Amahle's Diary 1

Characters

The only pain connected to love that I knew was that of my parents separating when I was just 7 years old. I became their emotional volleyball until I was old enough to pick a side. That was the pain good enough for my age back then, until Sandiso Langa, or was it Damon Bess?

I am an 18-year-old girl about to embark on my first year at Durban University, studying Land Surveying. Originally from Mthatha, I live with my mom and our cleaner, Sis May, in Myezo. I'm not your typical teenager; my friends say I'm sort of weird. Before Durban, I had never dated, kissed a boy, or gotten intimate. That changed when I entered a relationship with Sandiso Langa, the 18-year-old Rugby Captain, or as we call him, 'Mr. Hottie Hottie Langa.' This crush of mine since grade 10 turned into a relationship last year, towards the end of the year.

My best friend is Ayanda Ndabeni, also 18, born on the same day as me (28 August). She and I have been inseparable our whole lives. We reunited when my mom and I moved to Mthatha. To top it off, our moms are besties. Our circle of friends includes Alexis Goodman, 18, who will be studying medicine at Mthatha WSU NMD, Siyanda Ndaba, 19, joining us in Durban for law at UKZN Howard, and Karen Young, 17, studying in Cape Town.

My mother is Sinobomi Ndalo Ngesi, a 38-year-old divorcee Botanist and part-time lecturer at Walter Sisulu University NMD. My dad is Thandolwethu Ngesi, a 47-year-old Gynaecologist with two kids from his previous relationship (they never married): Aluncedo, 24, and Anathi, 22. My parents divorced when I was 7; by then, Alu was 13, and Nathi was 11.

Nathi's mom passed away when he was born, so when my mom married dad, she embraced his baggage. My father resides in PE Humewood with his girlfriend or whatever he calls her.

Dad and I weren't that close before; he was more of a personal ATM than a father to me. However, things are improving, and we're taking it one step at a time.

My family has had its ups and downs, but today we are stronger than we were last year despite a few hiccups. Last year, I made peace with my molester, the woman who broke up my parents' marriage. Now, I'm ready for a clean slate in a new city, exploring varsity ventures. But life doesn't always go as planned. High school relationships don't always turn into marriage, especially when you study in different provinces and can only see each other when you can.

I've experienced my fair share of life's ups and downs, but as they say, life's a rollercoaster ride that goes up and down. This one stops the day you stop breathing. My name is Amahle Ngesi, and this is my story.