In a way, Minenhle liked Michael. Not in the same dangerous and mischievous manner that captured Nic but in a way that she assumed people loved their brothers.
Not that she didn’t love hers, but she had spent most of her life with them pulling her whichever way pleased them, but Michael was more of a friend, one that she couldn’t make her mind up on.
On Monday, the 14th of December, he wore a pair of jeans and a white long-sleeved shirt, that clung to his muscles. He looked so handsome, she couldn’t deny it when she got glares from girls as they walked and laughed around the city, but she wasn’t interested in him. Not in that way.
He had called the night before to ask if he could give her another tour, as their first one had been such fun and he didn’t have anything else to do. She hated herself for hesitating with her answer but once she said it out loud, she realised that it didn’t matter. It wasn’t as if she was going to be doing anything else.
They walked through the city fearless, his arm looped over her shoulder. There was nothing personal or romantic about it. It was a loose hold and she didn’t mind as he dragged her around. Showing her the beauty of a city that she could have only imagined. The culture and atmosphere was completely different from what she had gotten used to. She hadn’t noticed it when Nic’s eyes sparked and winked at her.
The people seemed more relaxed at every turn, she found herself at ease. The streets felt different, the air smelt different, the clothes felt different.
They ate lunch at a small café, on the corner of a main road. She didn’t know where they were, but she was in love with their toasted sandwiches. He laughed at her enjoyment of them. They ended up spending most of their afternoon at a KhesaNyama. Even that felt different. The way people didn’t seem in as much of a rush, the way the place wasn’t bursting the restaurant full but small and relaxed. It felt as if time was slowing and waiting for the city to catch up.
“You’re having too much fun.” He commented. She rolled her eyes at him. “You never been to one of these before?”
“I have but everything is so different from Durban.” Minnie said.
“How is it Durban?” He asked.
“Full and crowded.” She held a chicken drumstick up to her lips, it was glazed in the golden spotted skin of braaied skin.
“Everywhere?” Michael shook his head, leaning back in his chair. She bit the chicken, it melted off the bone, tasting like the perfect combination of chicken and marinating spices.
“The beaches especially.” She held her hand to cover her mouth as she spoke.
“You lucky, you got a hotel with an empty beach.” He shook his head, unbelieving. She shrugged.
“A place like this would be crowded in Durban.” She looked around at the ‘restaurant’. It was somebody’s garage and front yard that they had built large black metal walls around and placed a large barbeque inside with plastic tables and chairs.
It was a Khesa nyama. A place where you bring and braai meat or buy meat that was already braaied.
“They have really good steak.” She looked down at the piece of beef fat left on her plate. They shared a chuckle.
“It’s really good.” He nodded, “But something’s missing.”
“What?” Minnie looked at his plate, the large steak bone that had once had meat was clean alongside one chicken drumstick, he still had a full uneaten chicken thigh.
“’n Lekker koud beer.” He shook his head and got up from his seat. He walked over to the counter behind which they kept the fridges filled with all sorts if beers and cold drinks. He bought two drinks and when he got back to the table he placed can Castle Light in front of her.
“Hier.” He called out to her, placing it in front of her. He took the
“Dankie.” She lifted the can to her lips. It was bitter on her tongue. She didn’t mind the taste at all, not when it was mixed with the delicious braai meat and pap. She wouldn’t admit that that was the first time she had ever drunk Castle Light.
That’s when Michael’s phone rang and flashed with the name ‘Nicholas’. He nodded in excuse and answered it.
“Ja.” He leaned back in his chair, a small frown on his lips. “I’m with Minnie.” He looked up at her. She could appreciate that he wasn’t lying about where he was but still disturbed her as to how she was going to explain all of this to her actual friends. Was she something that Nic and his friends were passing around?
“Ja.” He nodded, his frown lifting into a straight face. “The 27th?” He lifted the beer to his lips, taking a sip. “Ja.”
He listened to what Nic had to say before there was silence and he dropped his voice lower. “You sure, bra? ...Okay.”
“Ja.” He nodded once again as he ended the call. Mike placed the phone back into his pocket.
“Sorry.” He apologized.
“It’s fine.” She continued to eat her food. Mike and Nic were friends before her and it wasn’t like they were dating. It was completely fine.
“We’re working on a new exhibition for the gallery.” He explained.
“You aren’t an artist, but you own an art gallery?” She raised an eyebrow at him. She remembered how he had said that he could never do what Nic could do.
“Ja.” Mike nodded, scratching his chin. “My old man was an artist and he couldn’t get his art into anywhere. After he died, Nic and Damien helped me open up the place in memory of him.”
“So, you guys run it together?” She asked, she took a sip of the beer.
“Damien’s father gave us the house and the land around it. Nic just brings new paintings occasionally and I just run the place.” He lifted the chicken thigh up to his lips.
“So, you’re the big boss?” She smiled, raising an eyebrow.
“They don’t see it but it’s true.” He smiled at her before taking a huge bite of his chicken.
“It doesn’t matter what they say.” She told him, smiling wide.
“I can see why Nic likes you.” Michael said. The smile on her face wavered.
“Why?” Her voice turned quiet.
“Hy het die same shine in sy oë. What happened?” When she didn’t answer, he added. “Between jy en hom.”
“It just wasn’t meant to be.”
Michael shook his disappointment.
“Why are you still talking to me?” Minnie asked. “Isn’t there some kind of bro code rule about exs?”
“I didn’t think of that.” Mike smiled at her. “But you’re more like a…”
“A friend.” She let out a hesitant smile as she sipped her beer. There shouldn’t be anyway that she is forced to continued talking about Nic. “Ouch, it hurts to be friend zoned.”
He chuckled, sipping his own beer.
****
Minnie’s phone buzzed that night with a call from one of her close friends. She kept them posted on what was happening, leaving out the details about Nic, on their group chat. Her friends weren’t fond of phone calls, they typically caused burst eardrums on one or both parties involved. But there it was Pia’s name flashed on the screen with as many heart emojis she could insert.
“Hey.” She greeted, sprawling herself across the white duvet of her large bed.
“Why haven’t you called?” Pia questioned, her voice was soft, and Minnie could see her short friend fuming, but she was too cute at times to be taken seriously. Especially when she sounded like a child over the phone.
“I’ve been busy.” She answered, tilting her head to the side. Her last drawing lay open on her sketchpad. It was a graphite drawing of Mike’s BMW, she had run through a whole entire B pencil trying to get the shading just right and her hands were covered in its remnants.
“At the beach every day?” Pia asked.
“For the most part.” Minnie explained, rolling over onto her side to study her own drawing. Her eyes came into contact with the small canvas on the bedside table. It was a painting of the blue sea and an interracial couple floating out at sea. They were just far and distant but their skin colours of obvious, a black girl and a white boy.
“Minnie’s got a boy.” Pia chimed.
“I don’t.” Minnie protested.
“You do.” Another voice called out to her.
“Is that Ntombi?” She asked, “am I on speaker?”
“HEYYYYYYYYYYYY!” Ntombi’s shriek caused Minnie to pull the phone away from her ear. “You totally have a boy.”
“I don’t, I just have an interest in surfing.” Minnie shrugged them off.
“Out of the blue.” Ntombi disagreed. “Minnie, girl, you’re not convincing.”
“Fine.” She admitted, sighing. She couldn’t keep it a secret. “I had a boy.” She stood on the bed, her fingers touching the smooth white ceiling.
“Had?” Pia asked.
“We broke up?”
“You don’t sound sure.” Ntombi said. Minnie jumped off the bed.
“We broke up.” The repetition made it sound final and even though what she and Nic had was barely a proper relationship, she felt as if there was no way just to brush it off.
“What happened?” Ntombi asked. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
“It’s nothing.” Minnie shook her head, noting the chipped nail polish on her toes. “It was a summer fling.”
“It doesn’t sound like it.” Pia said, Minenhle had to swallow the lump in her throat. She could feel the rising emotion. The build to feel the emotions. The understanding of what had happened. It was all becoming too much.
“Look, it’s late. I should get to bed.” She explained. “Michael and I are going to some wine farms to go wine tasting tomorrow.”
“Michael?” The two girls questioned in unison.
“I made a new friend.” She assured them.
“So not the Mr. Summer Fling?” Ntombi questioned.
“Michael is his friend.” She sighed and threw herself back on the bed. “Don’t worry, he friend zoned me.” When the line remained quiet, she added. “I’ll call tomorrow, I promise.”
****
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