The proposal: Part 2
“What? Babe what are you...,” a shocked or rather surprised Lee-Ann stutters while looking at Simo who is down on one knee with a ring on his stretched hand. It is not the response he was expecting, considering that he’d already proposed to Lee-Ann before and she’d said yes but just only that they hadn’t told Lee-Ann’s parents just yet. The lawn has suddenly gone silent. Everyone is breathlessly awaiting a response. Some are shocked, especially from the Stain family and friends.But this silence is broken by a shout, “Over my dead body” Morgan protests as he stands up from his chair approaching the couple. Lee-Ann, even though she may have expected her mother to be the one protesting she is not overly surprised by this from her dad.
“Okay, young man what the hell do you think you’re doing, disrespecting me in my house, and on my anniversary party no less?” Morgan charges. “Is that how you were raised? To disrespect people?” his voice is only getting louder. All the while Simo is still on one knee. It seems like he himself has forgotten that. His mind snaps back when Lee-Ann pulls him on his feet. He looks at her as if to say can you at least defend him from your father? But Lee-Ann has run out of words herself. She pulls away from Simo and charges towards her father.
“Daddy, please stop that. Simo was just...” but she doesn’t finish as her mother cuts her of, “Anny, your father is not talking to you, he’s speaking to that boy” she points at a hapless Simo who is clearly embarrassed by all this as the lawn has gone quiet and enjoying the drama. “So keep quit, okay” she shouts.
Lee-Ann turns around and looks at her boyfriend who is looking down in shame. She feels bad about it. She looks at the lawn and locates her cousin Julie who is starring at her in disgust. She quickly moves her eyes and finds her sister Debbie who is standing next to JB. What she sees from both of those faces is contrasting. Debbie’s face looks sad and sorry for her sister but JB's face is almost like that of Julie’s, full of rage and disgust. She moves on and locates Simon’s aunt. She can’t tell if she’s disappointed, hurt or furious and at who.
She is snapped out if it by her mom, “And you boy,” Debra shouts as she looks at Simo, who lift his head to make eye contact. “Do you think this is township where you do as you please with your gangster attitude? Is that what you are teaching my daughter, you criminal?”
But Simo's aunt has had enough as she cuts Debra of, “Oh no, no, no,” she shouts as she approaches the stairs to the veranda. “You are not going to talk to my son like that, you hear me? He is not a gangster. And I am not going to allow you to…” she is pulled back by Mlu who quickly intervenes on this situation that fast becoming a drama, “Auntie, no. It’s okay. Let it go,” he says as he pulls her back. She obliges. There’s now a little commotion in the lawn as everyone is shocked by what is now happening here. The day had started of very well but it now turning into a tension filled mess.
Simo turns around to see at the lawn that everyone is looking at them in shock. He looks with disappointment at his girlfriend Lee-Ann, who looks back at him in embarrassment. He pulls away from her and walks down the veranda stairs with his head looking down. He passes by his aunt, who tries to hold his hand, “Simo where are you going?” But pulls away from her and goes up the long driveway into his car. He takes a minute with his head bang on the wheel. But when he sees his friends, Mlu and JB, and his aunt followed by his girlfriend approaching he turns the engine fast and drives of, leaving his people all shocked in the drive way. Now, even down on the lawn everyone is looking up and watching the drama unfolds.
“So you see why I thought this was a bad idea?” JB says to Mlu. “I warned Simo and I warned you about her” he says as he points to Lee-Ann who looks down in shame. “oh come on man, don’t be like that okay?” Mlu says trying to calm his friend down while he looks at Lee-Ann to see her reaction to all this. He gets closer to JB to try and whisper to him, “Maybe this isn’t time for…” but he doesn’t finish as JB pulls from him in frustration, “It’s not time to talk about what? The truth?” he shouts, which draws attention from the people down at the lawn. He doesn’t care though. In fact, he likes it.
“Did I not tell you and Simo that these white chicks will end up hurting you?” he shouts even more louder. At that point Mlu and Simo's aunt, Zandile are looking down in embarrassment as everyone down there at the lawn are looking at them.
“On top of all that, you all know my story,” JB continues. “You know what these people did to me and how they destroyed my life. But no, you two thought this one,” as he points at Lee-Ann, “You thought this one is different from the rest of them but guess what, she isn’t.” he shouts in anger. As he speaks, it seems to be building. “Now look what has happened to our friend. Her family decides to humiliate him in front of all these people and call him a gangster just because he is black. Now he’s somewhere we don’t know where. His head isn’t straight. What if something happens to him on the road?”
That last part seems to trigger a panic to Lee-Ann who comes to Mlu, “I have to go after him,” she says as she begins to cry. “JB is right about that. What if something happens to him? I have to go after him Mlu” she says with a terrified look on her face.
“No, look stay here with your parents, okay. We’ll go look for him” Zandile says to Lee-Ann. It’s hard to tell what Zandile feels or what he’s thinking. She’s not showing emotions over this situation at all. “yeah, look aunt Zandile is right,” Mlu concurs. “just go be with your family. We will go look for Simo. If anything I will call you, okay?” he says as he brushes Lee-Ann at the back. But she is having none of it, “Mlu, I’m also Simo's family, okay? I’m his family too” she shouts with years of remorse down her face. “So won’t you let me come with you?” she protests with a trembling voice.
“Look, don’t worry. We will find him. Just…” Mlu stutters for words as he looks at JB and Zandile, “I just think it’s best if you stay behind. our folks might need to have a word with you. I just think it’s best for everyone if you stayed here until the situation defuses okay?” he pleads with her. Lee-Ann reluctantly obliges. She watches in Mlu, JB and Zandile drive of in a hurry.
She can’t help but replay in her head what has just happened here tonight. The image of Simo’s disappointed face plays over and over in her mind. She starts becoming sad. She’s now standing alone in
the driveway and feeling the cold in her warms. She thinks to herself, Simo would be embracing her with his strong warm hands and protecting her from this cold breeze. Another tear drops down her cheek.
She’s interrupted by the warmed of wool on her shoulders as her cousin Julie covers her with a blanket. “Cuz, are you okay? “Julie asks. But Lee-Ann turns around and clings on her without a word but bursts out crying. “Oh, cuz. Shhh, it’s going to be alright. Don’t worry” Julie embraces her back. They hug for a few seconds. “Come inside. It’s cold out here” Julie helps her down the driveway. Now here comes the hard part, well, at least according to Lee-Ann: the walk of shame. She now has to walk passed all the people in the lawn.
As she lifts her head, still with teary eyes she sees that everyone’s eyes are on her, some feeling sorry, others embarrassed and still others enjoying the drama and talking amongst themselves. But maybe even the hardest part is having to climb those veranda stairs to walk passed her parents. She lifts her head and sees that Debra and Morgan can’t even look at her. Are they upset that her boyfriend ruined their anniversary or they are ashamed that they had embarrassed their daughter when it should have been the best day of her life? But all that doesn’t seem to matter to Lee-Ann. All she wants is to go in to her room.
She goes passed her parents, who are standing where she left them when she went after Simo. She goes inside the house and closes the door behind her leaving her cousin Julie outside and everyone else in the party. The mood is now sombre, no one knows what to do.
On the road, it’s been well over 3 hours for Mlu and JB searching for their friend. They had allowed Zandile to go home and promised to let her know if they find him. They had decided to use one car, JB's to move from o s hang out spot to another, every place they know Simo likes. From town to the townships they searched, but there’s no sign of him. They are now worried about what could have happened to him. His phone is of which is the scariest part. JB’s car is usually loud with music, but tonight it is quiet. The anxiousness is real.
“Man, that was the last spot I know he could possibly hang out to, even with his colleagues.” Mlu says with a worried face. “Any ideas where to next?” he asks JB who’s just as anxious. He thinks for a second as he slows down while looking from the both sides of the road.
“No man. This is it,” he sighs heavily. “I can’t think of any more hangout spots he could have gone to” he says. “is it the time maybe to start looking at…” JB doesn’t finish as he’s interrupted by a phone ringing. Mlu looks at and sees its unknown number. He looks at JB and shows him the caller. But JB indicates to him by eyes that he should answer the phone.
“Hello,” he says nervously. But there is silence. “I said hello,” louder this time. There’s another silence.
He decides to put the call on speaker, “are you there? Who’s this?” he speaks louder. They are now anxious but the relief on their faces when they hear the voice, “Hey man,” Simo says with a low voice. JB stops the car on the side of the road and they both breathe a heavy sigh of relief. “Jesus Simo, thank God. Are you okay bro?” Mlu shouts in relief. “Where are you man? Everyone is worried sick about you man” JB jumps in as well.
“Oh yeah man, you are on speaker. JB is with me,” Mlu says. “where are you? Let us come and get you?” Mlu and JB’s faces have now lightened up with relief, which shows how worried they were. “No man. I’m okay, guys really. There’s no need for you to come and get me. I’m fine, I just need some time okay?” Simo says, still speaking with a low voice. There’s a moment of silence. His friends can tell that he’s not okay. “Auntie Zandile is worried about you man, she really is.” Mlu says as he looks at JB. “I know bro, I know,” Simo says. “Please tell her not to worry. Tell her that I’m okay. I just need some time alone.” Mlu looks at JB who says, “Lee-Ann too, man. She’s worried sick about you?”
Well, that’s not what Mlu or Simo were expecting from their friend. They thought it’s only natural that JB will be happy how things are turning up as he’s never really approved of this interracial relationships anyway.
“No, no, no. Don’t tell her you have found me,” Simo says to his friend’s surprise. They didn’t expect that from him. “Why the hell not man? She’s worried sick about you? Do you get that?” JB raises his voice in confusion. “Yes I hear what you’re saying man but please just don’t tell Lee-Ann that you’ve found me. I’ll talk to her when I’m good and ready to talk to her. But please tell my aunt that I’m okay and that I will call her soon, okay?”
There’s a moment of silence in the car. “Well alright man. As long as you are okay.” Mlu says. Simo sighs heavily that it is so loud. “okay guys, let me go. I will keep in touch” he says to his friends who weren’t ready for it. You’d swear they hadn’t spoken to him in ages. “Oh wait, is that your new number? Can we call you on it?” JB shouts but the Simo has dropped the call.
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