The Joys of life

02

[chapter 2]

My grandmother woke me up early in the morning around 3 am, and led me to the lounge where I found my grandfather sitting with the newspaper in front of him. He hands me the newspaper and I start searching, it doesn't help that my heart is pounding so hard and I'm sweating.

Mkhulu: "Can you.."

Gogo: "Let her be Khumalo!" I slow down when I finally find my exam number. I jump up screaming and dancing around with tears. Gogo hugs me tightly

Gogo: "I'm so proud of you baby."

Me: "You don't even know if I passed with an H or what Gogo." I say giggly, she smiles

Gogo: "I'd still be proud because you would have done your best."

Mkhulu: "Come here baby girl." he says opening his arms for me. I dive right in, his hugs are always the warmest and comfy.

Gogo: "We going out later on!!"

Me: "Yippee!!" I dance a little, and they both laugh at me.

Mkhulu: "You can go back to bed."

Me: "By the way, I passed with a B and six distinctions!" I wink at them and then go back to my room. I lay in bed imagining myself in university already. Oh, I can't wait. I dial Nqo and she answers immediately

Nqo: "I am so nervous friend." she says immediately after answering her phone.

Me: "You haven't seen the paper?"

Nqo: "No, Mom and Dad just left to go buy it now."

Me: "Mkhulu long got back with it, I passed." she screams so loudly and I hear Gogo Mnikathi shouting at her in the background.

Nqo: "Friend!!!!!" she sniffs, yup she is a crybaby. Always crying.

Me: "Let's meet by the fence and we'll check yours also."

Nqo: "Okay." I quietly walked out of the house and she was already standing by the fence. I hand her the paper over the fence then turn on my phone flashlight as well as she places it on the floor and starts searching. She jumps up screaming too, I join her until both our grannies come out

Gogo: "Hey you two!! You cannot be screaming in the middle of the night!"

Nqo: "But we allowed to Gogo, it's our night!"

Gogo Mnikathi: "Y'all will scream as much as y'all want later on. Come Nqobile."

Me: "Bye Harvard babe." I blow her a kiss, and she smiles.

Her: "Bye Wits babe." You got it, we both going to different places this year and I must say it won't be easy especially since we've been in schools together since our late primary years.

__________
Later on that day, after we had come back from shopping with my grandparents, I was now chilling in my room trying to set up my new phone. Mkhulu and I had made a deal that if I passed my matric well without any problems or a baby, he'd get me an iPhone that I've always wanted. He really got me it today while Gogo bought me clothes and gave me some money.

Nqo: "Friend!" she says walking in and throwing herself on my bed.

Me: "Hey Harvard girl. I am so happy and excited for us bruh, you don't know!" she sighs

Nqo: "Yah."

Me: "You don't sound happy."

Nqo: "I just had a bad argument with my parents."

Me: "What? Why?"

Nqo: "I don't think I want Harvard anymore. I am scared of being all across the country without the people I'm used to. I understand there are some relatives on that side but I'm not even familiar with them."

Me: "Hey.. take this as a chance to see new people and meet new people. A different environment will do you good babes, especially with the kind of career you want to partake on. You will need serious connections especially abroad connections so nje please! Don't sleep on yourself."

Nqo: "Thanks, babe. I guess you are right. I am just so scared of the change and not being around people I know."

Me: "Well staying in your comfort zone with us, the people you are used to won't help you at all with the growth you need. You need this, trust me." she hugs me for some time then finally breaks it.

Nqo: "Thanks." she notices my phone and starts jumping on my bed.

Nqo: "Get out of here!!!!!! What!!!!!"