When The Truth Comes Out - Part 1 (Short Fiction)

“Can they see us?”

“No,”

“Okay, come closer.”

Nonkululeko giggled as Jacque pulled her by the waist and kissed her. Of course, they had kissed many times before, but she always felt this warm rush of joy each time. She was so in love with him.

“I hear footsteps!” Jacque exclaimed and pulled her further down the windy, dirt road and quickly behind a tree. The footsteps continued past them.

“Yoo, that was close!” Nonkululeko sighed with relief and then she ran her fingers through her boyfriend’s, soft, curly, light brown hair. She loved his blue eyes and often teased him that he looked like the jocks and football players from all the teen American movies they watched. He hated it when she said that, but he had to admit that he was well-built. He worked hard to get a toned and muscled body!

His girlfriend, Nonx or Noni, on the other hand, was tiny and he would completely envelop her when they hugged. Noni always had long black braids that reached her waist, and when she wasn’t in school, her braids would be different colours, from red to purple, and even bright green braids once. He loved that about her. Although she was small in frame, she was dynamite in character, sometimes a little too much. She often jumped from 0 to 100 when she started anything and when she was determined to do something, there was no stopping her, except this one thing, telling her parents about them. Noni would not tell her parents about Jacque Venter.

“Babe, you know if you told your parents, we wouldn’t have to hide like this?”

“Arg, J, this again?”

“I have a big test coming up and…”

“Nonx, it’s been 4 years, so it's not about this test. Why don’t you want to tell them about me?”

Noni shifted uncomfortably and wiggled her way from underneath him. He held her shoulders to stop her from moving away and avoiding her question. Then he peered into her eyes.

“Tell me, why won’t you tell them?”

She decided to try something different to distract him and leaned forward to kiss him, but he sighed and gently pushed her away.

“I am going to varsity next year and I had hoped to go with a girlfriend who I could openly hold hands with but if you can’t give me that…”

“Wait, what are you saying? You know we are going to UCT together, that is the dream.”

“So that I can keep hiding from your parents in case they come to campus? No way Nonx, I’m not doing that. I wanted us to get a room to live in together. Imagine how much fun we would have if we lived together!”

“You just want to have sex with me, admit it!”

“No! I mean yes, of course I want to have sex with you, eventually…but I am happy to wait until you’re ready. This is about doing other stuff together. Being together all the time and having THE best time. But it will never happen if you keep this secret.”

“But J, you know my parents already like you.”

“Yeah, as your childhood friend who hangs around too much. We’re not kids anymore.”

Noni held his hands and rubbed them gently. She hated to see him in pain like this, and he was right, she was almost 18 and could make her own choices in life. She took a deep breath in.

“Okay, okay. I will tell them about you tonight.”

“You promise?”

“Yes, I promise. Wish me luck.”

“Why would you need luck? Your folks will be thrilled.”

Nonkululeko would soon find out if he was right, or wrong about this…