𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐊𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐚 [𝐁𝐱𝐁]

CHAPTER 34: Unreciprocated Feelings

CHAPTER 34: Unreciprocated Feelings

Zhavia Age 18 going 19|

We argued, debated and eventually the best course of action was reached with the prime team. Tiger, Dylan and their partners took off in the night for the Midlands straight away. I still had Tiger's car keys and I used them to go back home since I still couldn't stand to share the same bunk with Crocky.

"Where are you going?" Crocky asked once everyone else left the room.

"Home."

"We're not even gonna talk about what happened?" he asked around a menacing chuckle.

"Just return that watch."

"What watch?" I heard Zandile's surprised voice ask behind me as I walked out.

The road to my parent's house was a dusty plain, the kind where the land was absolutely flat and my parent's house stood tall and distinct from all of our neighbors houses. Seeing the house in the night with it's accessories that included a short fence and an equally short gate, tied together by a rusty unlocked chain. Reminded me of Crocky, his house was right next to mine, Zandile's was on the other side and ever since we were young it had been all three of us against all the other kids.

I parked by the shade of a tree right outside our gate, watching the world around me very closely with apprehension.

It wasn't that I didn't want to get inside because heaven knew I missed ma's warm cooking. It was the looks and the lectures my father would try to drill into me by bedtime over. Any other time I would have stayed away only coming over on here and there. Mostly on Mixed blood holidays, when they were feeling a little bit jovial, watching kids kick around a torn ball and listening to instrumental music.

I saw the swing of a curtain from the kitchen and I knew ma had seen me. Taking a final sigh, I slid out of the car and strode to meet her by the door. "Zhavia, my baby!" she closed in on me with a warm bear hug. Over the years I'd grown taller and much more stronger than her, but her hugs were still for the championship. It warmed my heart.

She released me from her tight warm embrace even though her hands remained on my arms, "Your brother is not with you?" her eyes scanned the trail from behind me to where I'd parked my brother's car. "He's busy huh?" she concluded without my help.

I hummed apologetically and tried smiling at her. "How have you been mama?"

"Very good now that you're here." she eyed me and asked. "Is everything ok baby?"

I smiled and squeezed her hand to reassure her. "Yes, so you're doing just as good?"

Life came to her cheeks as she led me inside the house, "Yes, especially since your friends have been coming here most weekends to keep me company when your father is busy and you boys are occupied." she pointed a finger up at me.

"What friends?" I asked, palms open in surrender.

She gestured toward the kitchen with a bright, heart warming smile that I could only frown at. Because standing by the stove were the Dhilwayo twins. "Hey, Zhavia." they echoed in sing-a-song unison. Their voices a sugar syrupy melody that I imagined gave my bored mother something to awe at.

I could only stare at the matching aprons they had wrapped around them, the wooden sticks in their hands and the steaming pots on the gas cooker. Grace was in a pair of flat shoes whilst her brother wore a pair of four inch high heeled boots. I must've stared too long because Esly threw his imaginary long hair back by the neck, bent a knee in the air lifting his foot back like a blushing bride. "You like?" he giggled.