Two-Faced Friends

by Dyer, Dorothy;

  Lelethu knocked. A faint, squeaky voice called out, “Who is it?”

  “Lelethu,” she answered, then waited for ages as she heard the shuffling sound of someone coming to the door. Finally it opened. Lelethu had to stop herself from gasping. Pholisa’s granny looked like a ghost she was so thin and bony. But her eyes were still bright.

  “Lelethu, the friend of my Pholisa,” she said, “you are in trouble.”

  “How did you know?” Lelethu asked.

  The old woman slowly shuffled to a tatty armchair in the corner of the room and lowered herself onto it.

  “I just know that Pholisa has been crying about you. What have you done?”

  Lelethu felt the guilt pressing on her chest so that she could hardly breathe. Here she was looking for a friend to help her in her time of need, but it was a friend she had betrayed just a few days before.

  “I remember you were a naughty girl, Lelethu,” said Pholisa’s granny. “But always with funny jokes. You look too sad now. I thought school in the city would be good for you. I wanted my Pholisa to come. But it seems that life here is not treating you well.”

  Lelethu burst into tears, desperate to tell this old lady her story. But Pholisa’s granny was too old and sick. “Wait for Pholisa, my child. My hearing is gone and I have terrible pains. Wait for Pholisa and she will help you.”

  A few minutes later Lelethu heard the key in the door. Pholisa came in. “Gogo, I have brought the pills.” Then she saw Lelethu. Her face hardened. “What are you doing here?” she said with a frown.

  “That is no way to speak to a friend,” said her granny.

  “Come lie down, Gogo,” said Pholisa. “You need to take the pills and sleep.” She helped her granny to the bed behind the curtain in the corner. Then she came back.

  “Your poem made me –” Lelethu started saying, but Pholisa interrupted her.

  “I saw what you said on Mxit,” she said. “I don’t want to see you.”

  “What did I say?” asked Lelethu. “I can’t get onto Mxit, don’t you know?”

  “I know how you treated me the other day,” said Pholisa. “I was a fool to think you were still my friend. I can’t believe what you’ve done to me. I suppose you all had a big laugh about my poem to you.”

  She stood up and opened the front door. “Please leave. You are disturbing my granny.”

  Lelethu couldn’t believe her loving friend was being so cruel. But she knew Pholisa was stubborn. How could she persuade her to listen to her?

  “Please, Pholisa,” she said.

  The old lady groaned in the corner, behind the curtain. “I must go take care of my gogo,” said Pholisa.

  Lelethu looked at her, then at the curtain.

  “Pholisa,” the old woman called.

  “Go!” hissed Pholisa.

  Lelethu looked at her helplessly, then toward the closed curtain. She heard the old lady groan again in pain. “Bye,” she said softly. As soon as she was out of the door she heard Pholisa slam it behind her.

  Her mind was whirling. Was Pholisa a two-faced friend like Princess? What was she talking about? She had never written anything about Pholisa on Mxit. But then it came to her. Suddenly she knew exactly what had happened. Princess. Princess knew her password. Princess had hacked into her account. What terrible things was she saying, pretending to be Lelethu? Just when she had thought things couldn’t get any worse.

  Chapter 17

  She felt totally and utterly alone. Where could she go now?

  For a moment she wanted to kill herself. Everything in her life felt ruined. She would never be able to go back to Harmony High again – even students like Bontle had seen the photo. She had lost her only friend.

  It was all Princess’s fault, she thought. Everything bad that had happened had been caused by Princess. Somehow she would have to get her revenge. Would Princess feel bad to hear about her suicide? Would she feel guilty?

  Maybe she should throw herself in front of a taxi, like the one screeching past now, music blaring. But her father’s brother had been a taxi driver and once he had run over a little girl. He had never got over it, and he had stopped working forever, drinking himself to death. No, she wouldn’t do it like that.

  She wouldn’t do it at all. She knew that, really. She couldn’t do it to her mother, who had already lost two tiny babies before they were a day old. It would be too cruel. And Princess probably wouldn’t care anyway.

  She needed to escape, to get away from here. She would go to a place where no one knew about the photo, where she felt comfortable. The only place she could think of was home. Yes, her mother would be furious, but she would not turn her away. And once she was home she would have to work out what to do next.

  The taxi rank was some way away. She thought she could remember how to get there.

  As she walked she couldn’t help but be reminded of her arrival, when she was walking through the streets with Bontle, looking around at this new, exciting world. Now it looked unfriendly, hostile even. Men leered at her and girls seemed to laugh at her. She knew it was in her imagination, but it felt like everyone in the world had seen the photo.

  The sky was darkening. It looked like it might rain. All Lelethu was wearing was a thin T-shirt, and her pretty pumps were getting tattered and dusty. She felt like a tortoise without its shell.

  Eventually she found the taxi rank. She would have to take a taxi to town, and then look for a taxi that would take her home to the Eastern Cape. Would she manage to find one without booking? At home her mother had organised it. She did not know how it worked here in the big city. And did she even have enough money? The doubts and fears started flooding her body as she found a taxi that was going to town. But just before she paid her money she heard a shout.

  “Hey, that’s the village girl who likes to take her shirt off!”

  She looked around and her heart sank. There, standing next to her, was Dumile. Next to him was another boy she knew from sight, also a bully, mean to girls and often in fights with boys. They were smiling, but in a nasty, cruel way, as if they wanted to hurt her.

  “Need some protection on the taxi? I think we need to escort her. Pay for us too,” one said, trying to grab her purse.

  “I’ve changed my mind,” she said, and started walking away, the taxi driver shouting insults at her.

  But the two boys followed her. “Who would have thought that such a stinking village girl would look so good without her clothes?” said one.

  “Mmm, I want some of that,” said the other. “And I can see she wants to give it to me too.”

  “Please leave me alone,” said Lelethu. These disgusting boys were talking like she was an object, a chocolate bar for them to eat. She was terrified – she knew these kinds of boys – but she was also angry. She wished she could hurt them both so badly that they never treated girls like this again. But she was alone, and powerless.

  “When a girl says no she means yes,” said one of the boys.

  “When a girl says no she means no,” said Lelethu. She knew she shouldn’t make them angry, but she couldn’t help it. “You are such sad losers you just don’t know what it feels like when a girl says yes.”

  “What did you say?” The boy’s voice was angry now.

  “I think this girl needs to learn a lesson,” the other boy said. “A lesson she’ll never forget.”

  Lelethu started running. She didn’t even know where she was running to and she could hear the boys coming after her. Why did no one stop them? Why were these mamas selling bananas on the side of the road just sitting there? And that man smoking in his doorway – why was he smiling as if this was some sort of game?

  She turned back to see how close they were and tripped over some stones in the road. Now Dumile was on top of her, pulling her up towards him.

  “Hello, darling,” he said,
putting his arm around her waist. She pushed him hard, but he just pulled her closer and tried to kiss her.

  “Ugh,” she said, spitting, and pushed her knee up between his legs so that he stumbled backwards. Now his friend had caught up and he grabbed her before she could get away.

  “Help!” she screamed. “Help!” Who would help her?

  The boy smacked her across the face. “Shut up, bitch,” he said.

  “Hey,” a voice said. “What’s going on?” She turned around, and couldn’t believe what she was seeing – a familiar face. Siyabonga, Princess’s boyfriend, with four of his friends. And they were big, strong friends.

  “Help, please,” she said. “These boys are hurting me.”

  The boy holding her looked at the group of boys surrounding him and Dumile. “She’s my girlfriend,” he said. “It’s nothing to do with you guys.” And he started pulling her away.

  But then Siyabonga came up to him and grabbed his chest.

  “Leave this girl alone,” he shouted.

  The boy dropped Lelethu’s arm to shove Siyabonga away. “Don’t touch me,” he said. But now that Lelethu was free Siyabonga had turned away from him.

  “Are you OK, Lelethu?” he said. All Lelethu could do in reply was to burst into tears.

  Dumile and his friend slouched off slowly, showing they were not afraid. “This girl just needs a sense of humour,” Dumile shouted. “We weren’t doing anything.”

  Siybaonga drew himself up. “You need to learn some respect for the sisters, you little worm.”

  Now the danger was over Lelethu could not stop crying.

  “Hey,” said Siyabonga, embarrassed. “Chill.”

  “Who’s this?” asked one of his friends.

  “Friend of Princess’s,” replied Siyabonga. “New girl at Harmony High.”

  As Lelethu managed to stop her sobs, she remembered the photograph. Surely Siyabonga had seen it? But from the way he was talking now, telling her to stop crying in such a kind, friendly voice, it seemed he hadn’t.

  “You are far from home,” he said, “and it’s getting dark. Shall I walk with you?”

  Lelethu remembered the last time. “At least I won’t be sick this time,” she said. Then she thought about her aunt, and the photo. “I can’t go back, I just can’t,” she said.

  Siyabonga’s friends had retreated when they saw her tears. When it started to rain they called to Siyabonga. “We’re going in,” they said, shaking his hand and then rushing into the nearby block of flats.

  Siyabonga pulled Lelethu under the little overhang of a spaza shop. The rain dripped in front of them, and people rushed for shelter. “Did you get drunk again?” he asked. “You are a silly girl, you know.”

  She shook her head. “It’s much, much worse than that,” she said.

  “So you must have killed someone,” he joked. Then he saw her face. “Oh no, please don’t tell me –”

  “No, no.” She couldn’t help smiling. “No, I didn’t kill anyone – no it’s not quite that bad.”

  “Wait here,” he ordered. Then he popped around to the front of the spaza shop. He came back a minute later, soaked, with two packets of chips. He handed her one. “It’s time for you to tell me the story,” he said.

  Lelethu looked at his kind face. Could she really trust him? Would he believe her story about his girlfriend? “It’s about Princess,” she said. “Is she still your girlfriend?”

  Siyabonga made a funny face. “I know she wants to be,” he said. “But mainly to go to the dance, I think. Once I saw her flirting with another guy at the tavern, where she couldn’t see me. So I stopped believing a word she said after that.”

  “I’ll tell you everything if you don’t say anything horrible,” said Lelethu.

  He laughed. “You’re as silly as my little sister. I will have to say anything I need to. But come on, tell me what happened. It can’t be as bad as you think.”

  Chapter 18

  She felt like a crumpled packet inside, especially as she was telling Siyabonga about the photo. She didn’t look at him when she got to that part, and tried to hurry through it. What would he think of her?

  When she stopped talking Siyabonga was dead quiet.

  “It’s all Princess’s fault,” she said, to break the silence. “If only I hadn’t met her.”

  “No, no, no,” he said. “You can’t just blame it all on her.”

  “I thought you didn’t like her,” Lelethu said angrily. “And now you’re on her side.”

  “I’m not on her side, little sister,” he said. “But you have to face up to things. You didn’t have to do anything. You chose to do all of it.” He saw her face fall. “But you tried to make up for it,” he said. “That was good. It was good what you did about the phone.”

  “I don’t know what came over me,” Lelethu said. “It was like I was the TV and she was the remote control. I did everything she said.”

  He laughed. “You’re funny, you know that, little sister. I think I’ll call you TV from now on.”

  “And now,” she said, “what can I do now? I can’t go home. My aunt doesn’t want me. Nobody does.” Tears pricked her eyes again.

  “Change channels, TV,” said Siyabonga.

  “Stop calling me that,” said Lelethu crossly.

  “Well, stop feeling sorry for yourself then,” said Siyabonga.

  Lelethu felt hurt. “Well, if you don’t care I’ll just go and –”

  “Thula, wena,” Siyabonga said. “I do care. But it’s no good just crying about it. You’ve got to face facts now. You have to go home and talk to your aunt. And you also have to do something about Princess. She can’t get away with this.”

  “I can’t go back to Harmony High, I can’t!” wailed Lelethu. “How can I look anyone in the eye again?”

  “Do you really think no one has seen a naked girl before?” asked Siyabonga.

  “I wasn’t completely naked! I was wearing a bra!” said Lelethu.

  “Exactly! And, anyway, people will forget about it if you don’t turn it into a big deal. Soon there will be new gossip about other people.”

  Lelethu couldn’t imagine that. But she couldn’t see what else to do. It was too frightening to try to get home with so little money and without knowing how to get there. She wished she could go home with Siyabonga so that he could protect her forever. But she knew life didn’t work like that. He obviously thought she must stand up for herself. And of course deep down she knew it too.

  “Look, the rain is stopping,” said Siyabonga. “I’d better take you home before it’s so dark that your aunt is worried.”

  “I can’t imagine my aunt being worried about me,” said Lelethu bitterly. “She only worries about Bontle.”

  “I told you, girl, stop feeling sorry for yourself,” said Siyabonga. “Your aunt is worried about you. Come on, let’s go.”

  Before she could stop him he was out in the street, loping along with his long legs, and she was half running to keep up with him. She didn’t want to think about her aunt’s response, about Bontle, about school the next day. So she just went along with him, dodging the puddles and the potholes as the day darkened.

  * * *

  When they got to close to Auntie’s house Lelethu pulled Siyabonga to a stop. “I can’t go back,” she said again. “My aunt will kill me.”

  “Be brave,” he said. “Just go in and tell her the truth like you told me.”

  Lelethu so wanted to believe Siyabonga was right. “OK,” she said. “But maybe don’t come with me.”

  “Oh no,” he said. “I want to make sure you don’t try to run away again and get yourself into even more trouble.”

  “You are so kind to me,” said Lelethu.

  He smiled at her. “I have three younger sisters,” he said. “I’m used to girls in trouble.�
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  As they opened the gate into the yard, Aunt opened the door. “Where have you been? How can you go off for so long?”

  “But, Auntie, you told me –”

  “And your mother has phoned twice wanting to speak to you. How do you think I feel when I have to tell your mother I don’t know where you are?” Her aunt’s voice was getting shrill and loud. The next door neighbour’s door opened and a face peered out to see what was going on.

  As Lelethu got closer to the house, Auntie saw Siyabonga behind her.

  “Out with some boy, you disgusting slut,” she said, and slapped Lelethu across the face. “Now get inside.”

  Siyabonga tried to speak, but Auntie was too much for him. “And you, taking advantage of a young, stupid girl, get out of my yard!” She came towards him as if she was going to hit him too, and he backed off.

  Lelethu stood in the doorway and held her hand to her stinging cheek. “You don’t care for me. I’m going to tell my mother!”

  Her aunt’s hand came down on her face again. “Don’t you speak to me like that. After all I have done for you. Now get to your room and stay there.”

  She pushed Lelethu into the house and followed her in, banging the door angrily behind her.

  “What would my mother say about the way you treat me?” said Lelethu quietly. She saw her aunt’s face. She was clearly taken aback by her words.

  Then the door flew open and Bontle ran in. “Oh, Lelethu, I’ve been so worried about you!” she cried. “When I couldn’t find you I thought you might have ….” She didn’t finish her sentence. “And then I felt so guilty about what I’d said.”

  Her aunt was still standing there, her face changed. Not angry any more, but sad.

  “You are silly just like your mother. I tried to show her how to behave properly and she didn’t listen. And now you’re in trouble, just like she used to be.”

  “My mother was silly?” Lelethu asked.

  Her aunt looked at her. “Silly like you, Lele. Hot-headed and cheeky. She never stopped to think before she acted.” She shook her head. “But maybe I have been too hard on you.”