Swirl

12. Magic, Baby.

A/N: You'll know when to play the song.

Definitions:
Indodakazi yami: my daughter.
Mngami wami: my friend.
Nkunlunkulu wami : my god.
Enhle: beautiful.
Yebo: yes.
Lobola: bride price paid by a groom and his family.

Over the next three months, Lerato had been plunged headfirst into an abyss of confusion. She didn't know what to do with herself,- her pillow case a constant map of her tears.

After Achim left, she felt as though a piece of her heart had been taken with him.

She watched him from the window of the quarter that fateful morning of his departure, longing to give him a goodbye kiss with a promise that he'll find her when he was done, - a promise that their infatuation could stand a chance to grow when he returns. After all, he had one last semester before he completed his degree.

But that's not the way their world worked, so she couldn't do that no matter how much she wanted to.

He might as well have packed her heart in his carry on luggage, right next to his favorite magazines and candy bars, because it left with him. She feared it was too late to get it back.

Just the night before, they had said everything that needed to be said and bared their souls to each other, ultimately realizing that their situation was eternally damned. Consequently, she felt as though saying goodbye to him again would be like adding salt to a wound that was already deep, convincing herself that it was better that she kept her distance, - no matter how much it hurt.

Dreams aren't tangible.

Them being given the opportunity to explore their feelings was nothing more than a dream.

Over time though, she realized that it would be impossible for her to stay away from him when he returned if they lived in the same space.

With that thought in mind, she had a spur of the moment decision one morning to find her own living quarters. She didn't need much, even a humble bedsitter would be enough for her, and the timing of her need to move had been convenient, too.

Ever since she had made her plans known to her mother about wanting to explore the idea of Thato's proposal inclusive of the inspiration behind her decision, that is to avenge her father's death, they hadn't been seeing eye to eye on anything and everything. The quarter was always tense, and since Lerato couldn't be in the main house unless she was playing with Gregor, moving out seemed to be her best alternative.

She needed to do it, not only for her peace of mind, but also for that of Achim and her mother.

Of course, when she brought the knowledge of her plans to surface, she was faced with much resistance and many tears.

"Lerato, indodakazi yami, please...," her mother said through scalding tears. "Don't do this to me!"

She held on to Lerato's small frame and wept bitterly onto her shoulder.

Seeing her mother so overcome with emotions made Lerato second guess her decision but she knew that it was necessary.

Besides, she needed to find her own path and she couldn't do that if her mother would always be there to scrutinize each and every one of her decisions, trying to micromanage her.

"Mama, please...," A lump formed at the base of her throat, "I'm doing this because I love yo-," she was cut off by her mother promptly before she could even finish that sentence.

"No!" Patience pulled back and looked into her eyes, holding her at arm's length. "You don't love me. If you did, you wouldn't be leaving me. How can you leave someone you claim to love?" Her tears poured even harder as she seethed her words.