Upon arriving home, Mia's message came with a warning, before she called me and explained to me of how the argument would soon escalate , and how the volcano at the edge of my *friendship Island*, which I shared with Cassidy, would soon erupt.
"...But that's not all," she further continued.
"What do you mean?" I was wrestling, but struggling, to tame my curiosity.
"Ashleigh boo, after your little argument, she and Zoey explained to me what had happened and even asked me to pick a side, after telling me that they were on the way to your house.
"She's probably arranged a meeting with the rest of the girls, hope you didn't swear her mother out" Mia's last text a few minutes before Audrey rushed into my room, her smiles filled with giggles, as she playfully bit her teeth to indicate the serious situation which was about to arrive. Seems like she too had gotten the message, and the unexpected invitation to the triplets' place.
---------------------------
"Don't give me that look," whispered I, the next morning after we'd taken the bus to Khayalitsha, a predominantly black suburb, and stood before the triplets' door.
"Knock! Knock! Knock!" Audrey proceeded.
As we waited for a response, my heart was beating unsteadily, even though my intuition was telling me to relax.
The door slowly swung open and I stepped behind Audrey, leaving the heat of of the sunshine behind even though its sunlight followed me through the door and exposed Mia who hugged us gently.
Upon walking across the big room, which made up both the kitchen and the lounge, I couldn't make out the shapes on the wall. The curtains were closed but the tiny bits of sunlight which squeezed past the small, vertical gaps between the curtains were enough to show the girls.
"Ewe sisi, vul' khetheni ngoku kaloku, just open that curtain"
A voice that swept though my hearing senses just before the curtains were pushed open, and the sunlight barged into the lounge and illuminated the silhouettes of sitting girls just before they all stood up and induced us into indulging in their sugarcoated hugs.
As we all sat down, we all did our little sorority pledge before sucking in some smoke from the hookah pipe, facing up blowing it into the air to release the tension, before blowing each other a kiss. This had the usual norm of our club, which had started out as a sleepover union for all the girls which were in our fifth grade class. Years later, now in College and Varsity, even though I was a year behind due to the schooling break I'd take after Carl's death, we were still together.
Lots had changed a lot since the 5th grade and we'd grown so much. We even had new members, lost members as well as forgotten members.
The Sorority was now led by a half-Xhosa half-Sotho trio of triplets, which were originally from the Gauteng Province, due to the fact that the Presidential duties were too much for one girl to handle. Yathi-tha, Nathi-tha and Lathi-tha were the president and vice presidents respectively.
"What happened," Yathi-tha asked just before yawning, clearly she was still struggling to fight the sleepiness that had now enslaved her heavy eyeballs, for there had been another conflict-resolving meeting the previous night, just before she sipped from the purple glass of juice, for all girls present had one in front of them, with all the glasses surrounding the two hookah pipes on opposite edges of the oval shaped, brown wooden table.
"Sorry to come late but a girl's gotta bath," Lathi-tha said walking into the lounge, her hands pressing against her fluffy afro, which she shared with Nathi-tha. Her big smile sugarcoated her concerned facial expression, before she added: "... Are you too seriously fighting, i never thought I'd see the day," she giggled and pointed to Cassidy and I.
"So girls, please elaborate, because this really sounds interesting," Nathi-tha said, with a questionable expression despite the afro which framed her cute, round face.
"To cut the story short," Zoey began talking; "Ashleigh came back from the Mitchell's plain and found Cassie dating this guy. She then began pursuing his affections too, even going as far as badmouthing and attempting to damage Cassidy's reputation..."
"L.O.L Zoey, like seriously." Audrey lifted my voice above hers, making her pause and roll her eyes; cause neither the plaintiff nor the defendant were permitted to speak, only their spokespersons could.
"All this while charming and sending this guy some semi-nude snaps until she finally won him over..." Cassidy continued, "hence they've been fighting ever since, for Ashleigh claims the guy love her more than Cassidy."
In that moment i felt disbelief and confusion spread through me as i failed to repress my anger, as the other 7 girls which were present listened intently to this juicy, gossip-worthy story; and would surely spread it to the other 53 absent members of our group.
"Ashleigh is this true," Yathi-tha asked, nodding her head condescendingly as her eyes showered me with disappointment, the same eyes she'd always given me when I'd tried to vote her off the presidency, in a failed, folly attempt.
"And then today, Audrey and Ashleigh came then Ashleigh rudely persuaded him away, leading to Cassie and 'Leigh's cogent argument. An argument where Jordan ended up sliding with Ashleigh, leading to the girls cursing each other's moms."
By the time Zoey finished explaining her story, Nathi-tha and Lathi-tha heard enough. Yathi-tha was already looking at me with hideous eyes, for she loved seeing me on the wrong. As her eyes wandered all over my skin and left it covered in a trashy, treacherous loved to have a reason to hate me.
So i just had to barge in: "Wait a second... Cassie, did i curse your mother?" I asked her mildly.
"No, but you swore at me," she responded pitiful, playing the victim in front of all the girls, her genuinely furrowed brows hanging above her big puppy eyes.
Audrey seemed unmoved by Zoey's accusations, for she knew that Nathi-tha and Lathi-tha had her best interest at heart, even when she was on the wrong. That's when Yathi-tha found a way to divert attention back at me, accusing me of involving a whole lot of people into my small relationship, just to paint me with a pathetic paint brush again...
"And to even steal your own girlfriend's boyfriend. You shouldn't be choosing a guy over your best friend. We shouldn't be selfish to the point of letting pretty fuck boy come between you and Cassidy, like really boo?."
"No! Yathi, he's not a "slut", I actually met him first and after telling y'all about him, Cassidy was quick to try and deter me from falling for him, trying to plant silly ideas against him. Yet today she wants her, May God forgive her.
"Bottom line is that he's left cracks in you and Cassidy's friendship, another girl next to Zoey said.
"I say they should both drop this guy," the girl next to me blurted out.
"No way, he's loving and loyal," I said reassuringly.
"Yet he was quick to drop Lilitha for you without first ending things with her, he's full of games," said Zoey with a hateful look in her eyes, clapping her hands stiffly.
"I totally agree, and since you're so keen to defend this Jordan of yours, we should involve all members of this club, and see how well you defend your little boyfriend against their judicial votes," Nathi-tha suggested in a sly manner.
"Well then, guess I've overstayed my welcome in this club off ours, said i cockily, wrestling to swallow my words.
"No Ashleigh... i'm sure Yathi-tha didn't mean that,"said Nathi-tha and Lathi-tha, as drew her eyes towards Yathi-tha, realizing the seriousness of the matter.
"As a matter of fact, I don't need this, nor do I need you in my life." I stood up and placed my arms on my waist, while shooting Cassidy a stern look.
"But Ashleigh love, that's a very subjective and selfish decision. It's probably best if you both just distance yourselves from this poisonous Jordan... He's bad news,"
"Jordan and I and i already have some plans," bragged Cassidy.
"You'll find another another boyfriend Ashleigh you're too pretty for him" added Lathi-tha.
"I totally agree... He's bad news... They should both just stay away." I heard different girls' spit out such words as I stormed out the house.
A flash of heat swept across my cheek, as heat stung my eyes as I walked into the sunshine. A lump of aggression emerged within my throat as I heard a sound of footsteps just before Lathi-tha called my name.
"Babes, as biased as this as this may sound, I think you should just stick your Jordan... Cassidy can be a pain in the neck sometimes." Her giggles filled my ears as her sweet cologne swept through my nostrils and soon invaded my lungs.
As she walked me to the nearest bus stop, she told me that i didn't need to stress about boys due to how pretty i was. I returned and trebled her complement, from her afro, lips and skin tone. Until I noticed how her burgundy, lingerie skirt seemed to be tightly choking her skin, yet it had enough room to accomodate her big buttocks.
The wind which shielded me from sunburn as we walked down the the busy street of the urban/suburban township, of Khayalitsha. Yet it failed to calm me down as several male by-passers showered me with ambiguous looks; some boys blowing me kisses as their eyes filled smiles and sparkles, while their hideous intentions caused their brows to twitch, as they leered at my friend and I.
Without warning, the next evening I was shocked but graced by Cassidy's presence. It seems Audrey had invited her for a sleepover. She then apologized, stating that Yathi-tha and Nathi-tha had stayed and spoken some sense into her skull. But then again she'd always loved sleepovers, and staring into the moonlight, as it shone beneath the sparkling stars. Maybe that was what was behind her change of heart. Unless she was just being a great actor all along. I was just glad she and I would go to bed with no bad blood between us.
When Sunday came, we all woke up and went to church, where I soon gratefully listened to Mia, Cassidy, Zoey, Audrey, mom and Aunt Anastasia sing gracefully for the Lord. The Holy spirit kept us company as Jesus filled the void in my chest with Love. All this as the Lord's Spiritual hyms soothed our eardrums whilst feeding and surrounding us with hope, and courage, to stand firmly against whatever would try to come between us again.
In that moment, out of the blue... I felt a soft but powerful hit on my hand. Opening my eyes, it was pastor Michael Brill using the bible to leniently break my clasp with Jordan, inciting the genial giggles of the lovely people around me.