we were having dinner one evening two weeks after I started Bryanston High when Mr khumalo asked me.
"so ..lerato how are you coping with schoolwork".
I started coughing and jabulani immediately passed me a cup of water and I greedily drank.it felt awkward that Mr khumalo was talking to me.
"school is fine sir.im doing fine".He nodded slowly and said again.
" I heard from you mom that you've having difficulty with arithmetic and maths,you can meet kilowanje here.my son is quite good in that area".
"oh.." I muttered as my eyes drifted to look at kilowanje,who was busy eating and acting undisturbed.
"okay sir..I'm really fine".I answered not wanting to inconvenience either of t them.
* * *
Two hours later,I was facing to and fro at the front of kilowanje's room door at the other wing of the manor,pondering whether I should knock or not.
I was clutching my thick sized Arithmetic textbook and a note with two pens on my chest still looking indecisive and afraid.
Standing for over thirty minutes,I mustered up the courage and knocked timidly.
I heard no reply,I did again and still no reply.i sighed and turned to leave when I heard a faint"come in".
I pushed open the door slowly and peeked inside,he was sitted on a study chair with a table and a white table lamp.
I slowly walked in,I could hear the loud beating of my hear as I walked to him and stood feet away from him.
Everything I had practiced repeatedly that I'd say to him all suddenly vanished and I stood speechless.
He didn't say a word, instead he continued typing swiftly on his laptop and he was so calm.
"Em...I ..em...well your Dad earlier said that I could meet you to tutor me on arithmetic and Im having some difficulty on an assignment and few class topics" I said in a rush.
I felt embarrassed and wanted to hide when he didn't answer right away.
"sit down" he said.i quickly pulled back the chair next to him and satdown.
hmm...he smell nice too..I thought as he told me to open my books...
* * * *
it was a random day at school during our first break ,we were sitted under the shed of a mango tree,with our lunch packs opened I decided to ask Grace a question.
"How do you know you're in love?".
Grace not expecting my question,raised her left brow up in a comical way that made me laugh.
"hmm.....our lerato has a crush on somebody".
"it's not like that.." I protested half heartedly,my face blushing angrily.
"Tell me everything"Grace demanded like her mother to her child as she discarded her half eaten lunch pack.
"it's just that...I really like him.whenever he's around or I think of me I'm always giddy and nervous..I've never felt this way concerning a boy even back at the village.when I see him,I'm always shy and can't even look him the eyes".
Grace was grinning widely as I was talking to her.
",well , congrats sister,you're having your first crush"she announced in a dramatic way that made it sound as if it was a life changing achievement and it made me howl with laughter.
"which family are you staying with?"she asked me out of the blue.
"The khumalos"I answered while picking at my food.
"what!the khumalos?as in the khumalos in West end street?"she asked in obvious surprise that made me confused.
"yes...".
"Damn the khumalos are frickin rich!. They're like royalty in Jozi here(Johannesburg) and even the whole country.you're so lucky.That means your crush is none other than kilowanje"her eyes widened in astonishment,her voice held reverence.
" You're so lucky to be in the same room with him,he was nicknamed jozi's golden man".
I felt a little irritated knowing there were other girl that were interested in kilowanje,I bet he had a girlfriend somewhere but I couldn't help the possessive feeling that was growing inside me.
* * * *
since the day I had that conversation with Grace at the school, I decided to be brave and get closer to kilowanje,if possible becoming friends.
He was also my tutor,he taught three times in a week and he was surprisingly a good teacher.
During our lessons I'd always tell him what happened in school that day and other little, insignificant details about my day to him,with hopes of getting him to be comfortable with him.
I was so elated that it was working,I found out he was 22 and was a terrific student in a college that was located in another city Capetown.
Right now he was interning for a school project at his father's company head office..
* * *
I would never forget the evening on a Saturday's evening,I was sitting on a gravelled bench located at the back of the manor in the flower garden struggling to lose my full thick braids to make another, i was on the verge of tears when I heard a voice behind me.
" can I help?".I immediately turned and saw him.
standing in a white tee shirt and loosed grey pants with his hands in his pocket.
I blushed and slowly nodded my head,he walked to me and satdown next to me.i gave him a sharp edged comb I was using to loose the edges, immediately he slowly touched my hair almost with reverence,I became certain I was in love...