The Last Time We Said Goodbye

The First Day At School

"My first day at high school was a nightmare. I'll never forget it, especially since it was the day I met Akhanya. We weren't in the same class, but we met after school at my friend Aza's place – they were cousins."When I got home, I couldn't stop thinking about Akhanya. I rushed to fetch my little brother Cwenga from creche. On our way back, I bumped into Aza, and we chatted about Akhanya. She ended up giving me Akhanya's number. As we continued walking home, Cwenga asked curiously, "Who's Akhanya, sis?" I replied, trying to sound casual, "She's my friend. Why are you asking?"

"Cwenga looked at me with a knowing smile and said, "You like her, don't you?" I blushed, trying to deny it, but Cwenga just giggled and said, "I'm going to tell Mom." I quickly whispered, "No, no, no! Don't tell Mom!" Cwenga laughed and teased me all the way home.

"When we got home, Mom was cooking supper. "I'm glad you're back! I have a surprise for you," she said with a smile. "What is it, Mom?" Cwenga and I asked at the same time. "Not yet, you have to do something for me first," Mom said teasingly. "What is it, Mom? Can we see what's in the plastic bag?" I asked impatiently. "Sing my favorite song for me," Mom said, sitting between us. Cwenga and I started singing together. When we finished, Mom cheered and said, "Great job! Here's your reward." She handed me a pair of headphones and gave Cwenga a toy car, perfect for his 5 years."

"I was thrilled with my new headphones and immediately started listening to music. Cwenga, on the other hand, was racing his toy car around the room, laughing and making engine noises. Mom smiled, happy to see us enjoying our gifts. As we played, I couldn't help but think about Akhanya again. I wondered when I'd get to talk to her next."

"After a nice evening with family, the next day was tough. I dreaded going back to Masakhane High School, feeling overwhelmed and wanting to cry. I dropped Cwenga off at creche and headed to school, my heart heavy. When I arrived, things got worse. I became the laughing stock of the school because my uniform's skirt was too long. But then Akhanya stepped in and defended me against the bullies.

She took me to the toilets to calm down, and I broke down in tears, saying, "I hate high school, I don't want to be here!" Akhanya listened patiently and replied, "We don't have a choice, my friend. Let's be patient, maybe things will get better. I don't like it here either, but we're building something together, even if it doesn't feel like it right now." Her words comforted me, and I felt grateful for her support."

"Akhanya and I became inseparable after that incident. We bonded over our shared struggles and dislike for the school's strict rules. During lunch, we'd sit together, sharing stories and laughter. Akhanya introduced me to her friends, and slowly, I started to feel like I belonged. But despite the newfound friendships, I still couldn't shake off the feeling that high school wasn't for me."

"As we went back to class, Akhanya and I were separated again since we weren't in the same class. Our teacher, Miss Gani, greeted us warmly. "Good afternoon, 8C. As I said earlier, I'm Miss Gani, your class teacher for this year. I hope we'll work together harmoniously. Let's start with introductions – please tell me your names."

"Learners started introducing themselves one by one. When it was my turn, I stood up and said, "I'm Langelihle, but my friends call me Langa." Miss Gani smiled and nodded, making a note on her register. As the introductions continued, I couldn't help but wonder what the year had in store for us."

"After the introductions, Miss Gani outlined the class rules and expectations. She seemed strict but fair. As she wrote on the board, I noticed a boy sitting next to me staring at me. I felt a bit uncomfortable and tried to focus on the lesson. When Miss Gani asked us to pair up for an activity, the boy next to me whispered, "Hi, I'm Sibusiso." I smiled and replied, "I'm Langa." We exchanged a brief hello before starting the activity."

"Throughout the day, I got to know Sibusiso better. We worked together on a few activities, and I discovered we shared similar interests. When the bell rang, signaling the end of school, I felt a mix of relief and excitement. I packed up my bag and headed out of the classroom, looking forward to meeting up with Akhanya. As I walked out of the school gates, I spotted her waiting for me. "Hey, how was your day?" she asked, smiling. I filled her in on my new classmate, Sibusiso, and we chatted about our plans for the rest of the day."

"When we picked up Cwenga from creche, Akhanya came with me. As we walked home, Cwenga looked up at me and asked, "Who's she?" "This is Akhanya," I replied. Cwenga's eyes lit up, and he said, "She's cute! Nice to meet you, Akhanya." He shook Akhanya's hand, and she smiled warmly."

"Akhanya playfully teased Cwenga, making him giggle. As we walked, the three of us chatted about our day. Cwenga excitedly told Akhanya about his creche activities, and Akhanya listened attentively. When we got home, Mom was cooking dinner in the kitchen. She smiled when she saw Akhanya and invited her to stay for dinner."

"We sat down for dinner together, and Mom asked Akhanya about her family. Akhanya told us about her siblings and parents, and we all listened with interest. After dinner, we watched TV together, laughing at a funny show. As the evening ended, Akhanya said goodbye to everyone and promised to visit again soon. I walked her out, grateful for our growing friendship."

I dropped her off at her place and headed home. When I got home, I saw a message from Akhanya on my phone. She was asking if I arrived safely, so I replied and went to bed.

After a few months, I started to enjoy school. I stopped wearing my scarf because the bullying had stopped. Akhanya and Sibusiso were supportive friends who encouraged me to keep writing novels. We were working on a story called "Annihilated Heart of a Seed" and created a w******p group called Rundream to collaborate.

As we worked on our story, Akhanya and Sibusiso became more than just friends; they were my writing buddies. We shared our ideas, discussed plot twists, and supported each other through the ups and downs of creative writing. The Rundream w******p group was our virtual workspace, where we brainstormed and refined our story.

With their help, I gained confidence in my writing, and "Annihilated Heart of a Seed" began to take shape. We were excited to see our story come to life, and I was grateful to have Akhanya and Sibusiso by my side throughout the journey.

My phone rang, and it was Sibusiso. I had saved his number as "Sibu," the nickname I gave him. When I picked up, he said, "Look outside, you'll see something." I looked out the window and saw him with his friends. I hung up and went outside.

When I got outside, his friends had left, and he was waiting for me. "What brings you here so late?" I asked. He replied, "I just finished soccer practice and thought I'd check on you."

"Thanks, but I need to go," I said. "I left Cwenga alone at home, so I should rush." "Goodnight, Langa," he said, moving closer and looking into my eyes. We shared our first kiss. I quickly went back home.

As I walked back home, I couldn't stop thinking about the kiss. I felt happy and excited. When I got home, Cwenga was still awake, watching TV. I tried to act normal, but I couldn't hide the smile on my face.

Cwenga noticed something was different and asked, "What's wrong? You look happy." I just shook my head and said, "Nothing, I'm just tired." But I couldn't stop thinking about Sibusiso and our kiss.

The next day at school, Sibusiso and I exchanged glances, but we didn't talk much. I felt a little shy, but I was also excited to see him again. After school, we met up and talked about what had happened the night before.

"I've been wanting to do that for a while," Sibusiso said, smiling. I smiled back, feeling happy and comfortable around him. We started spending more time together, and our friendship turned into something more.

"Sibusiso and I started dating in secret. Akhanya didn't know about it. She noticed that I acted differently around Sibusiso. I'm not the same Langa she knows. Akhanya followed us and caught us kissing on our way back to school. She didn't tell us she was following us. 'I finally caught you guys,' she said. 'I knew it. Tell me, when did it start?' she asked curiously."

"I looked at Sibusiso, and he looked back at me. 'When did what start?' I asked, trying to stall for time. Akhanya raised an eyebrow. 'Don't play dumb, Langa. When did you and Sibusiso start dating?' she asked again.

Sibusiso took a deep breath and put his arm around me. 'It started a few months ago,' he said honestly.

Akhanya's eyes widened in surprise. 'A few months? You've been lying to me for months!' she exclaimed."Akhanya looked shocked. 'You've been sneaking around behind my back for months?' she asked, her voice rising. I felt bad for not telling her sooner.

Sibusiso explained, 'We didn't want to hurt you or cause any problems. We just wanted to see where things would go between us.'Akhanya shook her head. 'I'm your friend, Langa. I thought we shared everything with each other. Why didn't you trust me enough to tell me?' she asked, looking hurt.

I apologized, 'I'm sorry, Akhanya. We should have told you. It won't happen again.'

"Akhanya sighed. 'I need some time to process this. You guys were sneaking around, even when we passed by Cwenga's school to pick him up. I had no idea what was going on,' she said, still looking surprised.

I nodded. 'We were careful. We didn't want anyone to know until we were sure about us,' I explained.

Sibusiso added, 'We're not trying to hide anything from you now. We want to be open with you and the rest of our friends.'

Akhanya nodded slowly. 'Okay, I appreciate your honesty. Let's talk more about this later, okay?'""When I got home with Cwenga, my mom was still at work. Cwenga threw his school bag in the sofa and changed out of his uniform. Then he went outside to play. I lay on my bed, thinking about what happened with Akhanya. I regretted not telling her sooner. I sent her a voice message apologizing." 'Hey Akhanya, I'm really sorry for not telling you about Sibusiso and me. I know I should have been honest with you from the start. Please forgive me.'

After sending the message, I felt a bit better. I hoped Akhanya would understand and forgive me. Cwenga came inside, sweating and smiling. 'I'm hungry!' he said. I smiled and went to make us some sandwiches."