That next morning I woke up and invited over both Mia and Cayla; Audrey was probably busy plus I no longer felt discussing Jordan-revolving subjects with her. Without wasting time, I then informed them of the next babe in the Jordan's picture frame...
"Gurl what? she already got an answer for him?"
"Wait till Nathi-tha and Lathi-tha hear this, Jordan doesn't play huh?" Cayla added to Mia's exclamation, with shock displaced on her face.
"Babes, If only you knew how dumb and angry i'm feeling now, fuck!" Even saying those words doubled the hurt in my heart.
" Yathi-tha, Nathi-tha and Lathi-tha will easily put this Thandie in her place, real quick and real fast," Cayla laughed, before handing me a glass of raspberry juice which soon quenched my thirst. As my hunger rose, my tummy growled, induced by the aromatic scent that came from the kitchen, where my mom was busy preparing a breakfast.
When 1pm finally struck the clock, my phone rang and I answered, telling Thandie that I was Jordan's sister, only to hear her voice melting into a respectful, adorable tone. I also lied and told her that Jordan had just returned from the doctor's check up and was now bathing; but that i'd send her a text signalling her a text as when to call him.
Her genuine giggles came across the line. To my kind suggestion she seemed respectful, kind and decent. Even though over the phone she seemed to have a few intentions in mind, as well as a few tricks between her thighs, judging by her sexy, bootilicious Instagram posts.
By the time I went to Wynberg, over to Jordan's I had already deleted our chats, plus I had gotten permission from my mother to take her car for a spin. For that date I wanted to be independent as I could be, I wanted to be "the lady" and sponsor the whole date because I knew that hell was about to break loose from my lashing tongue.
Parking outside the gate of the mini apartment. I got out and walked with quick and powerful strides into the yard, fully knowing that my sexy dress fully matched and complimented my mother's Mini Cooper, before walking through the eyes of the neighbors who were watching me like hawks, just before knocking on the door.
After hugging and exchanging greetings with his mother, she then snuck me up the stairs. As I snuck through his door I felt my solid figure shiver a little, despite the hot dress I was wearing. Perhaps it was anticipation, if not guilt.
Standing in his doorframe I stooped abruptly and watched him sing for several more seconds, without his shirt as he struggled to put on some pants, hoping that he would sing out his intentions regarding Thandie. My heartbeat took off as soon as he stopped; seems he'd finally sensed the nearness of my presence, maybe he could smell the Chanel cologne which he'd bought me for my birthday, back in December, almost 6 months back.
I silently walked backwards, before calling his name from outside his room, for I knew that surprising him would slightly startle him, which might have turned out to be very bad for his leg, which was definitely almost better by now.
"Oh Peaches..." he had nicknamed me after his favourite fruit, "I love the dress.. Hope you didn't hear me sing just now"
"It was okay, you almost sound like my favourite musician"
"You've made my day," he finally muttered as he welcomed me into his big, wide open arms, excitement flickering in his grey eyes, while he complemented her ginger-dyed, braided pony tail and beautiful eyes just before I carefully walked into his embrace. 2 tongue-filled moments later his bluish hair stopped dancing to the rhythm of of the wind which barged in through his room's window as I played with his hair to give him a man bun.
Soon enough after he'd hopped into the passenger's seat, I realized that it was payback time for all those times which he'd driven his car like a speed racer. Though his warm smiles set my mind to rest as he looked at me while putting on his seatbelt. I almost went ahead with my little payback plan as we swerved into the main road minutes later, but I didn't want to break another leg, nor crash my mother's car.
Nevertheless Jordan and I were soon dining at romantic restaurant, Cozy Corner, digging into his favourite creamy dish of Chicken Marsala, instead of Spaghetti and Meatballs, while also conversations about Instagram, exactly where I wanted the conversation to be centred. It wasn't long before his light chokes clashed with Sabrina Claudio's song which was playing in the background, after I'd asked him about *her*. Coincidentally, his light chokes were interrupted by the sound of his vibrating phone, which pull the eyes of the next table's couple towards us. 3 o'clock had struck the clock.
"Who's that calling, you aren't cheating are you," smiled he suspiciously, as his red eyes, from the slight coughs, reconnected with mine.
"No Jordan, it's your phone ringing," smiled I, wiping my mouth while sliding it towards him.
"Let me just ignore it, wouldn't want to ruin the moment with my Peaches." I noticed the cracks in his smile as his eyes picked up Thandie's name.
"Please answer it, i'm curious," suggested I as my eyes remained glued to his, like a hawk.
"That won't be necessary. Besides, i'm still hungry." His tone was more convincing than ever just before he cut the call.
"Why did you cut it. What i fit was from someone ^important^?"
"I'm sure it wasn't, today we should just focus on us Ashleigh," he said calmly as she placed his hand over mine in reassurance of love.
"Oh so now Thandie is unimportant after all those sexy snaps you shared with her." My whisper burst into a yell as I slid my hand from beneath his warm palms, my Afrikaans side had taken over.
"Say something Jordan... So now you're clever enough to cheat on me after all that I've done for you. Can you handle two girls, with that broken leg?" I further stressed as my sorrowful lake reached the brims of my eyelids and ran down my cheeks onto my mouth, leaving my suddenly numb lips glued together with salty tears.
"You don't have to shout 'Leigh, i'm not deaf... You're drawing unnecessary attention towards us and we..."
"I don't care, just tell me why you did it Jordan." at this point my blurry eyes had literally blinded me from my witnesses
"Let's at least talk about this in the car, okay?" His audacity to tell me to relax with his dignified gestures.
"And to think that I loved you... Unrequited love has certainly befallen upon me"
"I'll tell you tomorrow, when we're alone", responded he in a softer voice just before she stood up and walked away, limping a bit, as his man bun ensured that his her would hid the shame written across his forehead.
"Don't I deserve to know...? Maybe we should just end this right here and now." That was my proud response, trying to not look too victimised in front everyone else.
"You disgust me," my harsh words as I overtook him, as well as the two ^gentle Samaritans^ who were now sympathetically helping him out, they were probably doing it for their girlfriends; hence, my words were targeted at them as well.
"Please lower your voice, I said i'm sorry okay". He then dodged my gaze and faced up to sunset-orange sky in search of redemption, before leaning against my mother's car.
"As a matter of fact, I think that you should just call her to come and give you a ride home, because I can't stand you right now", I felt those words leave a sour taste on my tongue as soon as they leaped off my lower lip.
"You don't have to be rude Ashleigh, we should just talk this out tomorrow. Please take me home." that's when he said softly, beaming, making me want to overrule the punitive decision I had already taken against him despite the resentful voice that was now shouting at me from within
So I got in the car and only allowed him in, a few seconds later, before driving home accompanied by a third passenger; the fog of silence that replaced the tranquility between us. The silence was thick enough to block my eardrums and blur all the sounds around me, while also barging into my thoughts and making me lose focus of the road.
"At least sleep on it, we don't have to break up just", the last remorseless words he threw out before getting out the car.
I just remained silent and drove off despite my regret, of not ending our relationship as soon as possible. Driving home, the aircon. nor my favourite packet of Lays failed to calm me down. Even the smiling late afternoon sun couldn't to cheer me, as it slowly hid its face. I could just feel my love for him melting, before evaporating away inside bubbles hatred.
Later that night she had the tenacity to send me a text asking, in advance, for a ride back to Mitchell's Plain, just after he'd sent me a long apologetic love letter.
I slept on, and dreamt about, his apology before rising up the next morning and going to see him, just after making up a dumb excuse for my early departure.
When I arrived, I was surprised to see him sitting with his mother and neighbor. I felt awkward at the assumption that they would probably give the two of us some counselling. Alas that was not the case, for he then came just before we dawdled to the nearby Maynardville Park, as his big biceps brought down the hateful wall between us, as they enticingly and attractively pressed against his crutches.
"So what made you cheat on me?"
"You know that time when I got involved in a car crash... Just after the Lilitha saga when you came to my house and I introduced to some cousins of mine". His voice contained a suddenly concerning depth.
"This is getting deep, but then what? I asked.
"Okay... I was gonna lie and say my cousins, but its honestly my mother" He said as he on the bench facing the little lake, while I sat down looking at the geese.
"What about her? I adore her..."
"Honestly... She never liked you from the get go and already had someone in mind, someone for me. So upon meeting you she also took the opportunity to make comparisons between the two of you," said Jordan, before peering up to the building clouds of midday, perhaps in search of comfort.
"Oh, I see, yet I thought she was sweet and funny woman." I looked up to the clouds too, hoping for the wind to dry up the tears which had welled within my eyes.
"Seems she had already already spoken to Thandie's mother, Thembie, who's her rich friend and lawyer. Thembie helped my mother finalize the divorce proceedings, plus my mother also liked the fact that Thandie is studying fashion design and also a model." His words words kept piercing deep into my heart, as they left a wide grin between lips
"Oh, so you're hiding behind your mother's dictatorship, as though the nudes you and Thandie were just a pass of time," I said, successfully pushing my words up my lumpful throat.
"Obviously not Ashleigh...," he lifted my hand towards his lips and kissed it. "we've just been playing around, nothing serious."
"Yet your chats do not match your words. You even tag her more than me these days, and she's all over your wallpapers; but what will you do?", i blurted out.
"I don't know, 'cause my mom has already gotten her mother's support regarding ^Her and I^... Plus i'm sure you remember my mother complaining that you were distracting me off my studies".
"Well then, just do what you want with that Thandie of yours..." I was about to stand up and leave, before I felt has grasp around my wrist.
"We aren't done yet, don't you dare twist my tongue..." His wink outlined the reverse psychology. "But we'll talk some more when you come to Mitchell's Plain". His last words before he picked up his ringing phone, threw his gaze upon the lake and chatted off, while ignorantly playing with his hair.
Up in my feelings I was as I crossed my arms and walked away, while waving back to the boys who were smiling and waving in my direction, whom I hadn't given the opportunity to break my heart yet.
Contemplating about my next move I was as the wind blew leaves onto my pink slippers and toes, which still looked cute despite being slightly dirty.
I thought of blocking him right away, but there was actually no need for that. 'Cause for the rest of that day he drowned my phone with phone calls and flirty messages.
So around half-past 7, I intimately interposed between my mom and dad as their favourite show ^7 de Laan^ began playing. I broached with them and explained my sudden desire to depart, and the reason why. Plus they also took the moment to congratulate me about my first semester's results which we'd just received two days prior to the conversation. My mother refused to dropped off at the bus station, nor did she deem me capable of driving at night, especially after Jordan's own car crash, so I stayed one more night, graced by their warm presence.
By the time the dusky dawn emerged, just before the face of the sun, I was ready to leave, for the end of June was fast approaching, together with the dawn of the second semester. Though I wasn't scared, studying Supply Chain Management had turned out to be one of the best decisions I'd ever made.
"Take care of yourself and your grades," my mother's last words of encouragement just before I gave her and dad that long, tight hug while playing ignorant to the busy station's travellers' eyes, before I exhaled and straightened and relaxed my curly hair just before climbing up the bus, alongside other early morning travellers.