CH11

BURNING BLUE.
BY BELLA ROYALTY.
11.

[NTANDOKAZI NGEMA]
I cannot wait for this whole process to be over, I've never seen so much blood before, thankfully today, I'm just spotting, nothing heavy.

As I was getting dressed after taking a shower, I received a call from my father.
Me: Sawubona baba.
Baba: Ntandokazi kaBaba unjani?
Me: I am good, wena?
Baba: I hardly slept hey, that Molapo family is cursed I swear.
Me: What happened?
Baba: Did the taxi owner not get a random heart attack and die on his way to the hospital?
Me(gasps): Baba!
Baba: That's not all, that ràpist called Leano, killed his sister.
Me(shocked): Hhay baba! What do you mean? Leano killed Lerato?
Baba: He swears it was an accident, apparently they were arguing, he slapped her and she fell and hit her head on the corner of the table and instantly died.
Me: What?
Baba: Caught him in the act, with his bloody hands, whoever you're praying to? Keep praying to them mtanami, Christmas came way too early.
Me: Yoh! I cannot believe this! The taxi boss and Lerato are dead? The two key people who were hellbent on seeing me fall, fell first? Baba people will think I used witchcraft!

We laughed.
Me: Yoh!
Baba: I thought I should let you know, I have to go to work.
Me: Thank you baba.
Baba: Okay mtanami.

I dropped the call and threw my phone on the bed, and clapped my hands in shock! Wonders shall never end!

Well that was way too fast honestly, when it comes to Karma, I prefer she finds your address and deals with you fast, some prefer that she finds you when you've even forgotten that there's someone's peace you snatched, and she pounces on you.

Shame poor Lerato though, she didn't deserve to die, especially like that and so instantly, I know what you must thinking, she did try to discredit my pain but you know, there was a time where we were friends, I think she was just hurt, and we as people, when we are hurt, we react differently to situations, I know I said I wish she dies first, but I didn't mean it.

I decided to call Tumelo, just to let him know about this.
Tumelo: Good morning, beautiful.
Me(smiles): Good morning, handsome, how was your night?
Tumelo: It was great, how about yours?
Me: It was great, went through some pain here and there but yeah, it was okay.
Tumelo: You're feeling okay now?
Me: A little, not okay enough to come to school though.
Tumelo: Nobody is going to school today, it's Friday of the orientation week.
Me: Oh, is that so? Well then, I'll happily rest at home, you? Any plans?
Tumelo: Not really, I was planning on coming to see you though later on.
Me(smiles): Oh okay, I can't wait to see you.
Tumelo: I can't wait to see you as well baby.
Me: Anyway! I called you because I have some news!

We laughed.
Me: I know we sound like a gossiping couple.
Tumelo(laughs): Bet, I like these breaking news.
Me(giggles): So, this happened last night, like all of it, Leano's uncle suffered in instant heart attack that led to his demise.
Tumelo: Baby!
Me: Yep, that's not all, Allegedly, Leano was fighting with his sister, my former friend, Lerato, he slapped her and she accidentally fell and hit her head at the corner of the table and died on the spot!
Tumelo: Baby you're lying! Ain't no way! You mean this scumbag has been arrested for unaliving his own sister?
Me: Yep, talk about Karma, he's going to need a really good lawyer, that's if his family won't give up on him, two deaths in one family? In one day? Whatever they did to offend the gods, they should ask for forgiveness and confess their sins.

We laughed.
Tumelo: I wish I could feel sorry for them, I'm failing honestly.
Me(stunned): Tumelo!

He laughed while I shook my head.
Tumelo: Anyway, I miss you, please send me some pictures, let me decorate my phone with pictures of my fine shit.
Me(smiles): Okay.
Tumelo: Thank you, I will see you a bit later okay? What should I bring you?
Me: Just your handsome self should be fine.
Tumelo(chuckles): You keep boosting my ego like this, I won't even fit in the door because of my big head.

I laughed, he's so unserious.
Me: I can't deal with you honestly! Bye.
Tumelo: Bye baby.

I dropped the call with a smile on my face, I finished getting dressed and went downstairs, judging by the time, everyone had already left.

Mam' Zanele: Hey baby.
Me(smiles): Sawubona Mah, unjani?
Her: I'm good Nana, I saved you and Shaka some breakfast.
Me: That cousin of mine slept here?
Her: It seems so, his car is parked in the driveway.
Me: Oh okay, thank you.

I warmed up my breakfast and poured myself a glass of juice and went to sit down, I must have taken two bites of my toast when Shaka came down the stairs, looking awful.

Shaka: Yoh, remind me to not drink again, morning.
Me: Morning.
Shaka: The headache and hangover I have? Satan himself sent it.

I laughed as he gulped some ice cold water.
Shaka: How are you feeling anyway?
Me: Better than you obviously.
Shaka: Ay mfana I'm dying, I need something greasy, not toast.

He said opening the refrigerator probably looking for some meat her could fry, I wanted to ask him if he remembered our conversation yesterday.

Me: Shaka.
Shaka: Yes, Peach? Gosh this thing is so frozen!

He said slapping the braai pack on the floor.
Me: Do you remember what you said when you got in my room before I went to see Tumelo?
Shaka: No, matter how drunk I get, I never forget what I say or do.

What now? I was hoping that he'd say he didn't remember or something.
Shaka: You want to know if I meant it?
Me: Did you?
Shaka: What do you think?
Me: You were just messing with me.
Shaka: Mmh.

He continued doing what he was doing, what does 'mmh?' mean?
Shaka: So you and Tumelo are like an item now?
Me: We just kissed, I like being in his presence and he does too…
Shaka: Peach, I don't want you hurting my homeboy.
Me: I think that should be said the other way around.
Shaka(chuckles): Tumelo would never hurt you, intentionally, that boy loves with his full chest, he believes in love, he reads novels, he watches romantic movies, I can tell you right now he's obsessed with the After series, he might believe you're his Tessa and he's Hardin.

I laughed, that's cute actually.
Shaka: Ushoda ngezibuko nje to sell the nerd look but ke he's too handsome for that, so I'm not worried about you, you're in good hands if you treat him well that is.
Me: And if I don't?
Shaka: I hope you're not with him to get over me Peach, that wouldn't be fair on my boy.
Me: Well I'm not, I'm over you.
Shaka: Is that so?
Me: Yes.
Shaka: I'm not convinced.
Me: Well it's not you I have to convince anyway.

He started whistling.
Shaka: Whatever you say Peach, but I see how you look at me.
Me: Shaka get over yourself bakithi, you're not all that, Tumelo is hotter than you anyway, you just happen to talk alot and he doesn't.

He laughed, he's annoying.

TUMELO MORAKE]
My older brother looked at me stunned after I finished explaining the situation with Ntando and Prime.

Tumisho: You are serious?
Me: Dead serious.
Tumisho: And you think that's wise? Being with someone who might be in love with her cousin who happens to be your homeboy?
Me: She's not in love with him.
Tumisho: She confessed to him that she wanted him, craved him in ways a cousin shouldn't crave another and you're not worried? She could be using you Tumelo, bro you are such a loverboy, I don't want this girl to hurt you.

I exhaled.
Me: So what do you suggest I do? I really like her.
Tumisho: I don't know but what happens the day, they both say 'fuck it'?
Me: Prime wouldn't do that, he doesn't see her like that, he's had so many chances to act on her feelings for the sake of it, but he hasn't, he even asked me to ask her out as a distraction.
Tumisho: Little bro, I don't see a happy ending here for you, it's risky and I know you, when you love, you love with your whole body, she will hurt you.
Me: But what if she doesn't hurt me? So far she hasn't given in to temptation.

He exhaled as well and rubbed his temples.
Tumisho: Put her to the test.
Me: How?
Tumisho: You trust Prime right?
Me: I do.
Tumisho: Ask him to seduce her, see if she won't cave into temptation.
Me: But how do I know he won't tell her that I sent him? Or lets say she caves in and he doesn't tell me the truth?
Tumisho: You're the best hacker I know, I'm sure you can figure it out, what I know is that, if you like her that much, I know you've already given her a gift.
Me: I did, an amulet.
Tumisho: It has a tracker.
Me: For her safety, she's been through a lot, I don't want her to be hurt again.
Tumisho: Plant a bug on it, maybe intercept her phone, but you need to know she's not using you and she really won't hurt you with her own cousin.

I thought about it.
Me: Tumisho, that's invasion of privacy, that's not my style, I don't hack into people's phones, especially people I like, that's Prime's style.
Tumisho: They will hurt you then, you with your kind heart? The good boys always get hurt. Rather get hurt now then get hurt later, that's all I'm saying.

He walked away and I sighed, I can't believe I was even considering this.
Tumisho: Oh if your homeboy, tips her off about what you asked him to do, you'll know, he has feelings for her as well, otherwise why alert her instead of showing up for his homeboy?

__________

Me: Well you look like shit.
Prime: Tell me about it, I didn't think this whole Khanya shit would hurt me like this bro, but damn, it's doing a number on me.
Me: I'm so sorry bro.
Prime: It's all good, I'd rather talk about something else, like you and my cousin, I caught her all giggly and stuff yesterday after she came back from you.

I laughed.
Me: Trust me, I sat in the car and for a while as well after she left.
Prime(chuckles): Z'khiphani?
Me: We just had our first kiss, which she asked for first so…
Prime(smiles): That's progress, good progress.
Me: Jeah.
Prime: The fact that she came back all giggly and stuff means you kissed her right, you didn't graze her lips with your teeth or fill her mouth with saliva.

Okay, that's a bit weird.
Me: Who even does that?
Prime: Her first boyfriend filled her with saliva and Leano, well he was the grazer.
Me: And you know this, how?
Prime: She told me.

He said nonchalantly as if it wasn't weird at all, why would cousins even discuss such things? And when did they discuss this? Because as far as I know, Ntando has been dealing with a lot, I doubt there'd be time to discuss how she would like to be kissed because her previous exes fumbled, that's our conversation.

I don't know how I felt about that honestly but I didn't dwell much on it.
Me: I need a favour from you Prime.
Prime: Sure, what's up?
Me: I need you to be honest with me, do you like Ntando?
Prime: Absolutely not, dude we've been through this before, she's my cousin, I'm not about that life of keeping it in the family.
Me: So if she wasn't your cousin?
Prime: I haven't looked at her like that, so I don't know.
Me: Okay, I like her, like very much, but I'm scared that she might hurt me since she's not sure about what she feels for you.
Prime: You think she might be with you because she can't have me?
Me: It's a possibility.
Prime: It has crossed my mind a little, I even asked her but she was adamant she wouldn't do that to you, hence she asked that you take things slow until she's worked on herself

I nodded.
Me: She hasn't tried to make any advances ever since she confessed?
Prime: No, she's been keeping her distance and so have I.
Me: I want to test her.
Prime: How?
Me: Seduce her.

He looked at me shocked, well I can't believe I'm considering this as well.
Prime: You're for real?
Me: Yes, seduce her, if she falls for it then that means she's really into you and doesn't care about what we are trying to build together and I'll step away, I'd rather I find out now then months later when I'm in too deep.
Prime: Like in a sense, I feel you. I understand you, but what if she falls for it? Dude, I don't want to kiss my cousin, it'll make things awkward between us.
Me: It'll be just a kiss, she's in no position to take it further right now, but you know be Prime…
Prime: This could be risky mainly because you like the fine shit.
Me: Prevention is better than cure, can I trust you? I know she's your fam, and I'm asking a lot from you.
Prime: I got you, we made a promise that we'd never let hoes get in between us, it's been like that for years, I'll do this for you and get back to you.
Me: Don't be biased, I know you want me to be happy, but don't lie to cover for her if she really falls into temptation.

He nodded, hopefully I don't regret this and it doesn't blow back on my face, but either way, the truth will set me free, now I just have to intercept their phones so that I can hear them, I can't rely on Prime's word only, he can twist the truth to protect his cousin.