PULL MY HEARTSTRINGS (COMPLETE)

45

                                

     

A rainbow spread across the sky once it stopped raining, viewed as a symbol of hope and new beginnings by many it was no wonder South Africa was also known as the Rainbow nation, because the end of apartheid brought upon a renewed sense of hope, a chance to start afresh and freedom.
     
He was on his way to see Tinashe when the tyre pressure light flashed on the dashboard 10mins after he turned onto the gravel road, calling for help would be futile because network was unreliable in that area, and the nearest garage was 40mins away. He stopped the car and turned on the hazards. 
     
“Fuck!” He stepped into a puddle as soon as he got out of the car, soaking the inside of his custom made Italian shoe. “Fucking, hell,” he muttered, shaking his foot.
     
He found a towel in the gym bag he kept in the boot and cleaned his shoe as best as he could. A nail was embedded deep into the tyre and caused a slow puncture, he decided to get it patched up on his way back because turning back would make him late and potentially miss the allocated time for visitors.
     
Serenity Wellness & Rehabilitation Clinic was located in a secluded part of Muldersdrift on a land which was once a farm. It was a top facility with a pool, sauna, library, gym, Koi pond and a stable of horses. Everything about Serenity made it an ideal place for healing.     
     
Security let him through once they confirmed his name was on the visitors list, but he still had to sign in and leave his phone in a locked compartment when he got to reception. The security precautions were extreme but with reason because there were well-known people who didn’t want their addiction being front page news.
     
One of the volunteers escorted him to the garden where he found Tinashe sitting on a bench, reading a book under the shade of the biggest tree. The last time Tinashe was here, Anesu got reports that he wouldn’t leave his room or participate in the daily activities, so this was a nice change.
     
The smell of rain still lingered in the fresh air, while the bright glare from the sun rays heightened the rainbow colours in the sky and chirping birds disrupted the tranquil silence.
     
“I should’ve known that dreaming about ubaba meant that you’d be coming today.”
     
Did he have eyes at the back of his head?
     
“How did you know it was me?” asked Anesu as he sat next to him.
     
Tinashe chuckled. “Your cologne gave you away, you use too much, it’s repellent. I don’t know how you were able to attract your girlfriend smelling like that.” He closed the book and put it aside
     
“Mxm. That’s not true.” He couldn’t resist taking a sniff of his t-shirt, surely Tinashe took pleasure in messing with him.
     
“Then why are you smelling yourself?” he asked, laughing louder.
     
Tinashe was still an idiot and that part hadn’t changed.
     
“Don’t make me regret coming here to see you.”
     
“Okay, I’ll stop ngoba uzo shesha ukhale wena.”
     
Anesu couldn’t hold back his smile because there were days when he honestly believed Tinashe’s addiction would rob them of these moments for good. Tinashe still had a long road ahead of him but Anesu was hopeful it would work out, he couldn’t afford to mess up again because he stood to lose everything.
     
“The last time I dreamt of ubaba, he wanted me to find you.” The memory of those haunting dreams resurfaced from the deepest part of his brain, making him squirm.
     
Tinashe’s carefree smile and laughter was quickly replaced by a forlorn look. Talking about that day sent him down the spiral of shame because he could never change the state Anesu found him in. Even Dr Kingsley struggled getting him to open up about it in their previous session because showing vulnerability wasn’t an easy feat for him.
     
“I’d probably be dead if you didn’t find me.” He shuddered, overwhelmed by the tide of emotions.
     
“But you’re not so that doesn’t matter.”
     
“Doesn’t it?” Tinashe sighed, shaking his head. “I’ve been doing all the work since I got here but I’m still scared I’ll mess up and end up with nothing.”
     
“As long as you’ve got me you’ll never end up with nothing. I’ll always be a phone call away.”
     
A smile crept up on his face. “Nah, I think it’ll be best for me to get a sponsor I’ve discussed it with Dr Kingsley and she approves. You need to find a girlfriend, settle down and give Ma some grandkids and you can’t do that if you have to keep looking out for me.”   
     
“But I have a girlfriend,” said Anesu.     
     
“Is it a new one or is it still… What’s her name?” he asked, snapping his fingers.
     
“You know her name.” Anesu stared pointedly at him, he wasn’t going to tolerate any Kgomotso slander especially because Tinashe had no valid reason for his animosity. 
     
Tinashe’s smile waned. “Are you really serious about her?”
     
“Yes, I am.” His answer came with no hesitation.
     
“I’m still not sure that she’s the right one for you but I’ll just have to learn to respect your decision.”
     
Tinashe wouldn’t know the right one even if she came and hit him in the face, but he was quick to act like an expert.
     
“That’s because you never gave yourself a chance to get to know her,” said Anesu.
     
“You’re right.” He sighed. “I just worry that she’ll turn out like Jessica and I know that’s not fair on her but you’re my brother and I don’t want to see you go through that again.”
     
He became cynical after the divorce and the women he entertained had no desire to stick around and deal with his insufferable baggage, no matter how good the sex was and how much money he splurged. The materialistic things he graciously provided didn’t make up for the lack of commitment and he wasn’t prepared to put his heart on the line again, until a stranger bumped into him and set his soul on fire with a mere touch.
     
He was able to pick up the pieces and move on, it was required of him to do so as a man because he couldn’t use tears as a reflection of his pain. His family, however, was still not ready to forgive and forget when it came to Jessica and it was evident they were not members of her fan club.
     
“Don’t judge Kgomotso based on Jessica’s track record. I’ve moved on and found someone I’m madly in love with, which should be a cause for celebration because I am happy.”
     
“Haibo, bafo, don’t tell me you two are getting married. There’s no reason to rush or is there?”
     
His lips split into a lopsided grin. “Marriage is definitely in the cards, they say when you know, you know and that’s how I feel about Kgomotso and it makes no sense to wait. She’s the one I want to spend the rest of my life with, the missing piece I didn’t know I needed until I opened up my heart.”
     
Tinashe was still sceptical, it was obvious he needed to be the voice of reason because Anesu was too smitten to think straight. He knew Anesu was prone to ignore the red flags like most people did during the dizzy-infatuation stage. He could attest to that because Bianca did the same with him, giving him chance after chance and he messed up every time, taking her love and forgiveness for granted by embracing the bottle. 
     
“Is the sex good? I’ve heard things about big girls.” His eyes burned with salacious intent as he rubbed his hand against his crotch.
     
“Khuzeka.” Anesu warned.
     
“Forgive me for asking it’s been a while since I’ve felt a woman’s touch. Any bodily contact with another human is forbidden here.”
     
“Then use your hand.”
     
“What do you think I’ve been doing all this time?” Tinashe sighed.
     
“Uzoba strong, itswayi has never killed anyone.”
                                                     **************