Chapter {16} Destiny

"Heavenly Lord, please create a clean heart in me, renew my thoughts so they can be pure, keep in your strong tower where no evil can reach. Please help me to be the light of this world as Matthew five verses fourteen to sixteen says and please help me to love my enemies and pray for them as you have commanded us to do. Thank you, father. In the mighty name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen."

That afternoon I just felt the spirit tell me to pray after speaking to me through Matthew 5:13-16 and in a miraculous way I felt better and ready for all the things the world wanted to throw at me because truth being told when I read Samantha's article I was deeply hurt and wanted to lash out but something just seemed to hold me back and told me to calm down and that something was the Holy Spirit. Now all I could ask was patience and love from the Almighty God.

Today Thato and I were going shopping for some essentials and clothes, something we had agreed upon over a week ago.

I dressed up in a big warm grey coat, black joggers and a pair of white Nike Airs gifted to me by my one and only best friend during our eighth friendship anniversary.

My crossbody bag was around my body when I jogged out of my room because as usual I was late and Thato always kept to time so she would surely bite my head off. In no time I was in the living room where to my surprise my best friend was spiralled on our plush white rug with five books widely opened and a pen in her mouth as she hastily typed something into her laptop whilst simultaneously writing something on an exam pad paper. Her natural hair twists were tied probably to avoid any disturbances as she looked pretty busy.

"Hey, bestie," I said taking a seat on our couch as I watched her continue writing, in her own world.

"Thato?" I called out once more, having not heard me, a mere second later her soft brown eyes watched the room for the person who was calling her before they finally landed on me and she smiled before going back to her work. It must've been really important because she would be chatting me away by now not smiling.

I stuck my head into her laptop, "What are you busy with?"

"A gastronomy research," she replied her forehead forming lines of concentration, she had been busy with it since morning.

"Oh, okay?" For the life of me, I did not know what gastronomy was but I agreed nonetheless.

I walked across the room, my shoes lightly brushing on the hardwood flooring as I made my way to each and every window, pulling on the beige double panel curtains along with their sheers shut as darkness swallowed the room whole before I switched on the bright white lights.

"Are we still going shopping today?" I asked as I toke back my former seat.

Her eyes widened before she slapped her palm against her face, running it down her face. I guessed that she must've forgotten all about the shopping due to her reaction but who could blame her? One could easily see that she was under immense pressure that even her forehead had creases.

"Eish! That completely slipped my mind," she shook her head, her eyes showing her sincerest apologies for forgetting.

"I guessed as much," I chuckled, trying to lighten up the mood as I did not need her to beat herself up over something so miniture but she didn't look at it as I did as she quickly put bookmarks on her textbooks before closing them and switching off her laptop.

"Please wait for me I'm going to freshen up a bit then we can go shopping okay?" By now she had stood up and was halfway through our stairs.

"No, don't, just sit back and take a breather, you seem stressed," I walked up to her, toke her by her hand and pulled her up into her Scandinavian-themed bedroom inspired by her love for fruits and vegetables which come in all shapes and sizes, you could never get bored with all the unique shapes all round the room paired with the bold and vibrant yellow colour scheme.

"Now get in and rest," I instructed pulling off her duvet cover and gesturing to the warm and cosy-looking bed.

"But, you cannot go to the shops alone and the deadline of the assignment is like tomorrow," she mumbled trying to find a way to escape resting but I would hear non of that.

"No, Thato, I can and will go the shops alone and you will rest because how will you work if your body and mind are tired?" She was about to protest but I strongly shook my head before she could say anything.

"Okay," she sighed before slowly climbing into her bed, letting out a huge yawn, making me give her an 'i told you so' look before tucking her in.

"What would you like me to buy you?" I dimmed her very distinctively shaped light fixtures on her nightstands so it would not be completely dark in the room. The dimmed lights effectively cast a warm glow into the room before soft snores filled the room. Turning back I watched as my best friend's duvet slowly but steadily moved up and down, causing a small smile to fall onto my face, nostalgic memories filled me up as she looked like the ten-year-old that had decided to befriend me when nobody else would only now she was eight years older —a young adult.

Tip-toeing to the door I gently opened it so as to not make a sound before stepping into the hallway and slowly closing it successfully. My best friend was a light sleeper so even the thinnest of noises could wake her up, effectively making it difficult for her to fall asleep again.

*****

The hues of orange, red and yellow meshed together perfectly giving me the opportunity to marvel at the Lord's handwork and creativity, he was truly an artist and potter and we and all on Earth were the canvas and the clay as a unique song said. The moon stood out shining brightly, stealing all the spotlight and miraculously replacing the ever-present sun, in no time at all the stars would also be stealing my attention. Once again I stood in awe of how much of a beautiful God we served and how he had planned out everything from the very beginning, I mean imagine what would happen if the sun suddenly stopped shining? If the moon turned black? Thankfully none of those situations had taken place and we could only thank one person for keeping us perfectly safe, Our Father who art in heaven.

The soft blowing of the wind toke me out of my reverie of thoughts, now making me look at the happily dancing trees moving to one tune but in different directions. The movement reminded me of how we were the same but were unique and different in our own special ways and that's when I saw all the individuals quickly walking to their destinations and those in groups strolling around without a care in the world and I was busy admiring God's marvellous creation when I had to be going the shops before they closed up or it was too late.

*****

Finally, I was at my last stop, the grocery store after one tiring hour of clothes shopping. The store had aisles upon aisles making it extremely difficult to look for the fruits, vegetables, sweets, fryables and of course ice cream and some chocolate mousse but I was determined to finish my trip on a good note.

I wheeled my half-full trolley across the vegetable aisle, which I had thankfully found as I bought everything, oh and that reminded me that I had to give my mom a call to thank her for the money she had sent me, instead of the measly text I had sent her. I left my trolley behind as I surveyed all the products looking for the vegetable combo Sienna had told me about and because of my mindless searching my body jerked up as I bumped into a strong wall, but looking down at it, it had legs with black slacks and feet with black Oxford shoes that were so shiny I could literally see my reflection on them and walls definitely did not smell like sandalwood so this was a person, a man to be specific so I slowly raised my eyes to the face and was struck by the familiar pools of grey eyes that stared intently at me.

I must've forgotten how to move or even breathe because one moment I was standing and the next I was preparing to fall on the cold tiles of the shop, a shriek escaped my lips at the thought of the throbbing pain I would feel after the fall but before I could even touch the floor, warm and strong arms came behind my back and gently lifted me up, again. We stood in the middle of the aisle just staring at each other, his eyes roaming around my face, as though taking in all my features. I toke in his features, from his black hair that shined underneath the shine of the lights, it was messy like he had ran his hands in it countless times but still looked beautiful, soft and silky, his eyebrows had two thinly cut lines that their edges giving him a dangerous feel. His eyes were one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen, like two pools meeting to create a lucid colour that shone brightly in his eyes but the eyes also looked like they had seen a lot, wondered and found a lot. I then turned my attention to his perfectly sculpted nose and as I was to another forbidden feature of his, when a voice I recognised as Samantha's called out.

"Ally, what are you doing here?" She walked over to us, and I hurriedly tried to move out of his stronghold but he kept looking at me, as Samantha drew nearer he gently let go of me, sighing, before running his hand through his hair, his face was expressionless but his eyes held frustration whilst I tried to catch my breath, what was I even doing with someone else's boyfriend?

She finally reached us appareled in a pink mini-skirt, with pink fishnet stockings, the first of its kind knee-high red bottoms and a pink sweatshirt hoodie crop top, looked like she was an absolute fan of pink.

"Oh, Desire, you're here?" She looked at me distastefully that she had even said my name in the wrong way. By now she stood in front of us.

"Destiny," she raised an eyebrow. "My name's Destiny and I was just looking for some..." What was I looking for again? Come on brain do not go blank on me now. Oh, I was looking for the vegetable combo, "I was looking for the vegetable combo." I replied as she rolled her eyes.

"In my man's arms?" Her icy blue eyes narrowed into slits as she crossed her arms on her chest.

"Samantha," Nio called in a warning tone and for the first time, he had an agitated expression on his face.

"What? Did she perhaps think you were the vegetable combo and decided to jump on top of you?" She stared intently at him daring him to say anything but he did not need to.

"No, I did not think so, I just slipped and he being the gentleman he is held me to stop my fall," I answered slipping with the word gentleman. Nio had a smirk on his face and Samantha was fuming.

"Gentleman, you say?" She toke slow steps towards me. "Or were you just being a girl without morals?" I was not one to get angry but this girl was asking for my anger.

"Samantha that's enough!" Nio gritted out before grabbing her by her arm and pulling her back to his side as she rolled her eyes, looking at me with hate brimming her eyes. Sometimes I wished I could hate my enemies but I could not bring myself to do so, so I decided I would just pray for her.

"Destiny, it was good seeing you but we have to leave," he smiled a tad bit before turning on his heel, pulling Samatha with him and walking away. They looked to be having a heated talk as they walked away.

I looked away confused and angry at myself for admiring Samantha's boyfriend and there in front of me was the vegetable combo.

*****

I gently closed my bible and climbed into my bed with only one thought on my mind.

I think I have a crush on someone else's boyfriend but I would ignore my feelings, they were too immoral. With that promise, I switched off my lights.