PULL MY HEARTSTRINGS (COMPLETE)

22

"Do you still love her?"

Kgomotso's words were stuck in his head, permanent like the stars in a sky shrouded in darkness. He didn't love Jessica anymore and there was no doubt about that but he often wondered how his life would've turned out had they stayed married. They would probably have kids already, she wanted two a boy and a girl and he bought into that dream because she firmly planted the idea into his head even though he always thought four would make him happy.

Seeing Jessica on the cover of a magazine or a billboard on the busiest intersection always brought back the memories and the day he met her dancing in the midst of a rushing downpour that had people running for cover even though the sun was still out in full force, wearing a mini skirt and holding her shoes in her hands was the one that stood out the most because he thought she was insane. He saw her legs first it was impossible not to notice them, their mesmerising length pulled his attention to her face and her wide smile had him leaving the corner where he found shelter to dance with her. He couldn't explain what had possessed him to do that but something about the girl dancing in the rain made him want to be as carefree as she was in that moment.

"Are you crazy?" she asked once the rain abruptly stopped and a rainbow coloured the sky. Her wet t-shirt clung to her chest, making it easy to see she wasn't wearing a bra, she was beautiful with her sweetheart shaped face, long braids and downward-slanting eyes. The gap between her teeth was attractive and illuminated her smile.

He laughed because he had thought the same thing about her. "I could ask you the same question."

She grinned putting on her shoes, "What's your name, handsome?"

"I'm Anesu."

"Well, Anesu do you want to go on an adventure?" she asked with her trimmed eyebrows lifted like she was challenging him.

They shared their first kiss the same day they met after Jessica told him something about rainbows being known to bring good luck, and as fortune would have it their adventure didn't end there. It lasted for the duration of the holidays and he was head over heels in love when the time came to go back to London. He didn't think their relationship would survive the long distance but they made it work, and over time he was convinced that Jessica was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

The soft ping from his laptop brought him back to the present and he cursed himself for even thinking about Jessica, she didn't mean anything to him anymore and he had to banish all thoughts of her from his mind. Kgomotso was already doubtful and reinforcing that kind of energy wasn't ideal because he was serious about her and their relationship, serious enough to reconsider his stance on marriage but he didn't want to get carried away just yet. He rushed things with Jessica and that left him mortally wounded in the battlefield of love.

Anesu only paid attention to the email when he saw Pearl Sebotsa's name in big bold letters. Air rushed out of his lungs and his hand subconsciously went to his chest, touching the scar which reminded him daily that he had Donald's heart beating in his chest. He didn't know what to expect when he sent Pearl an email a year ago because he wasn't even supposed to know the identity of his donor, but with every passing year the need to know became all too consuming and his search for the truth unveiled Donald as the good Samaritan. And he also learned that Donald had a sister and daughter and was left brain dead after a car accident.

His guilt mounted, knowing that there was a child left fatherless even though Donald was already good as dead before his heart was taken. Anesu never took his second chance lightly because he could've easily been the one buried in a box, he needed to shed his fear and start living again because Kgomotso deserved so much more than what he was currently giving her.