“We’ll get to the bottom of this,” her friend promised. “And don’t worry, there are plenty of people to protect you.” She smiled. “Me included. Forget about the messages for tonight. Just go and enjoy yourself.” She wagged her finger. “But just be good!”
“OK, Mom,” said Ntombi.
“OK, I’ll back off. I get it,” said Mahlodi. They laughed.
When Ntombi was dressed and ready to go she looked great in her jeans and long green jacket. Mahlodi took a picture. “I’ll put this on Facebook. Make that boy of yours come running.”
But as Ntombi left the room, Mahlodi came running after her. She slipped something into Ntombi’s bag.
“What’s that?” asked Ntombi.
“Condoms.”
Ntombi looked horrified. “I’m not that kind of girl!”
“I’m not saying you are that kind of girl,” said Mahlodi. “I just know it’s better to be safe than sorry. I know lots of girls who said nothing would happen, and then they’ve ended up pregnant.”
“I promise you I won’t need those,” said Ntombi, blushing. “I’m not that stupid.”
“Just in case,” said Mahlodi, adding, with a laugh, “Have a jol in Jozi!”
“Thanks,” said Ntombi, and she really meant it.
Alex was waiting with a whole group of guys in the parking lot. And there were the twins, already complaining about the taxi they were travelling in – a kombi that belonged to somebody’s cousin. Ntombi sighed. With so many people going out tonight, it seemed unlikely that she would get to spend any time alone with Alex.
Chapter 13
Ntombi found herself sitting next to Alex. “Feeling better?” he asked.
“Yes, thanks,” Ntombi said, still looking out of the taxi window. Life in Jozi was so fast – it was like everything was happening at high speed. Suddenly she felt like this was all happening to someone else, that she had left her real self back in Cape Town. She would get back and this would be a wonderful dream she would have to wake from.
When they reached the nightclub, the twins pushed everyone aside to get out of the taxi first, knocking Ntombi’s face with their designer handbags.
“Now look what you’ve done!” one of them said accusingly to Ntombi.
“Promise me one thing,” said Dirk to Ntombi as they got out behind them. “That you’ll beat the twins. I couldn’t stand it if they won.”
“Hey, let the fun begin,” said one of the boys. He grabbed Alex’s and Ntombi’s hands and pulled them laughing into the club.
When she saw the mass of dancing bodies, Ntombi hung back. People were drinking and smoking at the bar and she was overwhelmed by the noise of shouting and laughing. Then a woman who had been chatting to the bartender turned around and looked straight across at Ntombi. She was wearing stilettos and had a Spin in her hand. For a second Ntombi froze. It was Priscilla! Any minute Mzi would walk up to her and pull her onto the dance floor. She had been right. He was here in Jozi watching her. But then the woman walked closer and she saw she had been wrong. “Thozi!” someone called, and the woman turned back and waved. Then Alex was next to Ntombi, concern all over his face.
“What is it? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“It’s nothing,” said Ntombi, pulling herself together.
“Hey, can I get you a drink?”
“Thanks …” said Ntombi.
Some of the contestants were already on the dance floor. There was Dirk, proving that white boys could dance. He was in the centre of a circle, with people thumping and clapping around him. He was a beautiful dancer – his moves were smooth and sexy. Ntombi forgot her worries and clapped and laughed. She had been silly. How could she be frightened with all these cool, funny guys around?
Next in the middle was one of the twins, with pouting, bright red lips, a short white skirt stretched tight over her thighs and extra-high heels. She jerked her hips as hard as she could, her hands behind her back. Boys whistled and cheered, but to Ntombi it looked like a dance of desperation rather than a dance of enjoyment. Then she joined the circle again and the next twin went inside. She was a better dancer. Or rather, thought Ntombi, she was just enjoying herself more. She moved with the music, her body rippling.
A young man came into the circle to join her. He was also a fantastic dancer, but not in the same way as Dirk. He was strong and supple, like a ballet dancer and a break dancer all in one, as he hit the floor next to the twin, and then spun himself up again. The crowd went wild.
“Do you know who that is?” Alex’s breath was warm in Ntombi’s ear. “That’s Lizwi, the guy who’s just released a music video. He’s going to be big time one day, you watch. The South African Michael Jackson, I’m telling you.”
Watching him twist and turn, Ntombi could believe it. All his movements flowed with the music – he was amazing. The twin was dancing next to him and soon they were in a kind of rhythm – she was swaying in the middle as he was jumping and falling around her. By this time Ntombi could hardly see what was happening as everyone was watching and cheering.
Then the other twin danced into the circle with her false, jerky dance. Ntombi for once felt sorry for her – she was obviously desperate to get in on the action. But Lizwi ignored her, almost bumping into her as he got closer and closer to the twin in the middle. The second twin quickly moved next to her sister, and they started dancing together, their braids flying as they jerked and gyrated.
Then suddenly there was a scuffle between them, and one twin pulled the other’s braids and scratched her face. Her sister screeched in pain, and Lizwi tried to pull the attacking twin away. But she was like a mad thing, swearing at her sister, struggling to get out of Lizwe’s arms. It was the weirdest thing, thought Ntombi, seeing these two identical girls screaming at each other. Almost like watching someone fight with their own shadow.
The music went off, and a huge bouncer came marching in, his muscles rippling down his arms as he took a twin in each hand. “Out!” his voice boomed.
“Shit!” said Alex. “We can’t get into this kind of trouble. The organisers will go crazy.”
“Just let those twins wait for us on the street,” said Dirk. “That will teach them. And let the organisers be pissed off with them. They’re asking for it.”
By this stage the lights were bright and the music had stopped, and people were starting to shout for the music to go on and the lights to go off. Ntombi could see smudged make-up, glazed eyes, drunken faces. She shivered.
But Alex had already met the bouncer. Ntombi could see him talking to him earnestly. Then she saw him taking hold of the twins’ hands. One had a scratch across her face, and was crying. The other still looked furious.
“We’re gonna have to call your father to fetch you if this carries on. You’re spoiling this for all of us,” said Alex. “If you have to go now we all have to go.”
The effect on the twins was immediate. One stopped crying, the other looked terrified. “Don’t phone our daddy, please don’t. We’re sorry, we won’t cause any more trouble,” they both babbled.
The bouncer looked at them, perhaps saw them for the two little girls they were. “Any more trouble and you’re all out,” he said to Alex, and turned to go back to the door.
Alex said something to the twins and then steered them to the bar. They sat there, each drinking a cooldrink. They didn’t speak to each other, or anybody else.
“Wow!” said Ntombi. “Can’t believe that happened. They always looked like two peas in a pod.”
“Well now there’s room on the dance floor,” said Alex. “Come on, baby, let’s do it.” And together they went onto the floor. Luckily there was no circle any more, just people dancing in a crowd. After a while she started to feel the music pulsing in her blood, and she forgot everything – the twins, the threatening messages, her father, Olwethu, even the gorgeous g
uy dancing next to her. She was lost in the dance.
“Well, I can see you’re feeling better,” Alex smiled. She laughed back at him and allowed him to buy her another drink. All too soon Dirk was tapping her shoulder.
“Home time, dancing dudes,” he said. “The organisers said we had to be back by midnight.”
The group trooped to their taxi where the driver was waiting for them. The twins had still not spoken to anybody, and they sat in the back seat, staring out of the window. Usually they were the ones shouting, singing, showing off. The ride felt quiet as they drove through the streets of Joburg. Ntombi felt a wave of tiredness.
When they finally arrived at the hostel people made their way back to their rooms as Alex locked the front door. He turned to her. “I’m still so wide awake,” he whispered. “Come with me to the rec room.”
Ntombi thought about Olwethu, far away, with another girl. She thought of the condom in her bag. All of a sudden she didn’t feel tired at all.
“OK,” she whispered, and together they tiptoed through the dark corridors to the rec room.
Chapter 14
The room was dark and shadowy, with just a ghostly white strip from an outside light. Alex turned the light on and they both blinked their eyes at the brightness. He quickly turned it off again, and sat down on a beanbag, pulling Ntombi next to him. They sat there for a moment. Ntombi felt his nearness, his breath, smelled his deodorant. Suddenly she felt overwhelmed by what she was doing.
“You look tense,” he said. “Sit forward, let me give you a massage.”
She sat in front of him as his strong hands stroked her muscles. It was supposed to relax her, she knew, but each time she felt his touch her skin tingled.
His hands stretched down her arms and reached forward for a moment to touch her breasts. She knew that she could move away right now, and stop what was happening. She stayed still. His hands stroked her breasts gently. She leaned back to make it easier for him to touch her.
After a while she took his hand, and squeezing it, turned around to face him. He moved forward and kissed her on the lips – a long, full kiss. She felt a surge of warmth through her body.
Earlier at the club she had suddenly known that Jozi was going to be the place that changed her forever, where she lost her virginity. And now it was happening. His hands were at her jeans, unbuttoning her, finding her panties.
For a moment she panicked, remembering Mzi’s rough hands. But then she told herself to breathe deeply, that this was not Mzi. This was a kind guy who was fun and sexy as well. She could stop whenever she wanted. And he would have to stop because she hadn’t even got the condom out yet. She fumbled in the back pocket of her jeans, trying to find the packet Mahlodi had given her.
As she pulled out the packet, and he saw what she was doing, Alex’s cellphone rang. He clicked his tongue in irritation. She waited for him to switch it off, but he looked at it and started getting up.
“Sorry, babe, I’ve got to take this.”
There she was, with her jeans down her legs and a condom packet in her hand, and he was taking a call on his cell. She pulled her pants up. He had gone out of the door and was whispering. Who was he talking to? She went to listen.
“I love you too, my baby.” Silence, then he said it louder. “Yes, I love you too. I can’t talk too loudly – people are sleeping. I must go.” There was silence as the other person spoke. “Of course you can trust me, babes, you know me better than that.”
Then he was back in the room, smiling at her. “Well, where were we?”
She couldn’t believe his cheek. “Who was that on the phone?”
“Oh, Dirk was looking for me,” he tried to bluster, but he saw the look on her face. “You’ve got a boyfriend yourself, girl! Why make out that I’m the one doing the wrong thing?” He took her hand. “You are so gorgeous – I can’t wait to touch you.”
She pulled away. “I don’t have a boyfriend any more – he’s found someone else. And you never told me about your girl, you cheater.” She threw the open condom packet at his face. “How could you?” Her body was ice cold as she pulled her jersey down and buttoned her pants. He reached out as if to calm her, then changed his mind and turned to walk out the door.
Ntombi waited for him to leave and then collapsed back onto the beanbag and cried. She cried for her shame, for her betrayal of Olwethu. How many girls had Alex charmed with that sexy smile? But deep down, she cried for how jealousy had made her behave – like the kind of girl she never thought she was.
She wanted to talk to a friend now – she needed to. She would phone Asanda – Asanda would understand. It wouldn’t matter that it was past midnight. But when she got her cell out she saw a message waiting for her – from Olwethu. She couldn’t read it. Not now after what she had done. It would be like salt in a wound. She couldn’t bear his kindness now; even worse, she couldn’t bear it if he wanted to tell her about his new girlfriend. Maybe he had kissed her already. After all, look at what she had become in just a few days. He wouldn’t be interested in her any more.
She couldn’t bear these thoughts, these fears. Through her tears she deleted the message without reading it.
Chapter 15
The door creaked open and there stood Dirk. Ntombi gulped back her sobs and sat up as he came towards her. “Ntombi, what’s wrong?”
But she could tell he knew everything. “It’s Alex, isn’t it?” He sat down on the floor next to her and held her hand.
It made her want to start crying all over again. She nodded her head. She wanted to speak but couldn’t trust herself yet. She cleared her throat, wiped her eyes, then whispered, “Why did no one tell me he had a girlfriend?”
Dirk grimaced. “I thought you knew …”
“Don’t talk rubbish!” Ntombi couldn’t believe she was talking like this. But she was suddenly feeling a burning anger.
“Don’t talk rubbish!” she said again. “How could I have known when he was behaving like that? Don’t tell me he didn’t flirt with me – sit with me, ask me to dance … That isn’t the kind of stuff a guy does when he has a girlfriend at home.”
“Hey, you need to shout at Alex, not me,” said Dirk.
“Well, Alex isn’t here, is he?” said Ntombi. “Alex from Alex has gone to bed, after saying goodnight to his girlfriend. And you are here. And you knew and didn’t tell me! Everyone’s been laughing at me. The twins, Mahlodi, do they all know about the girlfriend?”
“No, no, Ntombi, only I do,” said Dirk. “The others don’t know Alex like I do. And his girlfriend is a friend of my sister. But nobody knows really.” He sighed. “I’m not surprised, Ntombi. Alex from Alex likes it when girls fall for him. Especially gorgeous girls like you.” He smiled at Ntombi, but she didn’t smile back. “Even if the girls have a boyfriend. Like you do.”
“I had a boyfriend,” said Ntombi bitterly. “Past tense.”
Dirk looked horrified. “No, Ntombi, don’t tell me you broke off with your boyfriend because of Alex?” Ntombi was tempted to say yes, because she wanted Dirk to feel guilty and she wanted Alex to know that he had messed with her life. But she couldn’t do it. She shook her head.
“Not really,” she started.
“Hey, there’s a message for you,” said Dirk, handing her the cellphone on the floor next to her. “Maybe it’s your boyfriend begging you to come back. I would if I were him, you know.” She had to smile at that.
But the message didn’t come with a name attached. This was another message from a scary, unknown place, and from a person full of hatred.
luza, sho it’s syf 2 liv ur bf bck in CPT? is he rlly w8ng 4 u? hrry home b4 u luz mre thn jus da competition. no mre endles lov…
“What is it?” asked Dirk.
She showed him the screen.
“Hate mail again,” he said. “Someone really wants to
scare you. Don’t worry, I’ll find out who’s doing this … I have an idea already.” But how could Dirk find out? He didn’t know Mzi. And he was the only person who hated Ntombi that much. He and Priscilla knew about the competion. But they wouldn’t know what duet she was singing. How could they?
It was as if Dirk could read her thoughts. “It’s from somebody here,” he said. “No one else knows what song you and Alex are singing, do they?” She shook her head in reply. “Cheer up, girl,” he said. “Time for some detective work.”
He called the number, but it rang and then went dead. “Don’t worry,” he said, with a glint in his eye. He sent something from her phone to his. “Watch tomorrow,” he said. “I have a plan.”
Later Ntombi lay in her bed, struggling to sleep. It was already 4 a.m. She tried to empty her mind of all the thoughts whirling around in her head. Remember the club, she told herself. It felt so long ago that she had watched the twins fight. Then she remembered Alex dancing next to her, and felt a jolt of shame. So she thought of her song, and sang it over and over in her head until she fell asleep.
Chapter 16
The next morning she woke with a heavy heart. For a moment she couldn’t remember why she felt so bad, and then the memories of the night rushed back to her. She wanted to stay in bed and not see anyone. Reluctantly she got up, dressed and made her way downstairs for breakfast.
As soon as she walked into the dining room she saw Alex, and quickly went to the other side of the table. She saw Mahlodi look at her, and then at Alex, and lift her eyebrows in concern. Ntombi just put her head down to eat. She wasn’t ready to talk to Mahlodi about it all. It would be too embarrassing, too horrible. No, she would have to deal with this by herself.
The twins seemed to have recovered from the night before. They were their noisy selves, wearing bright white stretchy tops and short yellow skirts. Their nails were yellow, and so were their high-heeled shoes. It must be hard work to keep that up, thought Ntombi. Was it really worth all the hours of preening? It was fun every now and then, like when she had dressed up for the night before. She winced suddenly at the memory of what it had all led to.
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