36 Questions to Fall in Love...in 36 days!

Chapter 65: Do Overs and Untold Stories

4th December 2023🥀

“No! We are not playing that song again, please, heavens no.” Mkhulu complains, making Dominique and I laugh.

“ Mr July, it's worth it.” Dominique says from the backseat but Mkhulu is having none of it, shaking his head profusely.

It's night time. The stars and the moon are out, the chilly air welcoming from the humid weather we've been having lately. I roll down the window, the wind gushes in, in soft gentle waves.

We're in Mkhulu's car. After sleeping for a few hours, waking up and heading to church then coming back from church so we can sleep some more. Then waking up to eat, we're finally on our way to the restaurant  Food and Karaoke.

Dominique insisted that we chose the same place as the last time. Since we picked Dominique up, he plugged in his phone and has been playing the same song on repeat.  Night Air.

Mkhulu and I shared a concerned look with each other when Dominique put it on replay for the sixth time.

“Do you have any other songs on your phone?” Mkhulu asks.

“Yes,” Dominique answers, “ but none of them are as good as this one.”

“Play something else, anything is better than this song at this point.”

Dominique says something back but it's tuned out, blurred. My focus shifts, the thoughts circulating around my head bringing me back to a certain place.

All day I tried to contact Olivia on where we should meet up, to do the next set of questions but she's unreachable. I called, texted and even sent an SMS.

It's less about the questions and more about me, wanting more quality time with her. The wind continues to pour in the car in gentle waves and all I can think is that I miss her. The stars twinkle, winking at me like they know everything I don't.

It's simply a day, I tell myself, feeling a little pathetic for not even letting her have a day to herself.

I'll see her tomorrow, I tell myself and the resolution brings a smile to my face. Olivia and I have a future together.

❄️❄️❄️

“My father was very strict so he only ever allowed my brother's and I to—” Mkhulu shares pieces of his past with Dominique while the three of them step out of the car.

Dominique listens, with keen interest, barely interrupting, sharing glances at me from time to time as if to confirm if what Mkhulu is saying is true.

“Old people lie like it's a language.” I tell Dominique, when Mkhulu's not listening and he laughs, his head falling backwards.

It's busy, just like before. The night is alive,  hundreds of people walking, stepping out of stores and stepping in laughing, talking. There's no place where the silence isn't filled.

We're almost close to the restaurant, and my palms break into a sweat. I wipe them on my pants, ignoring the feeling settling over me.

It was on a night like this where the distance between Olivia and I was felt and  seen like a shadow that stepped out of hiding.

Before I can dwell on anything else, I'm reminded of yesterday. Of the reconciliation we had. The way we broke the barriers between us. After kissing her, I was close to tears. I'm reminded of the promises we made, and the love I saw in her eyes, like an emanation of everything I was feeling.