Deadly obsession ,Chapter 5
ZIBUSISOI'm glad that Suku and I have been able to start to build a relationshipI'm glad she was able to open up to me, and I'm curious to know more about her past. I know she's been through a lot, and I'm not sure what happened between her and her father. But as long as we can communicate, I know we'll be okay.
I swear, what her father has done has really hurt her. I wonder what he did, except for what I already know. What kind of father who hurts their daughter like that?.....
Anyway, this week has gone smoothly for me and my businesses. Just don't ask me what I do because I do many things. Me and my friends worked hard to get where we are right now. If it wasn't for our passion and chasing our dreams, I don't know where we'd be. Though my father wasn't happy with me choosing to do what I want,
I'm glad I never followed in my brother's footsteps, allowing our father to choose careers for them. But I can't blame them; our father has always been like that, too controlling, wanting things to go his own way. I'm the first child to disobey our father, and he was so angry that he cut me off from the family business.
After what he did to me, I never got angry or begged or apologized to him for choosing to follow my heart and do things my own way. Instead, I applied to an overseas university, where I studied to be a GP (general practitioner) for 11 years, including 4 years of undergraduate studies, 4 years of medical school, and 3 years of residency training. My brothers supported me financially during my studies, and I am so grateful to them.
My friend studied a medical-related field, too, so we have a lot in common. We even own our own hospital here in Cape Town, which is why we moved here. We visit our families sometimes, but I haven't been back for two years. I had a heated argument with my father, and I haven't been able to face him since.
By the way, I have two older brothers and three older sisters. Two of my sisters are already married, but the youngest one is just like me. She also refused to marry a man that our father chose for her, so she left home, too. The two of us are considered the black sheep of the family by our father.
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SUKOLUHLE
I'm so happy to say that term 1 has ended, and I passed with flying colors! I never thought I would do so well, especially since this is a new school for me and there are a lot of really smart kids here. Most of them are boys, but there are a few girls, too. My principal even said that I'm one of the smartest girls in the school.
Now that we're starting term 2, things are getting a bit harder, but I know I can handle it. I'm so glad to say that I've made a friend, and his name is Lubanzi. He's the best first friend I could ask for. I never thought I would make any friends, but here I am. We're on break now, and we're sharing my lunch box. He's telling me all the gossip about this group of boring girls in our class.
Lubanzi: So, Chomie, have you noticed that group of girls in our class? They're always whispering to each other and giggling. I think they're just a bunch of drama queens!
Me: Haha, I know exactly who you're talking about! They seem really self-absorbed, and I can't imagine they have anything interesting to talk about. What do you think they gossip about?
Lubanzi: I'm pretty sure it's all just gossip about other people in our class, and nothing of substance. I bet they talk about who's dating who, and who's wearing what, and who's friends with who. It's all so shallow! What do you think? Do you ever talk to them?
Me: I try to avoid them as much as possible! They seem so superficial, and I don't want to get caught up in all that drama. I'd rather focus on my studies and spend time with friends like you who are interesting and have substance! What about you, do you ever talk to them?
Lubanzi: Nope, I steer clear of them too! You and I are definitely on the same page! We're above all that gossip and nonsense. I'd rather focus on what really matters in life, like our studies, and making a difference in the world. Don't you agree?
Me: Absolutely! I think it's so important to focus on what really matters, and not get caught up in the petty drama of high school. I think we're pretty lucky to have each other as friends, and to be able to support each other in our goals.
Lubanzi: I totally agree! We're a great team, and we can do so much together.
Suddenly, two of the girls from the "boring" group approached where Suku and Lubanzi were sitting. One of them, a girl named Nancy, spoke up,
Nancy: "Hey, Lubanzi, we heard you were gay. Is that true?" She said it with a snide tone, and the other girls giggled behind her. Lubanzi looked taken aback, and Suku's face turned red with anger.
Suku: "How dare you make such a rude assumption!" Suku said, her voice shaking with anger.
Nancy:"It's not an assumption!" Nancy retorted, crossing her arms. "We heard you and your friend here were more than just friends. And we all know what that means!"
Suku was fuming, and Lubanzi looked upset.
Suku:"You're making assumptions based on stereotypes, and that's not okay," Suku said, her voice firm. "Lubanzi and I are friends, and that's all. There's nothing more to it than that, and even if there was, it would be none of your business."
Lubanzi nodded in agreement.
Lubanzi : "We're just friends, andit's really offensive for you to jump to conclusions like that," he said, his voice shaking a little. "Just because I'm not interested in girls doesn't mean I'm automatically interested in boys. I'm allowed to be my own person, and my sexuality is none of your business."
Nancy and the other girls looked a bit taken aback, clearly not expecting this kind of response.
Nancy : "We're just teasing," Nancy said, but her tone was no longer so snide. "We didn't mean to upset you."
Suku wasn't having it.
Suku: "You can't just tease someone about their sexuality and then say you're 'just teasing' as if that makes it okay," she said. "You're contributing to a culture that makes it hard for people to be themselves, and that's not okay. You need to do better."
Nancy and the other girls were silent, clearly embarrassed.
Nancy: "We're sorry," Nancy said. "We'll think more carefully about our words and actions in the future. We promise."she says rolling her eyes
Suku nodded, and she and Lubanzi turned back to their conversation, ignoring the girls as they walked away.
After the girls left, Suku turned to Lubanzi.
Suku: "Are you okay?" she asked, her voice gentle.
Lubanzi sighed.
Lubanzi : "I'm fine," he said. "I just hate that people feel like they can make comments like that, and then brush it off as 'just teasing'. It's not okay."
Suku nodded in agreement.
Suku: "It's not okay at all," she said. "But I'm glad you stood up for yourself. You shouldn't have to put up with that kind of thing."
Lubanzi smiled.
Lubanzi : "Thanks, Suku," he said.
Suku:"Of course," Suku replied. "You're my friend, and I've got your back. And I don't want anyone making you feel bad for being yourself. You're perfect just the way you are."
Lubanzi's smile widened.
Lubanzi :"Thanks, Suku," he said, his voice a little choked up. "That really means a lot to me."
Suku smiled back at him.
Suku:"Anytime," she said. "I mean it. Now, let's get back to our conversation before those girls interrupted us."
.....
.......
They continued with their conversation until breaktime was over. They dragged their feet to the classroom as the bell rang, signaling the end of their short respite. The lessons started as always, and Suku found herself counting down the minutes until afternoon time. Finally, the bell rang , and she headed for the bathroom.
Lubanzi was waiting for Suku to come back from the bathroom.
He was waiting by the gate when he heard footsteps approaching. He looked up, expecting to see Suku, but instead, he saw Nancy and her friends.
Lubanzi : "Oh, it's you," he said, feeling a knot of dread in his stomach. "What do you want?"
Nancy smirked. "Why don't you go find someone else to bother, Nancy?" Lubanzi said, his voice shaking with anger. "I'm not interested in your mean comments. I'm happy with who I am, and I'm not going to let you make me feel bad about it."
Nancy's smirk turned into a sneer.
Nancy: "You think you're so brave, but you're just a freak," she said. "No one's going to want you when they find out the truth about you."
Lubanzi felt his heart sink, but he tried to stand his ground.
Lubanzi:"I don't care what you or anyone else thinks of me," he said, his voice wavering slightly. "I'm proud of who I am, and I'm not going to let anyone make me feel bad about it." He stood up straight, trying to look confident. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go find Suku."
Nancy and her friends stood there for a moment, then they turned and walked away, whispering to each other as they went. Lubanzi let out a sigh of relief, but he still felt shaken by their words.
When he found Suku, she immediately noticed something was wrong.
Suku:"Lubanzi, what's the matter?" she asked, her voice full of concern. "You look upset."
Lubanzi hesitated, unsure of what to say. Finally, he decided to tell her the truth.
Lubanzi :"Nancy and her friends were saying some mean things about me," he said, his voice breaking a little. "They said some awful things about me being gay." He looked down at the ground, trying to hold back tears. "I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable by telling you this."
Suku put her hand on his arm,and looked him in the eye.
Suku: "You have nothing to be sorry for," she said firmly. "What they said is wrong and unfair. There is nothing wrong with being gay, and you should never feel ashamed of who you are." She gave him a reassuring smile. "I'm proud to call you my friend, and I don't care what anyone else says about you."
Lubanzi felt a surge of gratitude, and he hugged Suku tightly.
Lubanzi : "Thank you," he said, his voice choked with emotion. "It means a lot to have your support."
Suku smiled and hugged him back.
...
As the two of them stood there, embracing, they heard a throat being cleared behind them. They broke apart and turned around to see Zibusiso, standing there.
Suku:"Uhm, Zibusiso?" Suku said, looking at him curiously.
Zibusiso :"Sorry to interrupt," he said, his face turning redder."Hi," he greeted Lubanzi.
Lubanzi didn't know what to say, so he just said, "Hi," and then left, leaving Suku and Zibusiso alone.
Zibusiso :"Can we go?" Zibusiso said, walking away with Suku following him. They got to the car, and Zibusiso started driving. There was silence in the car ......
to be continued …
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