Professor, Professor || BWAM

the twenty-third.

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28.31650° S, 31.71300° E

"What does this one mean?" she asks him, rolling the glass beads around in her hands.

"Ruby beads are inkankane. Meaning, 'whenever I see you, my heart leaps."

"Oh, that's so sweet! I love that."

"Yeah? Okay, let me see those..." She carefully drops them into his hand and he slinks them onto the string along with the white and black ones, "There. Alright, now that your waist beads are up-to-date, are you going to tell me where you've been all this time? You left for so long without even saying goodbye. Everyone thought you were dead, Amahle."

He wants answers. He deserves them.

Distract.

She smiles as she comes to her feet, "Can you put them on for me?"

He looks up at her with sad eyes, he knows what she's doing. He knows her better than anyone. Sometimes, he knows her better than herself.

"Yeah sure." Disappointment.

He loops the string of beads around her waist, just below her navel...but they're too loose on her, even for the widest part of her hips. "Shee! Amahle...you've lost so much weight."

Concern.

"Have I really?" she hasn't even noticed.

"Yes, I made this to perfectly fit your waist... and now it just falls off of you."

Worry.

He takes them off of her, "I have to fix them..."

She watches him as he wraps the elastic around his finger, making a knot. Disappointment, again.

"Listen,  I can't hide you here forever. But if you're going to stay here, you need to at least tell me what is going on with you. That way I can better protect you."

She doesn't want to talk about it! She doesn't want to tell you, just stop asking! You won't understand...

"I don't need you to protect me anymore. I'm not as weak and innocent as you think, Thabang."

"Stop that! Why do you keep saying things like this? You're acting so strange and you won't talk to me, why?"

"We're talking right now," she knows that's not what he means. She can't meet his eyes. But she remembers how Mama advised her not to be intimidated by anyone, especially not by a man. She thinks of how she will need to go back to Mama's soon, but she can't tell him that.

He sighs in frustration as he proceeds to cut the knot and burn it with his lighter. Just a little bit.

Smile. Distract. "Thabang..." she touches his back, the small is her favorite part, "Ke a go rata,"

I love you in his native language. She had never told him that she loves him before.

He smiles, Distracted. "Where did you learn that?"

She wraps her arms around him, "I've learned a lot of new things since I've been away. What, you're not going to say it back?"

He doesn't hesitate,"Le nna ke a go rata, Amahle."

He loves her too. He really, really does. But she won't fully understand. He loves her more than she is equipped to comprehend. Maybe she will understand one day, but today will not be that day.

"Turn around," he wraps the refitted beads around her waist, pulling her in, "You know...in my language, it's not just I love you. That's actually the end of an expression..."

He's holding her against his body. What if he lets her go again? Will she run again? He thinks about it but he doesn't say it.

He continues, "It goes like this: Ke a go itse..."

I know you.

He leans into her ear, "...Ke itse pelo ya gago..."

I know your heart.

The beads tighten around her waist, "Ke itse maleo a gago" he rasps.

I know your sins.

Her heart burns down into her chest and she is terrified that he may know.

"—e bile ke a go rata."

And still, I love you.

She turns to look him in his eyes and they're filled with a darkness that at this point she is too naive to understand.

He knows.