Chapter 2 : Facebook contact

 

I was sweeping the floor of the spaza when my phone buzzed. Normally, it was nothing exciting maybe another WhatsApp from my cousin asking for airtime or some spam about winning a competition but this time… eish, it was a friend request.

Sandile.

I blinked, my broom pausing mid-sweep. Yoh, I didn’t even know the man used Facebook! My curiosity kicked in immediately, and I tapped his profile. He looked exactly the same messy hair that refused to stay down, overalls smeared with cement, but that grin… that grin could get a woman into trouble. I shook my head at myself and laughed quietly. And then, before I could overthink it, a message popped up.

Sandile: “Hey, sisi. Hope your day is better than your counting skills. ”

I rolled my eyes, trying to act cool, though my fingers trembled slightly as I typed back.

Nomusa: “Eish, mfethu, you always talking, huh? And you on Facebook? Who knew bricklayers had more data for Facebook ?”

He replied almost immediately, the little blue ticks showing instantly. 

Sandile: “Smart and funny. I like that combo. How’s your evening looking?”

Next thing I knew, we were chatting. And chatting. And chatting… I didn’t even realize the hours slipping by. The shop faded into the background the hum of the fridge, the dusty sunlight through the window, the faint smell of stale bread none of it mattered.

Stories, jokes, little confessions spilled between us as if we’d known each other forever. My heart kept skipping beats every time his words appeared, playful, teasing, daring.

Then he sent one message that made my stomach do somersaults:

Sandile: “Sisi, get ready. Tomorrow, we’re having dinner. Sakhumzi Restaurant, Soweto. Wear something red. Trust me, you’ll turn heads.”

I stared at the screen, blinking. Red? Yoh, this man… bold, reckless, and somehow impossibly charming. My cheeks warmed, and I smiled, shaking my head. 

Nomusa: “Red, eh? You really think you can boss me around, mfethu?”

Almost immediately, his reply popped up: 

Sandile: “I’m not thinking. I know. And you’re going to thank me, trust me.”

I laughed quietly, trying to act calm, though my heart was racing and my mind spinning. Red. Soweto. Him. Eish… this was going to be interesting, and deep down I knew it. Somehow, I already had a feeling this dinner wasn’t just a meal it was the start of something I wouldn’t be able to stop thinking about, no matter how much I tried.