can live on his own and can take care of himself without the help of his family or mother.
Retreating from the showers, Thando felt refreshed but still had no appetite. The room was still empty, the roommate was not back yet. No matter how many times Thando tried to train himself not to worry about a grown man, his being always failed him. It was like a task delegated to him to worry if the night creeps in without Sandile coming back. Of course, he knew of his ways and the type of person he was but him not being here just did not feel right. He did not dare to text him or call him, so he stalked his socials of which he got no information too about Sandile’s whereabouts.
A FEW HOURS LATER
After hours of tossing and turning in bed, he got up and stared through the blinds far away in the damp-lit streets for any silhouette that may look like that of the person he was waiting for but there was nothing, only cars passing by. The night was getting deeper and deeper, and sleep just did not want to come tonight. After another couple of minutes of waiting and staring like a puppy waiting for its master’s return, Thando gave up, switched off the lights, and went to bed pulling his covers to head to try and invite sleep in.
AT CLEO’S PLACE
Hubbly smoke clouds, loud music, and alcohol. Anyone who would enter this place right now would think that a rave is in progress not knowing that this is just a group of friends, a group of party animals to say the less. Sandile and Nzama sat on the couch in the living room, each holding their own pipe of the hubby in front of them while the rest of the boys drank their lives away making a ruckus in the kitchen and other parts of the house. Not a single soul in this room would pass a breathalyzer test or even be able to tell their name. This was the heaviest they’d drank without going to any fun spots.
On the contrary, the man in love could not smoke his feelings away no matter how much or how long he smoked, the alcohol did not help either. The more he drank and smoked, the more he felt sane and felt like he was on fire and the more he thought about a person he shouldn’t be thinking about and the more he felt like he would act on his feelings. As Sandile abruptly stood up and walked towards the door, Cleo across the room who noticed this sudden movement approached.
Nzama: the bathroom is not that way.
Cleo: Magz, are you okay bro?
Sandile: perfectly fine, I’m calling it a night
Nzama: that’s a first—have a great one Grandpa!
Cleo: I’ll walk out
Sandile: don’t bother man, my place is literally a few blocks from here. I can walk, get back inside and enjoy yourself. I’ll text you when I’ve arrived
Cleo: be safe, I will wait for that text
Sandile: sure thing.
After failing to get high Sandile walked out of Cleo’s apartment complex which was indeed a few blocks from the residence. The whole day he and Cleo failed to find him a place, it was still early days, so he had hope that by the end of the week, he would’ve found one. The few ones they visited were not to his taste nor did they look like how they looked in the ads online. They were totally different which felt like a scam, reminding Sandile of the double life he is living, he too thought of himself as a scam, but he had no target as yet.
Indeed, after walking for a few minutes, he arrived at his residence. It was way past curfew hours, so he had to coax the security guard at the gates to let him in and not take the matter up to the head of security. Getting in after talking to the man at the gate for a few minutes he made his way to his floor with his heartbeat increasing each minute. It felt like the alcohol was now catching up to him, he felt more and more lucid as he reached his floor then room. He fumbled the wall for the light switch a couple of times before finally getting ahold of it and clicking it on. There was Thando, sleeping soundless and cutesy on his side of the room.
Without thinking twice Sandile took off his shoes, switched off the lights, and jumped into bed to cuddle the man he missed all day. In that small bed, he scooted closer and closer to him until he closed him back on the wall. Shocked almost out of his senses Thando tried to make sense of the situation but was lost for words. He did not know what to say, he had his fears and worries, but feeling Sandile’s body against his brought him peace. It was a few minutes past midnight, and this feeling right here felt so right. The alcohol may have played a great part in the feeling nevertheless it was great and cozy, and he did not regret it.
IN THE WEE HOURS OF THE MORNING
A state of worry and feeling uncomfortable hit Thando’s body. He was used to sleeping alone and enjoying some personal space, and this act was foreign to him. His many unanswered questions brought him out of sleep. Although it felt great sleeping next to someone and cuddling someone, he could not help but worry that this all happened because of Sandile’s state. The man was super drunk for crying out loud- it wouldn’t come as a surprise to him if he woke up in the morning and apologized for his act or deemed it as his drunken behavior and pleaded with him to forget about it as it meant nothing.
He wanted things to work out so badly, but he couldn’t be sure what he was doing with Sandile, the man confuses him.
THE NEXT MORNING
Thando’s alarm rang bringing him out of dreamland where all his fantasies had come true. Reminiscing on the events of last night it all felt like a dream, a nightmare almost like a dream because the man was gone. Sandile was not by his side when he woke nor there were any signs of him being in the room or even coming back last night. Was it all a dream? Were his feelings for him intensifying and leading him to the insanity that he hallucinated about situations that did not even happen?
AT CLEO’S PLACE
Sandile sat across the table from Cleo as he poured his heart out confessing his sin. The rest of the friend group had just left, it was just the two of them in the house.
Cleo: a cuddle and run!? I have never heard of it.
Sandile: I don’t know what happened last night man, I found myself in his bed, him in my arms, and--- when I woke up this morning, I panicked. I couldn’t stay, I had no excuse or means to explain the situation.
Cleo: so, you’re here hoping that he didn’t feel anything? Are you serious… let’s be real here, wouldn’t you feel it if someone cuddled you in your sleep? No, scratch that, how would you feel after you wake up and find that person gone?
Sandile: that is not the point here man, the point is I cuddled someone in their sleep, without their permission and that makes me a creep--- a *** offender! And I can’t live with myself.
Cleo: you think you’re having a meltdown? Imagine how Thando feels right now…chances he felt you sneak into his bed.
Sandile: don’t make me feel worse. I know I shouldn’t have! You also shouldn’t have let me go last night.
Cleo: what could I have said when you were so adamant that you wanted to leave? You looked out of place for crying out loud!
Sandile: my life is over; things are so not coming together that I am frustrated. Why can’t I find a place and move already?
Cleo: I hope you realize that moving away is not the solution here
Sandile: you’re not helping man. Can I crash here for a few days?
Cleo: it wouldn’t be of any help to lie to you either. It’s not like it’d change the way things are… and besides, my place is too small for the two of us.
Sandile: just until I find my own place…
Cleo: no
Sandile: one night then… just until I find my headspace
Cleo: one night and that’s it. After that, I will drag you to your place if I have to
Sandile: thanks dude… now for the clothes and toiletries part, can you please---
Cleo: nope, no!
Sandile: I didn’t even finish my sentence.
Cleo: I know what you’re going to say, and my answer is no… I’m going to take a shower. Figure yourself out. I don’t care if you decide to go get your stuff or buy new stuff, just figure it all out on your own.
Please log in to submit a comment.