Chapter 2 I

Natalie walked on the rocky pathway to the gate, but heard a window opening and turned to see where the sound was coming from. Her mother peeped her head out, squeezing her left hand out of the window burglar doors and throwing some keys to her feet. The bull terrier dog that was keeping up with Natalie all along came to sniff at the keys, looking so scary as the night grew darker.

"Hey! Lock my gate on your way out!" her mother screeched before removing her head from the steel patterns and shut the window closed, drawing the curtains back the way they were and walked back to her bedroom.

She chuckled when she could see how serious her mother was about the whole situation, knowing very well that she was never to return back home tonight, and was sure that she had to seek for a plan to at least have a roof over her head for the night.

She crouched to reach out of the keys, her miniskirt rising to her figure as her thighs slightly opened and Spiky moved aback, but the sight in front of him widened his eyes and slunted his face, for he could see Natalie's lacy undergarment in the opening. Natalie laughed to herself while rising to her feet and sauntered lazily to the gate. She brushed the dog's neck before exiting, locking the gate and throwing the keys back to the house and ambled to stand on the pavement. She could see how the curtains in the house opposite to hers began to twitch, and someone's big brown eyes peeped out to see who was standing there in the middle of the night.

She raised her middle finger for her neighbor to see, and it was then that the curtains closed and thick mist began to descend in the atmosphere.

She clicked her tongue as she fiddled her hands in her clutch bag, her long nails ransacking in between the lipsticks in the bag before seeing a car's front lights beaming in the distance in the corner of her eye, coming towards her direction and stopping only a few inches away from her, causing her to move away to avoid being hit by the motor. The owner revved his car, annoying Natalie more than ever as black smoke escaped from its exhaust. Its window came down, full of mist as the owner rested his arm on the frame, puffing on a cigarette bud and releasing its smoke in the air, laughing his ass out. He whistled upon seeing Natalie.

"You look so hot and scared sweetheart," the owner said coming out of his car, still whistling, leaning against his red Cressida and throwing the tiny cigarette on the soil.

"Don't play like that Terrence," Natalie clicked her tongue and dialled a certain number on her phone, batting her lashes at Terrence who could see how frustrated she looked, although the beauty hidden in her face clouded the disgusted expression on her visage.

Terrence was fascinated by the sight in front of him, dismally failing to understand how possible it was for a human being to be so beautiful yet very sassy. Natalie was a light skinned girl with a slender body that blended so nicely with the yellow miniskirt she had put on, together with the bandeau like crop top she had on, matching with its skirt.

"Friendship," the caller answered, the sound of loud music making it impossible for Natalie to make out what she was saying.

"Friend zone please come and fetch me," she spoke so quickly and rolled her eyes, hearing nothing but loud music echoing in her ear drums.

Terrence folded his arms and a thin smile appeared on his face, his dark brown eyes almost invisible in the darkness of this cold April night.

The call cut and Natalie tried it again, this time her face turning almost pink in anger, impatient as she tapped her feet loudly on the pavement, boiling in outrage.

"Hi, this is Lorraine. Please leave your name and number, and I'll get back to you shortly. Bye," was all she could make out as she cursed loudly, forgetting about Terrence's presence.

"Take it easy sweetheart," Terrence said, unfolding his hands and touching hers but she removed them hastily.

"You don't get to tell me what to do," Natalie responded, looking down at her phone and sighing, trying to calm herself down.

"I'm sorry. Please take me to Duke's tavern, " she pleaded.

"I will, only if you agree to be my girl," Terrence convinced her, looking straight at her green eyes.

"Fine!" she dragged her body to the passenger's side and settled on it, unsure about the commitment she set upon herself but knew now more than ever, that a girl's got to do what has to be done to keep the train going.

Duke's tavern was only a ten minute drive away from home, and Natalie was just outside, waving Terrence goodbye, who beeped his bell and drove away. She turned around and saw her dream car parked outside the tavern, certain that the owner was not a resident of Ivory Park.

She walked to the door, and in the corner of the room was an English man. She knew that by the color of his skin, his thick ginger hair pointing in all directions, his head looking down at the table.

Her best friend Lorraine was drunk, dancing on top of a table, singing aloud and her silver phone was on the floor, its components scattered on the ground. She sighed and walked to the man, taking a seat next to him. The minute that man raised his head to look at this beautiful being in front of him, his heart of ice melted and he smiled, calling on the waiter to organize a drink for his guest.

"Hey Mr, " Natalie chuckled, placing her clutch bag on the table.

"5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Happy new year!" Terrence screeched and the fireworks burst into colors of green and red in the sky above his head before turning into spindle fibers of gold threads.

His best friend Tbose handed him a bottle of beer, holding onto his firmly as Terrence grabbed his, and Tbose clasped his hand tightly around Terrence's waist, shouting, "Happy new year!" as Terrence wrapped his hand around Tbose's shoulders.

Terrence's neighbor Didi, shortened from Modiehi came rushing to them, standing before them and dancing.

"Happy crossover!" she hugged Terrence, but it was not long till Tbose interrupted their embrace and his bottle fell on the ground as he dropped his bottle to the floor, spilling his drink.

"Thabo! Can't you see that these shoes are new?" Didi shouted, trying to grab Tbose by his shirt but far too drunk was he as he tumbled and collapsed on top of her, trying to kiss her.

"Sorry sweetheart," he was saying, although it sounded more like, "Throrry thweetart."

Terrence burst into laughter as he tried to lift his friend up, seeing how dirty his trousers looked. Didi stood up too and slapped Tbose across the face, walking back the way she came as the fireworks exploded into the darkness, painting patterns of light in the sky, a beautiful sight to Terrence who gulped down his drink, thanking the Lord silently for being with him throughout his entire life. Alongside him was Tbose, who was gagging and looked so frustrated.

Terrence's mother came rushing outside, ducking as though shielding herself from the fireworks, and held her son's shoulder, turning him to face her.

"Natalie is about to give birth!" she shouted at the top of her voice and Terrence's entire world came to a halt. He rushed to the garage and drove his lorry out of its hiding place, panicking when e thought about the pain Natalie was probably feeling.

He wished to go back to the street now that he could hear and smell the smoke of a burning tire with someone spinning it around, something that he had done all his life except for this year, because his wife's health mattered more than anything else in the world.

He saw his mum helping Natalie walk towards the car and he went to assist them. Seeing his wife so sweaty with a towel wrapped around her enormous stomach was a sight that made him so emotional, yet somehow he knew that he had to be strong for the both of them.

"Terrence," she whispered as though her voice had been hiding for so long and once found, was struggling to fully evolve. "I'm dying."

"Stay strong for me baby," his tears were on the verge of drawing in, knowing fully well that he had vowed all his life that he would protect Natalie, but now, it appeared that he couldn't, although there was nothing he could do to protect Natalie from the pain she was feeling.

They walked to the lorry, hearing the sounds of fireworks once again as Terrence opened the door for him mum and wife to enter, and rushed back to the driver's seat. He drove out of the yard, heading towards Natalie's home, a house at the corner of the street where he and Natalie first agreed to have a romantic relationship. That moment was the start of a beautiful chapter in his life. Focused on the road, it amused him to hear the sound of a baby's first cry, and when he turned his head to around, he saw his mother holding a little bloodied baby in her arms.

"Stop... l want ma to see her," Natalie said with her eyes closed and Terrence, still shocked, parked the car just outside Natalie's home and helped her out. Spiky barked as they entered, pulling Terrence's mum's dress with his teeth as she rushed inside with the baby on her chest, shouting: Piss off! all the way to the door and Terrence couldn't help but laugh.

The house, once full of life, looked so dull. It had been 9 full months since Natalie last set foot in this place. She was carried to the main bedroom, whose lights, just like those number of months earlier, were still switched off. She lit them, but the sight in front of her haunted her for the rest of her life. Her mother's lifeless head was resting on the bloody pillow, and Natalie sobbed loudly, wailing and calling out her mother's name as she collapsed to her feet.

"Paballo! That's my baby's name. I'll name her after ma, for my mother probably died so she could live," was all she said before she passed out.