Chapter One

51.9K 1K 743
                                    

... Here we go again.

Merry Christmas. ❤️

...

I walked into the kitchen with tea on my mind. I was nervous. I shouldn't be but I couldn't help but be nervous. I mindlessly poured some water into the kettle, aimlessly walking up and down the kitchen. A habit I picked up from Anele. I haven't even made the phone call yet but I already knew she was going to say no. Just thinking about the whole ordeal left a bad taste in my mouth.

I sighed looking for my favourite cup for tea, groaning when I spotted it on the upper shelf of the top cabinet. My friend, Anele must have put it there the last time she was here. I hated when she would use something and not put it back where she found it, now I had to suffer. I jumped quickly grabbing it before landing safely on my feet dismissing the thought of just getting the chair to help me.

I could literally hear my heart racing as I sat down with my phone in my hand and the tea in the other. Truth be told I respected my sister more than anything in this world but she was impossible. Serenity could be so mean and stubborn at times. She calls it being protective but I call it not being able to let go. And she was the kind of person who was hot and cold so no one knew what to expect.

At the age of 23 I still needed my sisters permission to visit my friend. Anele and I have known each other for more than seven years and I've only been to her house twice. She didn't have a problem with that because she knew my sister and she was welcomed to come over at any time. But to be fair this visit wouldn't be a normal one. For a second I thought about abondonning this plan.

My sister and I have been through a lot together and I respected her every decision but she just had to understand that I was all grown up now. I could take care of myself. Anele my only friend was living her life to the fullest while I had to sit back and be patient because Serenity did not play. And when Serenity made up her mind about something it was very hard next to impossible to change it.

For my birthday last month she allowed my friend and I to vacation to three places of our choice. Money was not a problem. I was surprised. I recall pinching myself to see if I was dreaming. My favorite of the three was Mosi-oa-Tunya, the 'Smoke that Thunders' also known as Victoria falls on the Zimbezi River at the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia. I've never seen something so scary yet beautiful at the same time. I took so many pictures that Anele ended up being fed up and hid my camera.

I think she only agreed to the trip because she knows how much I had missed my friend. The Zungu's, Anele's family which consisted of just her and her mom and dad were filthy rich. There wasn't a thing that she wanted that she wouldn't get. She was daddy's little girl, she had her dad wrapped around her finger. I've seen her tricks live, up close and I was very impressed.

My friend decided she didn't want to go to university, she just wanted to see the world. We finished school at seventeen together while I was off to university, she was off to see the world. She has mansions in some of her favourite countries and for some reason she has been staying in Ireland for the past year. When I try and ask her why she simply says she love the weather.

Anele came back three months ago to see me. Pretoria was honestly dull without her. I wasn't a very out going person as I mentioned before she was my only friend and I had no problem with that. My books and drafts kept me going. Even though it had been a while since we were in the same country our bond never faltered because when she came back it was as if nothing has changed.

I looked down at the vibrating phone. I quickly swipped the message ignoring it before shooting Anele a text asking her to grab me some Nando's on the way here because I just really wanted some. I slowly stood up with my half filled cup in my hand. I made my way to the sink pouring down the now cold tea before washing my cup and putting it away. I looked at the picture of my sister and I across the hall.

The Irish's Sanity Where stories live. Discover now