THANDI
The first thing I do after being dropped off at home is to call my baby brother. I desperately need to hear his voice and know that he's okay, only then I'll also be okay
A message had been sent to him too telling him I've been busy at the hospital so I go with that lie not wanting to get into the truth, he's just a kid and I don't want to stress him with something that has already passed
After promising him to bake some muffins and take them to him I hang up and take a long hot bubble bath, I've missed being in my space and this is my normal Friday routine after a long week at work so everything still feels normal this side
I have my glass of bubbly and the lights are deemed as I let my body get soaked in the bathtub. I think about everything that's happened in the passed few hours and realise how lucky I am to have made it out. This is the kind of thing you only see in a movie and to think I went through that, it's crazy
I think about the handsome stranger that got me into this mess, yes I'm going to continue blaming him for this mess even when it isn't entirely his fault. I find myself being overly curious about him. What is he? A mob boss, a gangster... Well, I passed my chance to find out when I insisted that I didn't want to know anything else about him. They can't see me as a threat if I don't even know their names
I get out the tub and dry myself then I apply lotion and get ready for bed. Now that I'm relaxed, my mind is choosing to replay everything over and over again which makes it hard for me to sleep. I even get up the bed to check if the main door is locked but I remind myself that I live in a secured estate, I'm safe, no one is coming for me and this paranoia will fade soon. I end up taking sleeping pills so I can atleast get good rest and they work like a charm
The next morning I wake up, clean and bath then I decide to go check on Sizwe. The people who took me also managed to come deliver my car. How, I don't know but I won't dwell on it
The shop is still closed as they are fixing the mess caused by the shooting. Sizwe is there and he's beyond excited to see me just as I am to see that he's still alive. I've become fond of him and it would really pain me if anything had happened to him. He narrates the whole scene again as if I wasn't there but the way he tells the story with so much energy makes it a lot more interesting than scary, even a bit funny too, South Africans are the best when it comes to exaggerated story telling and if I hadn't been there I'd be hooked on Sizwe's explanation. When he asks where I disappeared to I tell him I left with one of the guys who was hurt and didn't want to wait for the ambulance, which is partly true but I leave out everything else
After my catching up with Sizwe I head back home to relax, this weekend I just want to breathe and eat. That's all I want to focus on until I get a text from Musa
"You didn't forget, right?"
Shoot! I jump off the bed and head straight to my wadrobe to change out of my night dress
"Running a bit late. I'll be there soon" I reply knowing I'm going to get a lecture about late coming
It completely slipped my mind that this weekend we are supposed to practice our dance rountine for the charity ball that's being held next Saturday. I quickly get into my leggings and baggy top then I put on my socks and sneakers, I grab my dancing shoes then I drive to the dance studio where we are supposed to meet
As soon as I'm parked outside I rush into the building and find him already waiting with our dance instructor Michael
"I'm so sorry" I say and he shakes his head
"I'll forgive you because you're my friend and a really good salsa dancer" He says and I sit on the floor wanting to change my shoes
Once I'm done we get in position and I get myself to relax. Micheal turns on the music and 'Bam Bam' blasts through the speakers, this song has been stuck in my head since we started practicing and I fall inlove with it each time
