My Ex Almost Broke Me

Oh God

Nande’s POV

As soon as I got inside, I ran to the window and I waved at him.

“What are you doing?” asked my mom. She was right behind me, she was also looking outside and she looked confused. When I turned to look at her, I noticed that everyone was up.

“Bukhosi said to wave at him from inside the house, so he would know I was safe before he drove home.” The smiles on their faces, it’s like I told them the guy was asking for my hand in marriage. I couldn’t help but smile too. But the smile is wiped by the next question. I close the burglar and lock it before I do the same with the door. I should have told him to text me when he got home. I didn’t think of that even when he offered to wait for me and leave when I was safely inside.

“How was it?” asked my siblings. Wait. They also waited up? Are they now talking to me? I let out a sigh. I am going to disappoint them. They look happy. They are fond of Bukhosi. And they haven’t spoken to me in months and the day they decided to, I am going to disappoint them. Before I could tell them, my dad commented, “I bet it went so well. You just heard what she just said. I always liked that boy. He is sweet and thoughtful,” smiled my dad. I let out another sigh, they were going to be disappointed when I told them how everything went. I went to the couch and I looked at my hands in my lap.

“It was great. Bukhosi is kind and thoughtful,” I started. But my mom sensed something.

“But you don’t sound like you had a great time.” She had always been like that. It’s like she’s listening to the things people aren’t saying. I always said she made a great principal. The Department of Education really made a wise choice by making her a principal. She was born for that role and I know she is flourishing.

“Come on, Nande. Where did he take you?” asked Phila. Before I could answer him, Zandi also asked a question.

“What did you eat?”

“What did you talk about?”

“What-“

My siblings keep asking questions and they aren’t giving me time to answer them before they ask again. “Let her speak,” said my mom. She also wants to hear how the date went.

“It went well..” Phila didn’t let me finish. They are really curious and I hope it doesn’t stop tonight. I hope they will be like this again in the future. “You already said that,” he reminds me. He sounded impatient. We all turned to look at him.

“Shhhh,” my parents and Zandi all shush him. He rolls his eyes at them. But they are no longer looking at him, they are looking at me.

When I told them where he took me, they all squealed except for my dad. But he nodded with a smile. He approved. But he’s not going to approve my behaviour.

“I messed up though,” I confessed, looking at my hands. And then I looked at them, but I quickly looked down again. I can sense their impatience but they are waiting for me to talk. They don’t want to push me. They know that when I am pushed into a corner I clamp up. “I talked about Lucky throughout the date.”

“Why would you do that, Nande?” asked my mom. She’s furious. She hates hearing that name. If she could, she wouldn’t hear that name for the rest of her life. I don’t blame her though.

“I don’t know.”

“Okay, I think it was expected. You were in a relationship and stayed with him for seven years. His name was bound to be brought up” said Zandi, trying to make everyone understand. “I bet it wasn’t that deep. But what did you say about him?” She asked. I wish she hadn't ask me that because they are going to be disappointed if I told them. I tell them and no one says anything.

“Why would you do that?” asked Phila. He sounded like a parent. I shrugged. It’s not that I didn’t know the reason. I am ashamed to tell them the real reason. I miss that cruel man.

It sounded like Zandi was defending me. “But clearly it wasn’t bad, he asked you to wave so he knows you’re inside the house and you’re safe. It wasn’t that bad.” And my little sister welcomed me home. She got angry that night. I pushed my mom and almost hurt and after I said those nasty things to her. She has always defended me when I was supposed to defend her. Just thinking about that night, I feel so bad. I shouldn’t have pushed her. I put my head on her shoulder, and she misinterpreted the gesture. But I didn’t correct her. “I bet he is going to call you and ask you to another date,” said my mom, rubbing my back. After a few minutes of silence, my parents wished us a good night before they retired to their bedroom. As soon as they closed their door, both of my siblings sat closer to me.

“You didn’t tell us everything. What else did you say to that poor guy?” asked Zandi.

I didn’t want to tell them the truth so I lied. “Nothing else happened.”

“Now, now, big sis. Don’t forget that we know you like we know ourselves. We know there are some things you couldn’t share with mom and dad here with us. But you saw them. They just left. Now out with it,” said Phila, moving closer and putting his arm around my neck. I really can’t believe my little brother is talking to me. He even put his arm around my neck, and I was sad that I was going to disappoint them. And I tell them. No one said anything, but I could sense their disappointment in me. I mean who does that? The little acts of kindness and I think he wanted to get into my pants. Not only that, I even offered myself and got offended when he declined. Who does that?