BROKEN PROMISES CHAPTER 7

Chapter 7
The girls walked arm in arm from the
taxi to the school hall, where the
rehearsals for the Teen Voice
auditions were already in full swing.
They could hear one of the guys
singing the words to Michael

Jackson’s Thriller.
“Oh my God,” said Asanda. “Listen to
him. He sounds like a stuck pig.”
“Yes. If that’s the competition we’ll
sail through.” It was so good to be
with her friends again, joking and
having a good time. It helped Ntombi


forget about the shed and what had
happened there. She would think
about it later. There must be some
explanation for why Mzi was there,
why those boys had all that money,
and who was in the silver BMW. She
would work it out, but not now.
Once she was on the stage going
through the lyrics to Respect (a
classic by Aretha Franklin) she felt
so good. With the mike in her hand
she had the feeling that this was the
only thing that mattered to her in the
whole world, being on this stage and
singing. It made her feel alive. So
often she felt like she didn’t belong,
like she had been given the wrong
part – that there was another life
somewhere that she was meant to
be living. But here on stage, singing,
she knew deep inside that this is
what she was meant to do. It felt so
right, and she was good at it. The
other students seemed to think so
too, because they applauded after
she performed.
“You go girl!” shouted Asanda.
Ntombi had been worried because
she had missed the week when they
had chosen their R&B song. But Mr
Masondo came up to her after the
rehearsal and handed her a sheet of
music. Ntombi looked down: it was
True, by Brandy.
“How did you know? I love this
song,” she enthused. Mr Masondo
laughed.
“I hear you humming it all the time,
so it wasn’t hard to guess. If you
need extra help you’ve just got to
call. Here’s my number.” Ntombi
entered it on her cellphone and
couldn’t help noticing that there were
no new messages. The thought that
Mzi might never SMS her again
flashed through her mind. She
shouldn’t have gone down to the
shed to look for him. Why had she
done it, she asked herself again.
“Make sure you call so I can help
you rehearse it,” Mr Masondo said.
“That way you’ll have a much better
chance in the auditions.”
“I promise,” said Ntombi. She quickly
put her cellphone back in her pocket.
* * *
The girls walked through the streets
together on their way back to
Ntombi’s house. It felt like old times.
They stopped at the shop and pooled
their money to buy a packet of
Dentyne. They laughed when a group
of amarhuzu whistled at them as
they passed.
“Kancane ngani! We’re out of your
league, boys. Forget it!” Lettie called
back to them as they turned the
corner. They were princesses, idols,
even before the auditions and they
felt like they owned the streets.
Three best friends forever. Nothing
could get them down. Not tonight.
It was still light when they reached
Ntombi’s, and it was warm as well.
There seemed to be something in
the air because everyone seemed to
be in a good mood. Even Mr Mashu,
who normally cursed them when they
walked past his stand, was giving
out free sweets to the kids. And for
once Ntombi was relieved that her
mother wasn’t at home. They would
have the house to themselves, as
Zinzi was out too. They put on the
ghetto-blaster and started doing
karaoke to the music, using a
hairbrush as a mike. They were onto
their third song when there was a
knock on the door.
“That will be Hlengiwe. I told her to
meet us here to do your braids,”
Asanda said. Hlengiwe did the best
braids south of the Limpopo, Asanda
always said, and she also worked at
a beauty salon that did facials and
pedicures. “I’d marry you if you
weren’t already married,” Asanda
used to tease Hlengiwe.
“So,” Hlengiwe said, putting her bag
of tricks down on the carpet and
opening an album full of different
hairstyles, “what’s it to be?” Ntombi
settled on the twist and Hlengiwe set
to work attaching the braids. They
were having so much fun, chatting
and listening to music that time
passed quickly and soon it was dark.
As Hlengiwe was doing the last braid
there was a knock at the door.
Ntombi wondered who it could be.
Her sister or mother wouldn’t knock
because they both had keys, and she
wasn’t expecting anyone. She
opened the door to see Olwethu’s
sister, Linkie, standing there. She
looked so small and nervous that
Ntombi wanted to take her in her
arms and protect her. “Is this a bad
time?” Linkie whispered.
“Not at all. Come inside.” Ntombi
opened the door wider and let the
little girl in. She was obviously
frightened.
“What’s happened? Is there anything
wrong? Is it your gogo?” asked
Ntombi. The girl shook her head.
“No, but I need to have a word with
you in private,” she whispered.
“Don’t worry,” said Ntombi. “The girls
were just leaving.”
“You look beautiful,” whispered
Linkie.
Ntombi walked outside to say
goodbye to the girls and Hlengiwe.
“I’ll see you tomorrow to finish and
twist, beautiful girl,” said Hlengiwe.
“We’ll come round and collect you
before the party,” said Asanda. “We
can all go to Thabiso’s together.”
Ntombi hesitated.
“Unless you’ve got other plans?” said
Lettie, looking at her accusingly.
“It’s just…”
“Speak to the hand, girlfriend. We
not good enough for you all of a
sudden?”
“Leave her be,” Asanda chipped in.
“If she wants to go with Mzi that’s
okay. We’ll see her there.”
“You trust him to pitch?” said Lettie.
“Rather you than me.” Ntombi didn’t
want what had been a great
afternoon to end in an argument.
She gave Lettie a hug.
“I’ll see you guys there,” she said.
“Now I have to go and see what
Linkie needs.”
Lettie took her hand and looked in
her eyes; she was serious. “Just be
careful tomorrow night,” she said,
and then she joined Asanda who
was waving down a taxi.
* * *
Before Ntombi went back inside, a
cellphone message beeped in her
pocket.
Thinking of u – cant wait to c u
2moro…Mzi
It was as if Mzi had heard them
talking. Ntombi found herself looking
up and down the street, half
expecting Mzi to come walking
around the corner. But there was no
one. The girls had gone and the
street was empty. She went back
inside and closed the door. He
hadSMSed. Why had she worried so
much? She should have trusted him.
And now she felt that warmth inside
again, like a secret smile. Lettie was
wrong, she thought. Linkie came and
took her hand.
“I wish I could have braids like you,”
she said.
“One day you can have any hairstyle
you want to,” said Ntombi
confidently.
“I don’t know. I will have to get
money first,” said Linkie.
“Will you promise me something?”
said Ntombi.
“What’s that?”
“Promise me you’ll finish school.”
Linkie nodded. “I promise,” she
whispered.
“Good,” said Ntombi. “Now what can
I do for you?”
“It’s a bit embarrassing.” Linkie
stared at the floor. “You see,
Olwethu doesn’t know I’m here.”
“It’s about him?”
“Yes.”
Suddenly Ntombi felt worried. “Has
anything happened to him?”
Linkie shook her head. “No. Well,
maybe.”
“Maybe?”
“I don’t know how to say this.” Linkie
was studying her shoes carefully.
“You see I think Olwethu would kill
me if he knew I was here talking to
you, and that I was about to tell you
that…”
“That?”
“That he really likes you, and I know
he wants to invite you to the party at
Thabiso’s tomorrow. But he’s just
too shy to ask. So I thought I’d…”
she said all in a rush, and then
looked up expectantly. Ntombi felt
her heart sink to her shoes. How
could she tell Linkie that she was
going to Thabiso’s with someone
else – one of the coolest guys at
school? She really didn’t want to hurt
Olwethu, or this girl with all the hope
shining out of her eyes. But she had
to.
“Listen, Linkie,” she said, sitting
down beside her on the couch and
taking her hands.
“You know I really like Olwethu?”
“Yes,” said Linkie, her eyes glowing.
“That’s what I thought. Oh, I knew I
was right to come here.”
“I really like him but …” How could
Ntombi explain this? “I like him as a
friend, not as a boyfriend.”
“Oh.” Linkie looked confused.
“Olwethu’s great! We chat. I like
spending time with him…but…”
“Yes, that’s why I thought to come.
You see, I could tell you really liked
chatting and each other’s
company…” She looked like she was
thinking about something. “You don’t
think he’s good looking – is that
why?”
“No, I do. It’s just that…” How could
she explain chemistry to a ten-year-
old?
“I think I understand,” said Linkie
standing up. “And don’t worry.” She
turned to Ntombi. “I won’t tell him.”
“Thanks,” said Ntombi walking to the
door with Linkie, and waving
goodbye. She felt terrible. But what
could she do? Why couldn’t life be
simple?