CHAPTER ELEVEN
It all requires focus, discipline and determination to be that you're dreaming of. Don't Quit! It's all in your hands--- Marcus Chidinma Glory.
(DECEMBER 2015, CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA)
Helen improved in her writing faster than she expected. The holidays had begun and every moment of preparation had become a source of joy. She looked forward to his teachings and once or twice, Mr Ben dropped her at home.
On such occasions, he stayed for a while and ate lunch with them. He would then exchange few words with Aunty Eva who was ever so ready to respond to his soul searching questions. When he was ready to leave, he would encourage Helen as though she was all he came for.
The knock on the door interrupted the game they were playing.
"Who could that be?" They looked at each other as Aunty Eva gestured for Helen to open the door.
She opened the door cautiously and her mouth opened in surprise when she saw who was around.
"Hi Brett, what are you doing here?"
"Won't you let me inside?" Brett replied raising his brows.
"Well, come in" Helen said as she widened the door space.
He came inside and her aunt assessed him in few seconds and nodded her head approvingly. Helen didn't notice all that.
"What are you doing here?" Helen asked him again.
"Helen! You don't treat a visitor like that!" her aunty mouthed.
"Sit down please" Aunty Eva turned and said to him.
"What will you like to take?" Aunty Eva asked further. Helen rolled her eyes and shook her head.
As Helen escorted him later, he asked her if she would like to attend his pool party.
"Where?" She asked.
"In my house"
"Oh!"
"I hope you know how to swim?"
"Is that a requirement?" She asked with open hands.
"No not really, I just asked because it's a pool party and..."
"I will just come and sit quietly"
"Then I would push you into the pool"
"You won't try that" Helen replied with a smile.
"Well if you can't swim, there will be a lot of booze"
"I don't drink"
"That's a lie, you remember I saw you the other night at the club"
"That was coloured water in a bottle"
"Hmmm...Do you know what I am thinking?"
"What?" She asked turning to face him.
"That you're funny"
"You are not serious. I thought you wanted to say something of value"
"On a more serious note, if you get drunk, I will take you to my room"
"That's not gonna happen" She replied and playfully slapped him.
"The young guy looks cool" Aunty Eva commented as soon as she entered the house, trust Aunty Eva for always assessing boys.
"He invited me to a pool party"
"You are going, aren't you?" She asked in a tone that dared her to disagree.
"Of course, I will"
"That's my girl, tomorrow remind me to get you a dress from one of the shops"
"I thought you said you were short on cash"
"My dear, looking beautiful is necessary. I bet your uncle's children will be around"
"Yeah that's true" Helen replied with a frowned look.
"Then my idea is perfect"
Helen rolled her eyes again.
*******
She entered the compound with mixed emotions. She stood glancing around, admiring the building, until someone tapped her from behind.
"Are you mesmerized?" He spoke. He had caught her staring at the structures of the house.
She turned to see him smiling as though he just won a gold medal.
"Hi Brett" She said as he hugged her. She felt warmth of affection spread through her body.
"You look stunning" He commented as he led her through the doors where everyone were.
"Thank you" She replied.
"You're popular" She said as she observed the number of students that gathered.
"Popularity is my middle name" He replied with an air of pride, as some friends hailed him here and there. She knew it was because of her presence and suddenly she wanted to get out, she didn't like the attention she was getting. It was as though the girls stopped their conversations to stare at her.
"Thanks to Aunty Eva for the beautiful dress, she wouldn't be shocked if she saw her picture on Instagram" She thought as they sat down.
She watched the girls stroll from one corner of the pool to the other side flirting with every boy available. She didn't notice Mina who sat few metres away watching her every move.
"What will you drink?" He asked in a relaxed tone, bringing her out of her world of thoughts.
"I don't drink. I told you the other day" She replied laughing.
"Don't tell me that" He said as he dragged her to her feet.
"Isn't that your boyfriend, Mina?" Sasha asked. She was one of the girls who sat with the twins as though she was some sort of body guard. It was like this, if you could get to walk with the popular girls in high school, you were seen as popular and gained the attention of both guys and girls. So you raised your head high and chew gum in false pretence like someone of high value.
"I guess I gave her to keep for a while, why don't you mind your business?" Mina replied fanning herself as though the shade had some holes that exposed some sun rays.
"That's crazy!" Ann said looking at Helen as she laughed at something Brett had said.
"If I was the one, I would punch her till her insides turned to jelly" Jessica contributed.
"See who's aiming for the fight, you couldn't even handle Cecilia" Martha said laughing which resulted in an angry look from Jessica.
"I know what to do" Mina said and stood up.
*******
"Did you bring your swimming trunk?" Brett asked.
"No, I told you I can't swim."
"Yeah that's true" Brett replied and....
"Oh!" Helen screamed as she felt the impact of the push. She was shocked to see herself in the pool. It could be only one person that would do this. She started laughing only to look up to see Mina glaring at her and Brett shocked look. She looked around and noticed others were shocked too. Then she understood, she was wrong, Mina pushed her.
"Mina, is something wrong with your thinking faculty?" She asked.
"You must have asked yourself that question, when you stole my boyfriend."
"Ohhhhh" Everyone shouted.
"Are you alright?" Helen countered back.
"Shut up before I teach you how to mind your business"
"Ohhhhh" came the response of everybody again. They were enjoying the scene.
At that moment, Helen became furious and dragged her into the pool and gave her the beating of her life, some people snapped the pictures as Brett jumped in to drag a wet Helen while someone else helped Mina whose nose had started to bleed.
"Brett" Mina called as she saw him take Helen inside.
He didn't respond.
Helen was too tired to talk as Ben led her to one of the rooms.
"Let's get you dried up" He said, tossed a dry towel and left the room.
She took it. When she was done, she threw the towel aside and came out to meet him.
"I would like to leave" She said.
"Why? The party haven't started"
"I am serious, my dress is wet.Will you drop me off?"
He turned and entered inside. She wondered what he was up to. He came out well dressed.
"Let's go" He said and they left the premises.
*******
I wish I didn't attend that party Helen said but Aunty Eva replied that it was the best thing for her to have done.
"You needed to show your cousins that you're worth something too" She had said. Aunty Eva had a way of analyzing things in that was different from the way other people thought or reasoned but this time Helen understood her but she was glad she turned Brett down when he wanted to take things further with her in the car. It would be the most stupid thing to do. She would be the ridicule of all at School.
She was still thinking about this when she heard the knock on the door.
"Will you check who is there?" Aunty Eva said pushing her out of the room.
"Mama Leratho!" Helen screamed and hugged the woman who had been a very faithful mother. Aunty Eva came rushing out. It was a pleasant evening afterwards. Mama Leratho couldn't stop commenting about their weight and size, and finally ended her speech with her telling Aunty Eva that it was high time she settled down.
*******
Helen walked around the market buying foodstuffs for Christmas all she thought was the inspiration to write and as she arrived home. She took her pen.
"The woman looked at me as I haggled the price of the chicken, she had the kind of stare that said " get out of my shop " but I was all the more determined to buy it for that set price. She refused finally and then I had to leave the shop. As I turned to leave, I saw this young boy staring at me. I thought I had stained my dress. I had to look back to confirm and then I hurried away. I needed to get back home on time..."
She wrote and paused. As she took her pen to continue....
"Helen!"
She stood up immediately.
********
At Church the next day, As the Pastor preached, she started writing.
"With his determined face, he preached to us about Jesus Christ and as He did I thought of the love the Father had for me. This Love made him to send his son to the world so that I might be saved. Today is Christmas. Jesus thank you for coming. I am so grateful, you came. Happy Birthday, Jesus!" She wrote and looked at her aunt who smiled at her. She smiled back but didn't know the reason why her aunt smiled until she looked at the direction of her eyes.
Mr Ben was in Church!
Helen introduced Mr Ben to Mama Leratho after service and the old woman was very glad to meet him.
"There would be enough chicken to go round, you should join us for Christmas meal"
Mr Ben nodded and tried to offer one excuse or the other, but Mama insisted and Mr Ben had to follow them.
Helen saw her teacher in another light, different from the man who taught her about writing. He was in a very carefree mood and laughed at some of the jokes mama said. He offered to take her and Aunty Eva out the next day and Mama agreed before he decided to ask for her permission!
He took us out the next day, while he and my aunt talked, I started writing...
"I can see the love in their eyes. Oh! I can feel her heart beats. It sounds as fast as the movement of my pen. She looks at him with wonder in her eyes and he looks at her with a kind of fear, will she misinterpret my help towards her niece?" He asks himself. She can't tell him her feelings. They just met and besides she will look desperate"Is this love?" She asks herself."
She heard the footsteps behind her.
"You are writing again." Her Aunt said and she immediately closed the book. "She must not see this write up." Helen thought.
"Let's go, Ben is waiting for us in the car"
"Ben? Did she just call my teacher Ben? This is the surprise of the century" Helen mouthed.