BROKEN PROMISES CHAPTER 10

Chapter 10
Ntombi looked at her watch; ten
minutes had passed. It was time to
go back into the party. When she
reached the bar Mzi was all smiles.


He put his arms around her in front
of Thumi, who was chatting to
another boy, and pulled her onto the
dance floor.
“It’s only you,” he whispered into her

ear as he pressed her against him.
“Hop on my feet,” he said.
“What?”
“Get on my feet, I’ll take you for a
ride.” Ntombi stepped up onto Mzi’s
shoes. Luckily she wasn’t wearing
high heels, but pumps. She laughed.
He moved around slowly. She felt his
lips against her neck, and closed her
eyes. Perhaps he was right. She
could forget everything that had
happened before. She could start
again, in this moment, in his arms.
When the song ended he took her
head in his hands and looked deeply
into her eyes. “I love dancing with
you,” he said. “Now let’s get out of
here, shall we?” She nodded.
* * *
On the way out she felt a hand
pulling her back. Mzi was ahead of
her making for the door, with a
sudden urgency. Ntombi turned
back. It was Lettie. “Hey chommie,”
she said. “Come and dance with us.
We’ve asked the DJ to play one of
our old favourites. Everyone will be
watching us.”
It was their favourite song, and they
had even rehearsed their moves to it.
They started taking over the dance
floor, moving across it like they
owned it. They would definitely be
noticed. Mzi would think she was
cool and he would be even prouder
of her. But Mzi was already out of
the door. Ntombi pulled away from
them.
“I can’t,” she called. “I’ve got to go.”
“Where?” asked Lettie. “The fun’s
only just starting.”
“Mzi is taking me home.”
“So early?” Ntombi saw the look of
alarm on Lettie’s face. “That’s not
like him.”
“How do you know?” Ntombi didn’t
hear the answer, as Mzi reappeared
in the exit and beckoned to her to
join him. Lettie was lost in the
crowd, so Ntombi joined Mzi and
was steered quickly to his car. They
got in, in silence. But he didn’t start
the car immediately. He put a CD in
the player. It was Lira, singing
Ngiyazi fela.
“That’s going to be you one day
soon,” said Mzi, and he put his arm
around Ntombi. So he had listened
when she told him about the
auditions. There was obviously just a
lot on his mind at the moment. She
shouldn’t judge him. There could be
problems at home that she knew
nothing about – she knew what that
was like, how it affected everything.
He started the car and wove his way
between the jam of traffic to get out
onto the open road. She was tired
now. It had been a wild evening and
she had felt out of her depth, she
just needed some time alone in her
room. Perhaps her sister would be
asleep, and her mother would be out
when they got back. She just needed
some time to think things through
and make sense of what had
happened at the party. But instead of
turning left to take the road back to
her house, Mzi turned right and they
were soon spinning down a road
Ntombi didn’t know. * * *
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“Somewhere special. One of my
favourite places,” he said, smiling at
her. “I wanted to show you. It means
a lot to me.” That was so romantic. It
was the kind of thing that Ntombi
had read about in books. She smiled
to herself. Perhaps he just wasn’t
good in crowds. It was going to be
alright. The evening was going to
end well. But when he turned off the
tar onto a dirt track that led down
between tall trees to a small river,
Ntombi felt anxious again. It was so
isolated, so dark and remote. He
stopped the car and they sat in
silence for a minute.
“Look at the moon,” he said. “Let’s
get out. It’s still warm.” They got out
of the car and Mzi led her down to
an old bench next to a trickle of
water. Not so much a river as a
polluted stream with litter washed up
on the bank. Mzi put his arm around
her. Ntombi leaned back and looked
up. She would just forget the
rubbish and look at the moon and
stars. At least nobody could pollute
them - not yet, anyway.
Mzi pulled her closer. Then he
started kissing her. At first gently,
and she felt herself melting in his
arms. But then his kissing got more
frantic and rougher. And his hands
had pushed under her top and his
fingers were busy trying to undo her
bra. She pulled away. But he stood
up and pulled her back against him.
He pulled her bra off in one jerk and
his hands were fumbling over her
breasts. Then his hands were under
her skirt. This was getting too heavy.
Way too heavy.
“Mzi!” she tried to push away. “Mzi,
stop!” she said louder. “Stop… stop
or…”
“Or what? You’ll scream? Nobody will
hear you. Besides, I know that trick.
Girls always say ‘no, no, no’ when
they really mean ‘yes’.”
“I do mean no.” But the words came
out as a whisper as he started
kissing her neck again.
“Okay, we’ll take it more slowly then,”
he said. Then he stopped and looked
at her with a look of what – scorn –
on his face? “You’re not going to tell
me this is your first time?” he asked.
“Please don’t tell me you’re a virgin
still.” Her silence gave him the
answer.
“I’m only fifteen,” whispered Ntombi.
“Fifteen! What’s taken you so long?”
Mzi laughed.
“I just… I just… I’m not ready…” said
Ntombi.
“You just think you’re not ready.
What you need is a guy like me. Do
you know how lucky you are to have
me for your first time?” She looked
at the moon. She couldn’t look at his
face. “Do you know how many girls…”
he stopped. “Ok, look…” he stepped
back. “Maybe I came on a little too
strong… it’s just that I find you
irresistible, girlfriend. You’re the
sexiest…”
* * *
Ntombi didn’t know afterwards what
would have happened if a car hadn’t
driven down the track towards them
with the headlights beamed straight
at them. They were caught like
startled animals in the beam.
“Shit,” said Mzi “Let’s get out of
here.” They ran to the car, jumped in,
and he reversed at speed back along
the dirt track. There was a squeal of
tyres as he spun the car on the tar
and headed back towards the
township. He turned the music up
really loud, but Ntombi didn’t mind.
She didn’t mind how fast he drove
either, even though she knew it was
dangerous and that he was way over
the drunk-driving limit. The faster
she could get home the better now.
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to be
with him, she just didn’t want things
to move so fast. Did it have to be all
or nothing?
When they pulled up outside her
house Mzi killed the music and took
her hand.
“Ntombi. You’re a great girl, but …”
There it was: that but, the word every
girl dreaded. “Okay, so maybe
tonight wasn’t the right time.” He
took her hand and kissed it. “But I
hope you’re not going to hold out on
me for too long, because those kind
of girls get really boring after a very
short time. Those girls don’t deserve
boyfriends like me. Do you get what
I’m saying?”
Ntombi looked at him. He was
smiling at her gently. She was so
confused: how could he be so
moody? Aggressive one minute,
sweet the next? She smiled back at
him. “I had a good time,” she found
herself saying. “Thank you.” He
stroked her cheek and then kissed it,
gently.
Then he walked her to the door. “I’ll
SMS you,” he said. She waved as he
drove off into the night.
When she went inside her mother
was sitting on the couch. “What time
do you think this is?” She was angry.
“And who was that guy?”
“Mzi, Mama. Remember, you met him
already. Has everyone gone crazy?
You knew I was going to the party.”
“I thought you were meeting up with
your friends.”
“I did,” said Ntombi. It was partly
true. She really didn’t want to get
into this now with her mother. All
she wanted to do was sleep. “And
anyway,” Ntombi couldn’t stop
herself, “who are you to ask me
where I’ve been and what time I think
this is?”
The slap came so fast it took Ntombi
by surprise. Her cheek stung.
“Don’t forget who is the adult and
who is the child here!” Her mother
was furious.
There were tears in Ntombi’s eyes.
All she wanted was for her mother to
hug her, and say it would be alright.
Instead her mother was attacking
her. She’d almost had enough for
one night – but there was still a little
fight left in her. “Anyway,” Ntombi
said, “I saw Zakes at Mama’s
Tavern.” This wasn’t quite true, but
she was so sure that it was his
laugh she had heard. “What were you doing there?” her
mother said. “Don’t you know that’s
not a place for kids?” Ntombi
couldn’t take any more. She ran into
their room and hid herself under the
blankets, exhausted, and cried.