Before we became friends

by Caroline Makhutle (South Africa)

I didn't expect to find South Africa

It was during Easter that we decided to stay behind in College while our peers made their way home. I had received a call from my mother, Tatilla that I should come home. I explained to her that it was already late for me to make the trip and besides they had already left to see my grandmother (my favourite person in the entire world). She was furious that I did not come home but I could not risk leaving Pretoria at five p.m just to get mugged or probably killed halfway home. I decided to request my homegirl to come and spend the night with me at my apartment by which I was sharing with Jessica (we weren't friends by then but realised how much we love the same things and the stars aligned that we spend most of our time together). Sleeping over was madness, Faith (my homegirl) slept naked, I was cold the entire night until Jessica decided to cuddle with me, it only helped a little. The feeling comes often, that I hate sleeping alone and it completely baffles me because I don't even last in my relationships. The longest I have been in a relationship was 3 months long and my current boyfriend; we haven't spoken in 5 months. But my failed relationships are not the morale of the story. We woke up early the next day (it was saturday) and decided to catch a train (to save money). The walk to the train station was merely impossible, Jessica had a huge luggage and I carried the most heavy travel bag. Faith? Faith had only a handbag. Trains are confusing, especially when you not used to them. We went to terminal 8 for a train to Parkstation (Johannesburg) and in 10 minutes a whistle was blown that we had to change trains to terminal 6 which was underground -luckily, none of our bags fell on the ground. We didn't wait for a long time and the train just departed. The three of us were extremely hungry but I could control my hunger, because I was travelling, I didn't wish to have an angry stomach. One guys passed selling candy and another selling electronics and Fatih decided to call upon the one selling samosas, I refused to buy one. Jessica and Faith bought three each and the smell of oil they used to fry them was not appeasing. The train is fun when it is moving and collecting people at each station, our coach was not entirely empty when we left Pretoria but people kept on getting in at other stations, there were 2 ladies and one guy sitting opposite of us, we weren't aware of which station they may have gotten in. We only realised that something was wrong the Faith had tears falling from her eyes and trying to figure out what is wrong, she bent her head, we realised that she was laughing but softly so that no one would know. Jessica catches on, I was lost. She took out her phone and drew an arrow to point to what she was laughing at. When I held up my head m, it was 2 ladies and one male in the middle, he had put on a hat that looked like a mushroom, it was stiff trying to get the laughter out, but it happened, when I turned my head to the other side I saw black man sitting on a bench and waving to us(he had no teeth) , I didn't not wave back. I cried, I couldn't stop the tears. The only moment I could laugh, was when we had our destination.