by Tyler Majaga
SHE PLAYED FIRST BASE
After a bit of TV with the family later that evening, I did a bit of logistical planning and read more about dance groups on the internet. With a few notes taken, I called it a night. I was preparing for bed when Winona called me and I wondered if it was about her sighting of me and Samantha but it was not.
‘Hi Brandon, sorry if I woke you up’
‘Oh no, it is okay, I was just getting ready for bed actually’
‘That is what I thought actually’
‘Is that so now? And how would you know that?’
‘Well, let’s just I can read people’s energies, if you know what I mean’ and we both chuckled before streaming in to silence.
This was the chance I could use to finally set up a date so I had to before she somehow hung up.
‘So, um, Winona, how was your day at school today?’
‘Well, I don’t know how to put it but it was okay. I had an awesome English Language lesson where we did this activity as a class and later on I had lunch with my girls. Same old, same old but yeah, it was good. And how was yours?’
‘It was good too but I was worried the whole day because of a certain task I was given’
‘For which subject was this task, if you don’t mind me asking? Maybe I could lend in a hand’
‘Oh no, it’s got nothing to do with school…or any teacher. Thing is, Sethunya’s cousin Masego was dating Bagomotsi so she tasked me with telling him that she can’t love him anymore’
‘Are you for real? How could she do that to him?’
‘Well, apparently she said she has stopped loving him. Insists on breaking up to spare him the pain and I think she is right but now I have to do the dirty work’
‘Too bad, hey; I wonder how he is going to react when he receives the news’
‘Yeah neh but hey, I have to tell him either way’
‘Yeah, you should but anyway, I was just checking on you so goodnight’
I was losing her and had to act fast.
‘Wait, Winona; before you go, mind if I ask you something?’
‘Okay, what is it?’
‘Well, tomorrow is a Saturday and apart from my meeting with some friends and Botho’s party in the evening, I have nothing to do in the afternoon so I was hoping we could hang out’
‘Wait, are you asking me out on a date?’
‘Well yeah, something like that but only if you are free. I mean you don’t have to cancel anything or anything like that’
I swear, immediately after saying all that, I crossed my fingers and said a short prayer as she thought and finally, she responded, ‘Well, I am free from 2 pm until 4 so you are lucky. What time and what place?’
I almost jumped, only to remember what the Protocol said about celebrating so I played it cool, ‘I would say The Fort, 3 pm sharp?’
‘You’ve got yourself a date sweetie, see you tomorrow. And oh yeah, goodnight’
‘Okay then; goodnight Winona’ and the moment she hung up, I jumped in joy on my bed, yelling a big ‘YES!’ in the process.
This got my parents alerted as they came rushing in to my room and caught me in the act.
‘What are you doing, screaming like that?’ was my mother and my little sister joined them, her teddy bear in her arms. I just looked at them and slowly got in to my blankets and switched off my side lamp. They all looked at each other, shook their heads before closing my door and left. Once they had, I looked up at the ceiling and started singing, ‘I found love…got a date with Winona Simons. I said I found love, with an angel…got a date with Winona Sim…flip, I have to tell Bagomotsi about this or maybe not. I mean he could end up thinking I was bragging once he finds out about Masego’ and so I went on to dream-land, a happy boy.
I had not done exactly what the Protocol instructed but I had landed a date and that was even more important. All that was left was asking Winona to be my girlfriend and I was going to do it, no matter what. I did not want to lose her to some guy and I was not going to. Another day had gone by and the story continues.