Light rays beam through the window after the shuffle of hooks on the curtain rail. I cover my face with one of my cousins blankets and try to ignore the movement of someone shaking me.
"Will you wake up already." A voice belonging to Melissa nags. She's been trying to wake me up for about a minute ago. "Let's go!"
I push her hands off my arm and snuggle in the blanket, hoping to majically zone back to Lala land in an instant. "Where are you going? It's nine o'clock in the morning."
"I want us to go to the skate park." She says, pulling the blanket away. We ingage in a tug-of-war battle with the blanket for which I become victorious in. A smile creeps on my face. "Come on Djimmy! You're not going to get over him by staying in bed the whole day."
"I don't care. I just wanna cry him a river." I mumbled through the blanket. "And lie in bed a little longer."
She sighs. "Ohh, okay. Then I guess I have to find someone else who'll go with me to this Schwarma shop I wanted to try."
I immediately toss the blanket aside and stand up from the bed. I hug Melissa and whisper a "Thank you." before going to the bathroom to get changed.
It was looking shallow outside. Thick clouds covering the sky. A windy weather is experienced on this side of the city. Melissa and I approach the graffiti filled skating grounds. Two people are staring at us from the distance, they stand a few metres ahead of us. It took me a few minutes to realise who they were and when I did, I didn't hesitate to run towards them. Melissa and I got into a group hug with them. My dears Sisanda and Ayanda Buthelezi.
The Buthelezi's may have been with us in the building for almost a year but cruising with them felt like a lifetime. And even when they moved out, it still didn't stop us from seeing them since we were in the same grade. They were with us on excursions, sports days and on those post-examination days when all we did was play games in the classrooms. And sometimes after school we'd go to that Zulu house in Umbilo where a pleasant aroma of Ma GaAya's Bonchisi was coming from the kitchen while, for sure, the Jeqe was being steamed on the four plate stove. There was always a certain playlist that echoed through the house. One that included artists like Zahara, The Soil and Nathi. She always welcomed us with a sweet smile.
I love being around these people. Need it be the face paintings and make-up sessions, which I disliked, the family movies we'd watch on those lazy Sunday afternoons after deciding to postpone the rest of our homework for Monday morning or sometimes, when we're really worned out, we'd just be on our phones and lie around the room like lazy cats.
I tie the laces of Tyron's roller skates that Melissa forced me to wear. The girls are rotating around me with their roller skates on while they wait. Beautiful mistakes by Maroon 5 featuring Megan Thee Stallion plays in the earpods we share. I needed this. A cool breeze hits my face as we swift pass the people, going by one of Sisanda's playlists on Spotify. We listen to songs which included New Rules, Havana, Power and Closer. It's funny how I understand these lyrics better now that I'm going through a heartbreak. The lyrics bring sorrow to my heart but the sound strikes my soul. And now that I'm sharing this moment with these people, I feel so much better. My heart is at ease after the conversation we just had.
Melissa and I leave the Polo with magnum mini sticks in our hands. My stomach is full from the Schwarmas we had at La Pita after skating at the park. We say our goodbyes to our close friends and make our way to the gate of the building. I notice Melissa standing a few feet behind me. She looks up with a stern look on her face after looking into her cellphone.
"Hey, whatsupp?" I ask.
"Nothing." She replies, slipping her phone in her pocket and proceeds to the gate. "Hey, let's go to the rooftop." She says. "But I need to fetch something by my place first. You go, I'll catch up with you."
"Kay, cool." I say.
I make my way to the rooftop. The corridor leading to the rooftop is as dim as always. I place my hands on the frames of the entrance of the rooftop whilst whispering the lyrics to Wish You Were Gay by Billie Eilish. The song only makes me think of him, of Tyron Matthews. I stand on the fence of the rooftop, staring at the street below me. I look to my left after noticing a shuffle at the entrance to the rooftop and there he stands. My heart rate accelerates.
YOU ARE READING
Summertime Vibes
General FictionTo be in the moment with the people he loves. That's what Djimmy wanted to do all summer. But what he encounters is more exciting than what he expected. And what was stolen is more precious than all the toys and treats that was taken from him in his...
