Surviving High School.

chap.58

"You good Marshmallow?" I found myself fiddling with the hem of my dress. "Yes bhuti, just tired." I nod and fake a yawn, "I mean really though, do we have to have dinner with the Majola family? Can't business be business and not interfere with personal things?"

"It can but this is just how it's always been." I look at him from the rear view mirror, "Bhut'Ntsika it has never been like this." I shake my head and look out the window.

"Its always been like this. You were just never part of these kinds of settings. But you'll be fine man, just stick to us and try not to flirt with that Majola boy."

I stare at him in shock. "I-i...haaa Bhuti! I don't flirt with-I d- I...yoh!"

"Exactly." He looks at me through the rear view mirror. "Fine, I will st-stick b-by your s-side for the whole n-night. H-happy?" He nods, "Very." We drive up the hill to the house sitting right on top of the hill. The view takes my breath away.

There's no way that Ntando and his family are basic rich. This house screams royalty. "Close your mouth before flies enter Marshmallow. " I snap out of it and shut my mouth. "Bhuti..."

"Yes?" I fiddle with the hem of my dress, "Why did it have to be all of us here? Why couldn't it just be you-"

"Listen to me Yandisokuhle,  you and the boys had to come because we are a family. We do things together and this is a family dinner so you have to be here. What's gotten you so frightened that you refuse to enter this house?"

"Bhuti I'm not refusing, it's just that-" he turns his upper body to look at me. "We-" someone knocks on the door and it's Nkosinathi. "Nathi?"

"Baba said I should call you guys."

"Were coming." Bhut'Ntsika looks at me and I shrug. "Let's just get it over and done with." I open the door and step out. The three of us walk towards the door and just as Bhut'Ntsika is about to knock, the door is pulled open.

"Right this way please," we follow behind the woman and are led down a wide walk way that's tiled with hard glass and below the glass is water that's flowing. "Right here." I look up and it's white French doors. "Thank you so much." The woman nods and bows before walking away.

"Can't believe they have staff." My brother's look at me, "Your parents have staff as well, uthini manje. (what are you saying now. )" I shrug, "just making a comment." Nathi steps forward and opens the doors.

We walk in and I feel Ntando looking at me but my eyes go everywhere but to him. I see him standing besides a petite woman. Right besides that woman are his parents who look like they have better things to do than be here.

The urge to roll my eyes overwhelms me but I smile instead. Bhut'Ntsika walks towards Ntando's family and Nathi follows which means I have to follow as well. I see Ntsika greet Ntando's father first and then following with his mother by kissing her knuckles and he does the same to the petite woman besides Ntando and then finally, him, they shake hands and I see Ntsika taking a bow.

Nathi follows and does the same so I decide that I'll do exactly that. I make sure not to maintain eye contact with either one of them buy I stand tall. Just as I'm about to raise my hand to ask Ntando's father for a handshake I see in my peripheral view that Nathi is mouthing the word 'bow'.

What?

Choosing to follow his vague instructions, I bow before Mr Majola and follow with his wife and the woman but when I get to Ntando though, he takes hold of my hand before I bow and I look at him confused. "There's no need." I hear his father before he even finishes the sentence.

"You are royalty and she is a commoner. Let her do what common folk do." The shock that covers my face is visible. Everyone but Ntando and I moves to the dining room and he stares at me.

"So you're royalty?"

"This is not how I wanted you to find out." I stand up straight, smoothen the ruffles on my dress and nod. "Okay." I move past him, going in the direction I saw everyone else go in. "Uyaphi? (Where are.you going?)"

"I'm sure everyone is expecting us." He nods and follows behind me. When we get to the living room, there are only two spaces available and they are right besides each other. I decide to sit besides the lady which leaves the only seat thats next to Bhut'Ntsika.

The table is quiet as we eat the starter. I asked to have baked potatoes with salted butter and steamed broccoli. They literally had a menu for the starter, main and desert. Whoever cooked all this food is worked really hard, no cap!

Ntando had the cheesy prawns with buns and his sister, the lady, had a baked potato and instead of the broccoli, she chose the cheesy prawns. "So Majola, what exactly is this meeting about?" Mr Majola raised his hand, "We shall discuss this after the meal. I don't like talking about business while we eat."

The grown ups engaged in conversation while the helpers wheeled the main meal in. "Stop staring at me Ntando. Ngiyabonga ma." The woman took my empty plate and replaced it with a plate of traditional foods. I recognized the steamed bread and tripe, everything else, let's hope it's good.

"Its fine corn mixed with mince meat and cooked in a 3 foot pot, there's beef stew in that bowl and I think there's more veggies this time. Over there, next to your twin brothers is dried meat seasoned with salt. You should try the stew with the steamed bread while it's hot." I look at him, "Ngiyabonga. (Thank you.)"

That's how our conversation started during dinner. As soon as we finished dinner, we sat for half an hour and we were served desert which consisted of malva pudding in hot custard or strawberry cheesecake ice cream.

》》》》》》》》》

"Is this how you guys eat everyday?" I ask Ntando who was walking besides me as he showed me his home. "Yes. My parents want to eat meals fit for royalty." He put air quotes around the last three words. "And that's something you don't want...?"

"Food is food and I just think that we don't need to eat like this everyday, sure back at the royal home but we left that place to have a normal life and nothing about all of this is normal." We entered what looked like an indoor pool.

"This is cool."

"Amd that's my point exactly. This isn't cook, this...this is extravagant and that's not even half of it. If it wasn't for-you know what, let's just go back to everyone. I'm tired." He moves to the door, "Ntando."

He turns around and raises his brow in question. I say nothing but walk up to him, just as I'm about to hug him, he steps back. I can't hide the hurt on my face. "You don't get to lead me on and then leave me high and dry Yandisokuhle. You don't." He walks out and I have no choice but to follow behind him.

When we get back to everyone else, it's quiet. "Right. Majola it was nice to be with you and your family. Thank you for the invitation once more."

"The pleasure was all mine Mthethwa. Please come back again." They shake hands. "We will." We walk out and fill our cars. The minute Bhut'Ntsika starts the car, I let my eyes shut.

》》》》》》》》

"Hmmm?" I feel soft sheets beneath my arms. "Its okay Marshmallow, sleep." I nod and turn to the other side. I hear the door closing behind me and try to sleep. Nothing happens, I sit upright and take my jewelry off and change into avocado pj's.

I get back into bed and try to sleep but nothing happens. I shut my eyes and count sheep, hoping to fall asleep but nothing happens. I take my pillow and crawl to the food of my bed and shut my eyes, hoping to catch a bit of sleep.

I still can't, in the end, I just decide to open the curtains and let the moonlight in, that helps me sleep. When I wake up, I decide to have a lazy day and stay in bed.

I close my eyes and just listen to the sound of my breathing. Someone barges in, startling me and I bump my head on the corner of the bed. "Oh, you're still sleeping. Okay, bye." They don't even wait for me to get up before they slam the door shut.

I roll my eyes and flop deeper into bed. Just a bit more sleep.