The Valentine Frenzy

Chapter 9

Outside the staffroom, three guys stood chatting by the wall. I recognised them immediately as the male teachers in the school. On moving closer, I shook their hands like familiar pals and teased them in a bid to know how they got by. Although, I'd been told a lot already, the gist from guys would be different.

"Welcome to our midst, tall dude. When you came to the staffroom earlier, I thought the principal would tell us that we have a new basketball coach." Andrew spoke first– a short, jovial guy who taught Physical Science.

"Since you have come to us for proper induction, let me give you hints on how we roll. Outside the school compound, to the left of the football field, there is an Ethiopian man there who manages a small tuck-shop. He has the answer to all your cigarette needs. That is if you are a chimney like me."

"I smoke when the weather allows," I said, even though I didn't.

"Well, cigarettes and snacks are there. You can also top up your phone and buy other stuff."

"Are you sure that's all?"

"Well, what we'll tell you depends on who you are. We don't know if you've been sent by the district head to come and investigate our activities." His friends cracked up and hailed him for a bit.

"I'm not a snitch, man? I'm just a staff of a consultancy company sent here to teach Maths. The principal must have told you that already. Why should I come and mess you guys up? No, broer."

"Okay. Where you stay is close to the school, and we live in town. Every morning we drive here to school, work and then return home. There are no relaxation spots around the school area for us teachers. So on Fridays, we meet at popular restaurants in town. There we hold our own official school meetings."

He turned to his friends. "Am I right guys?" They nodded and burst out laughing again. I joined.

It would be fun hanging around these hilarious guys. I surely had many things to catch up on. We shook hands again, as I called their names one after the other: Andrew, Carl and Kofi. I wanted them to take me as one of them.

"Let me go now, please. We'll see later."

"Sure," Andrew said. He was obviously the leader of the group, having been in the school longer.

A few steps away, I heard his voice again. "Do you do girls?"

"Well, who doesn't?"

Wary not to give a holier-than-thou impression, I chose my words carefully; lest the guys begin to snub me, making my stay uncomfortable. Dating anyone in the school remained a venture I wouldn't consider.

The guys laughed, lifted their thumbs, and winked as I walked away. I could tell that they had a positive opinion of their new pal. At least, it felt so.

Going to fetch airtime for my phone was urgent. I had to reach out to my folks, having been too tired to do so the night before. Another day without a call to Yenzo would be alarming. So, I took a walk to the Ethiopian tuck-shop that Andrew described.

After manoeuvring through undulating plains and orchards, I found myself in front of the Ethiopian shop.

The store was a small one, as expected, but it had a lot of products and snacks suitable for students' needs. "Can I have enough airtime for three weeks, please?" The shop owner's metallic bars made him look like a prisoner.

"How many airtime for three week airtime you want?" He spoke in broken English. I thought his reply was appropriate for my unclear request.

"Oh, give me five hundred rands Vodar."

His eyes widened in excitement, as he took a second look at me to be sure I wasn't joking. Maybe the highest he'd ever sold was twenty rands. Here I was ordering a trailer load.

"Okay, sir."

I didn't want to visit the place every now and then, hence my huge order. With that much airtime, I could as well never show up there again. But he had only three hundred rands airtime worth. I took all.

"Good business, uh?"

"Yes, good business. Sure sir!" he smiled, exposing his tobacco-stained teeth.

Back to the crooked path home, I could finally make all outstanding phone calls. Yenzo would be yearning to hear from me and same with Mike. My phone had been buzzing all day, but the time to answer calls just wasn't there.

I took my Android device out of my pocket and dialled Mamajack to give a lowdown on the interesting environment her only son found himself. After narrating details of the situation, she heaved a heavy sigh.

"I hope everything is okay?"

"I'm super cool, mom. No qualms."

She handed the phone over to my sisters and they both wished me well. Mike got a vivid description of the unfamiliar locality I found myself. The guy made fun of me for close to ten minutes before finally making sense.

"That's the perfect place for you, Jack. You'll learn some important things about life away from your mom." He'd always seen me as a spoilt mommy's guy and none of my daring city bravadoes ever changed that opinion in his mind.

"I didn't know about life in Jo'burg? Are you nuts?"

"Village life teaches wisdom, dude. You'll appreciate those things you take for granted in the city. Catch you when you are wiser," he concluded.

"Mike must be crazy."

I postponed calling Yenzo 'til later at night. My sweetheart would complain that I spoke to her while walking on the road. "That girl can be funny sometimes."

Three text messages lay in my inbox already: Two from Cindy and one from Yenzo. I quickly deleted the first two and opened the third one.

"Did you find a suitable church yet?"

Did I need to attend a church to stay committed to her? Even pastors weren't free from temptations. Yenzo must be kidding me.

"Young man!" A voice jerked my phone from my hand. I quickly picked it up and turned around to find an old man supporting himself on a stick. Every item on him was white: white hair, white beards, white clothes, and white shoes. He looked so old one would think he'd been around for two hundred years.

I hastily ducked to one side for him to move on, wondering why he had to come behind me when ten people could easily walk through.

Pa Aristotle stood there looking at me as if we'd met before. Never ever! No way could I have met this person; not even in my dreams. Had it been at night, I would have bolted away faster than Usain Bolt.

Not sure how to greet him, I placed both hands in front and crouched slightly. He nodded repeatedly and smiled.

"You belong here!" he said in a loud voice that belied his frail looks. He had only two teeth in his mouth: one at the top and one below.

Unsure of what he meant, I quickly walked away. Just my first day at school and someone was already telling me that I belonged here. "Where do I belong? This village? Nada!"

A few yards away, I turned back to find him still rooted to the same spot. Seeing that he had my attention, he pointed his walking stick at me and his voice echoed in the distance as he spoke. "You will always come back."

To prove right away that I wasn't coming back to him and he had no influence on me whatsoever, I quickened my pace and took a left turn, heading towards Madiba's compound.

Pa Aristotle mustn't come around and tell me the same thing again. He must have been looking for his lost son who resembled me. The only place I belonged was in Johannesburg.