How to Crush the Right Way

29| new discoveries

29| new discoveries

Blaq Diamond - umuthi

'Egoli impilo ayikho, alukho uthando'

*

The thing with getting attached to people as that you don't really know if they're going to leave you at some point or if they're here to stay but then again, life is all about gambling and taking risks, hoping and wishing for a positive outcome.

I felt like this year, I had taken too many risks that it surprised me too.

I took a risk with Mason; that didn't turn out too well.

I took a risk with throwing a party; that ended with my phone being confiscated.

I took a risk with Donell; that just resulted with a colossal amount of heartache.

I took a risk with Anwar; that ended with me in a dark place with tears in my eyes and a flashlight in my hand.

All I saw at first, was red.

No, it wasn't blood, thank the Heavens.

It was Zamir's red shirt.

The fabric was torn, and it looked like something had bitten it off.

Then I saw skin.

The skin of an Indian boy and a white boy.

Again - no, they were not skinned alive.

They were just laying there, for a split second, they looked lifeless until Zaza pressed two fingers underneath their necks to check for a pulse and when she sighed in relief, it was like a weight had been lifted off of everyone's shoulders.

We were still not sure what had happened but Zamir and Anwar looked unconscious.

When Zamir and Anwar were being attended to, our group had to go back to the campsite because it was too dangerous to travel on foot at this time of night.

I was still shaken and I hadn't spoken since I had seen them.

Jade had on an indecipherable emotion the whole time. I couldn't decide if she was even affected by it all. All she did was stare straight ahead with a grimace on her face.

I so badly wanted to ask her what she was thinking but I couldn't bring myself to open my mouth and say even one word. Now that I thought about it, we were all silent.

I don't know what came over me, but I started humming a song that was stuck in my mind.

"Sing it, Ash," Tshiamo said, "I think we all need a distraction."

Then when I opened my mouth, the lyrics came tumbling out.

"Sengkhumbule ekhaya

Nyawo zami ngibelethe

kwafelubala

sengilele esifubeni samama"

At first I sounded unsure, I doubted myself as I tentatively sang one of my favourite songs from the Blaq Diamond duo but when I felt Tshiamo give my hand a reassuring squeeze, I forgot all about my insecurities and sang my heart out.