"Jenner is now my girlfriend!" echoed like she had heard mere moments ago, but it had been two weeks since their imminent ending – Naledi, for the most part, still couldn't believe what had happened.
Outside of the fact that they were in a fake relationship, they seemed to be getting along so well and it was only natural that they would both fall for each other, right? Clinton needn't to be perfect, he merely showed up when he was needed most and always knew what to say. It's precisely what made Naledi sit up and realize that she might be onto something with him. She'd already lost her soulmate in Elijah and was certain that Clinton was not going to be a repeat.
But like all those who do not learn from history, they are bound to repeat. So now just when she finally got over Elijah, it was back to square one trying to forget all about Clinton.
It was days like these where she could not help but ask out loud, what am I doing wrong?
The sequence of events made very little sense to her. All she yearned for was a straightforward relationship with someone who would love and see her the same way she would them. Now all it looked like was she kept on inviting headaches and unnecessary stress in trying to be vindictive.
It landed her in a place far much worse than she thought she would find herself in. The bottom of the barrel.
It was no coincidence that she was also sitting through a church service whose central theme for the day was all about forgiveness and all that it does for you. It was also no coincidence either when she had a discussion with her mother earlier in the week about how she was coping with the sudden breakup.
Elizabeth wisely advised her daughter, while stirring on a freshly brewed cup of Rooibos tea, 'You start off by taking a step back and assessing everything. Things like these are always imminent, and how you react to them gives an image of your character. Take the time to talk with yourself about how it made you feel and then once you've reached a conclusion, you'll be able to start asking all the necessary questions.'
Naledi knew that she needed to hear those because it was not until this morning that Elizabeth's words finally sunk in and on the drive to church, Naledi asked herself, how do I pick myself up from this? While trying to avoid the distracting sounds of Andrew and Andrea singing along to catchy children's songs on YouTube.
Today was her first day back at church in nearly six months. It was an Adventist church, meaning that Saturdays were seen as the seventh day of the week and would be observed by taking rest from the routines upheld during the week.
The church in Sunninghill was the one she'd attended for years and Naledi grew up to see the same church, completely different now. For starters, its building had been recently upgraded and seemed more churchy but also the people that were there.
There was a phase where her family's life was centred around the church. Every week, Naledi would look forward to spending the day with friends knowing that there would never be a dull moment when they were around. Changes began seeping in as she started getting lost in the world of school and the complexities thereof. Church suddenly was not a big thing anymore. She would still, however, see her friends Rebecca Ndivho and Vuyiswa Mpinga. But even for them things got a bit real, and they would not be the same anymore.
Rebecca now studies in Cape Town, and Naledi has not seen her since before departing for London last year. Vuyiswa is in the North West province and has not set foot in Gauteng for nearly two years despite her home being here. Naledi still spoke to them to this day, but they weren't the go-to friends anymore because everyone was preoccupied with their priorities. Which was completely fine. Just as long as they knew that Naledi still loved them dearly.
