Nandi's POV
I looked out the bus window, admiring the wonderful sunset.
I took a snap of the view with my Polaroid camera. I can't wait to stick this on my wall.
A few moments later, the bus dropped off the netball team at the campus bus stop. The team disembarked and we all walked to our respective residences.
I sighed in relief when I got to my res room. It resembled the room I had at home. Fairy lights and an artificial vine graced the bland white wall, toppled with landscape photographs, Afrocentric art pieces and motivational quotes below. An African violet plant which I named "Enhle" sat in a cream white pot on my desk.
I sat down on my chair, ready to vent about my day to my best friend, Minami. I typed her name on my contact list. I was about to tap the call button- Oh...we're no longer friends...
My heart ached.
I didn't realise how much netball distracts me from thinking about her.
Two months had passed, but it still felt like yesterday. Her absence had left so many gaps in my day. I alternate between blaming her for our break up, then blaming myself.
I still have her number. I have faith that we will return to each other someday. I mean, we always got back together after a fight or misunderstanding? Right ?
Who is she having brunch with now? Who does she call throughout the day and talk crap about school with?
I grabbed my journal from the built-in shelf above me and wrote about my day and feelings instead.
My phone sounded with a notification as I ruled off the journal entry.
I knew it was from my dating app because I had different notification tones for each app.
I picked up my phone and opened the message.
Mpho: looking forward to our date tomorrow ☺️
Haibo! How can I forget about a date !?
I quickly typed a message along the lines of "same here" or whatever and scrambled to the tiny excuse of a closet. I rummaged through my clothes looking for some outfits. I had yet to do my laundry after this hectic week, so my options were incredibly limited. I debated cancelling the date but Mpho and I had been talking for a while and it seemed...promising.
I really wish Mimi were here so that she could help me pick my outfit.
Minami was the "I believe in indoda" (I believe in a man) type of babe. She wasn't "afraid of dating" (as she often would describe me). She always tried going out with guys and if things didn't work out with somebody, she took time off to heal, and was ready to get back to the dating scene in no time.
Minami and my mother were alike. Unlike most African parents, my mother was pro-dating. My friends envied it and reiterated how much it's something to be grateful for. Since the age of seventeen, I could fill in Mama about all my romantic endeavours. Like Minami, Mama promised that finding romantic companionship was one of the most fulfilling things in life.
"Dating is not only about getting to know somebody else; it's about getting to get to know yourself too. What you want in a partner..."
Mama said that before my very first date in grade ten. His name was Akani. We both loved maths and science. My friends "shipped" us because of that.
Akani and I went to watch a movie and ate pizza afterwards. It was cool, I guess? My friends gushed about it the whole week, but I didn't get the hype. I ate pizza with a boy...so what? I can eat pizza with anyone; my parents, my cousin, my friends, heck, even all by myself...
I searched my makeup bag as I reminisced about my first date.
I want something natural looking for my makeup. Doing my make-up was like therapy to me; it helped calm my nerves before any event.
While looking through my make-up stuff, I figured out that I had finished my lipgloss.
Somebody in Hatfield sells great make-up. I'll DM them on Insta.
After making sure that everything was ready for my date, I left my room to take a shower and afterwards, I continued preparing for my lectures tomorrow.
Author's Note:
Thank you all for reading !
Don't forget to vote & comment! 💚
Glossary:
Haibo: and interjection used to express shock
Indoda [Zulu]: man
"I believe in indoda" is a phrase that women who prioritise and value romantic relationships with men like to use.
Res: Short for "residence" ; a university dormitory
