The Unexpected Princess (Completed)

Chapter 2

“Looking at the road like that is not going to magically whisk you away.” Naledi heard Dineo playfully say. She had been daydreaming again.

Naledi closed her eyes and took a deep breath, holding on to the wisps of joy she’d felt while she was daydreaming. But she knew it was gone, never to return again, because it was only here in this moment, that she could let her mind drift to places and things she’d wanted to see and do. Here she could allow that sinking feeling to fill her stomach and take shape, remind her of the things she was missing out on. Here she could try to accept everything that was happening in her life.

And make peace with the things she had forced herself to forget.

Her bespectacled eyes turned to the intricate colourful bead work her friend was creating. It was a necklace of some sort. It will look beautiful once finished, Naledi knew. Her friend was gifted.

Unlike her, Dineo’s work didn’t require her to leave their home for her to be successful. People ordered pieces of her work all the time. With the help of the internet her business was steadily growing, reaching places they never imagined. She was leaving a mark on the world doing what she loved.

Naledi closed her eyes as she felt tears fill her eyes. She scratched her eyes beneath her spectacles as she swallowed her tears.

She wasn’t jealous of her friend, she was just…Naledi shook herself as her thoughts took a very wrong turn. Dineo was nothing but supportive of her.

She opened her eyes to look around her.

The small market situated right at the entrance of Ga-Tloung village bustled with life and people selling their wares in small stalls. The clinic opposite the market had its usual long line of ailing people. Naledi wasn’t surprised that through it all she had managed to block every sound and zoned off to a place where she could allow her desires to take life.

The market was one of her favourite places. The riot of colours, variety of foods and wares found there always made her feel like she was part of something vibrant and alive.

But now Dineo had brought her back.

“Thank you for that,” Naledi said sarcastically. Having a friend from childhood, like she and Dineo were was a blessing, but sometimes it was a pain in the ass because she knew her too well. She wouldn’t allow her to wallow in her misery.

“You can’t run away from your life, Naledi,” Dineo said bend over her artwork. Naledi knew what she said was true, but sometimes she just needed to escape. If she could do it with fantasies so be it.

“I know that. I was just…never mind,” she said forcing a cheer to her voice. They’ve had this conversation many times and they’ve always come to the same conclusion. It was her family’s legacy and no one else’s. And it was her turn to carry it on to the next generation. It was a cycle that will never end. But that didn’t mean for a minute she couldn’t indulge herself with dreams of a different life.

Naledi could feel Dineo’s eyes on her. They were not going to talk about it anymore. She was well on the road of accepting it. And she was doing a good job in the royal house, she should be proud of that. She had changed the old ways of doing things and brought a sophistication that was talked about far and wide. That was an achievement in itself.

“So, did you find a man wherever you went?” Dineo asked mischievously. “Otherwise the silence you always subject me to with your fantasies wouldn’t be worth it.”

Naledi looked at her friend, shaking her head as giggles bloomed in her throat.

“You are incorrigible,” she said laughing.

“You are the one who’s incorrigible,” Dineo returned with a smile of her own. “Try to live in reality for a moment…. Can you do that for me?” her smile grew.

Chills ran down Naledi’s spine. She knew that look. Dineo was up to something. When they were younger that look always got them into trouble. What was she up to now? Naledi asked herself not sure she wanted to know.

“There’s a new doctor at the clinic. I didn’t hear you say a word about him.” Dineo stared at her. Her eyes piercing, seeing far too much. Naledi squirmed in her seat.

“I haven’t seen him,” Naledi lied. Of course, she’s seen him. Every single women in the village has seen him. And they were all making up illnesses out of thin air, just to go and see the doctor up close. Naledi wasn’t going to join them. If it happened that she met the doctor, then…

“And? A man is in those plans of yours, isn’t he?” Dineo interrupted.

“Yes, he is. But…”

“No, buts… where and when do you think you’re going to find him?”

Not by faking an illness that’s for sure, Naledi thought.

“As matter of fact I have an idea. Are you in?” Dineo asked, excitement in her eyes.

“Don’t start,” Naledi rolled her eyes.

“He only has to see you once. I’m going to invite him to the dance,” Dineo said looking towards the clinic. “He’s handsome. You’re going to like him.”

“You’re matchmaking?” Naledi asked incredulous.

“Yes, and I’m going right now. You need some spice in your life,” Dineo said getting to her feet. “Stay here and look over my stall. I’m going to find you some love.”

“Dineo…” Naledi grumbled. This is way worse than making up an illness, Naledi thought as she watched Dineo cross the busy road to get to the clinic. Naledi called her again, but she ignored her hoarse call. Naledi didn’t know what to do to stop her, short of following and leaving her stall unattended, she was clueless.

Naledi threw her hands in the air in defeat. Dineo had to get her way. She hid her face in her hands as Dineo disappeared into the clinic.

She moaned out loud scaring the people around her, “this is embarrassing.”

She turned away from the road not sure she could handle seeing Dineo coming out of there. This was what her life was reduced to – watching her friend trying to find her a man. She definitely didn’t have a life.

She wished her cousins Roby and Tau were there, maybe things would be a lot easier. They were the ones who made her acceptance of things a bit harder, because they made it seem like she could also pack up and go as they’ve done. But life played by different rules, and the simplest of them all was that she was a woman and they were men.

And the legacy fell upon women more than men. Feeling despondent, Naledi closed her eyes and zoned off again; seeing a blue horizon that beckoned. She let herself go.