48. The 7th guest 2

Bonga was my high school crush, and my mother knew that very well because when I confessed and got rejected, she was the one who comforted me, "Mother, you know I have not seen him since our last day of school, what would we talk about?"

My mom kept her calm demeanor, "Honey, the guy has been asking about you".

I furrowed my brows, "How do you know that?",

"The ladies at the church told me. I don't know what you are worried about. It is just dinner, it is not like I am marrying you off to him, besides, it will be nice to catch up with him. Who knows he might be the reason you finally forget about that boy from your company.", I could sense my mom's contempt for Walter, she hated me being hung up on him.

"Dad!" I looked at him, although he said nothing, but his eyes showed whose side he was on, "It's just dinner honey..."

It might have looked like just dinner, but I knew very well what my mom was thinking. I had only been at home for two months but she had already tried to set me up on 5 blind dates, but I never went to any of them. I was very impressed by her change in tactics though, 'if you can't go to them, I will bring them to you'.

I surrendered to my mom, besides, the guy was already on his way, the back and forth was not going to change anything. I breathed out a sigh of defeat, melting away all the tension I had been harboring, "Fine, but if it doesn't work out, promise me no more blind dates"

My mom's eyes lit up, "I promise honey, he is the last one! Meeting adjourned, let's get out of this car, we have people waiting" she said looking very excited making me wonder where the confidence was coming from.

As soon as we stepped out of the car, my mom helped my dad to the door and led Sandra's parents inside the house leaving only Sandra and me outside. We went to the boot, I took out stuff and handed it to her, while her eyes were curiously glued on me,

"Girl, my mom tells me that Bonga is coming, is it the same Bonga from high school? Your crush Bonga?", 

"Former Crush, thank you, but yes, I am to be wed to him", I said sarcastically, not hiding my annoyance from her

"Don't you two have a history?", she asked 

"Well, more like I have a history with him, I am the one who confessed remember?". The thought of that still haunted me to this day. I went and pulled the boombox scene from the classic "Say Nothing" Movie while he was at the library, well it was more like a music-on-speaker phone. Bonga was the smartest guy in class, we spoke a few times and I found out that he loved that movie, hence I really thought that strategy would land him on my lap, but destiny had other plans.

"Yeah right...that was very painful to watch, but if it makes you feel better, I thought it was romantic. You did your research and came up with something unique. I do feel for you though, what do you think he looks like? Do you think he still wears glasses?". She asked giving me a very mischievous smile

I found myself sighing heavily, "Well...I don't know and I don't care, bruh let's try to endure it. It's for my dad." 

By the time we took everything out, both our hands were full, we looked at each other because someone had to close the boot. 

Sandra chuckled, "You know what, stay here while I go put these inside then I-".

"Do you ladies need help?", I heard a familiar voice coming from the front of the car, it sounded mature, but there was no denying who that was. We couldn't see his face thanks to the open boot, but he soon appeared in front of us, and there he was in person! The owner of that smooth 'Barry White' voice, the boy who made me play Westlife (why do I love you ?) on repeat while bawling my eyes out in a bucket of ice cream. The boy who made me have a love/hate relationship with 'Say Nothing' and I must say, he looked nothing like he was in high school. The glasses were now replaced by a pair of beautiful dark eyes, but his dimpled smile remained the same, still radiating his kindness and gentleness, 'wow!', I thought in astonishment at the changes. He had on a simple black T-shirt and blue jeans, but these emphasized his broad shoulders and his tight chest.

"Oh, Bonga! Is that you?", Sandra said bringing me back to my senses, but the weird thing is, she was looking at me while talking to him, and at that moment, I knew she was thinking the same thing as my mother. 

"Hi Sandra, still lively as ever I see. Let me get one of these" he said politely while reaching for the gifts in my hands, flushing a smile toward me which caught me off-guard and I found myself impulsively declining his help, 

"It's okay- We"

"-will leave it to you", Sandra jumped in to complete the sentence. 

Bonga took the gifts to the house leaving me and Sandra to close the boot, the moment his shadow disappeared into the house I turned to her with my eyes wide open, "What was that Sandra?! Not you too", it felt like the two people I expected to understand why I needed to avoid Bonga, were the ones pushing me towards him

"Me, what about you? It's like your brain glitched and you forgot where you were", she clapped back with a feisty attitude, 

"Yeah, but not like that, I am really not there. I am still trying to get over-"

Sandra cut me off and her face turned dark and her voice was suddenly covered in anger, "Oh, please don't say his name..."

"Fine, but, I am not interested in Bonga Kingsley". I understood where Sandra was coming from, it was a normal reaction to the mess I dealt with, a reaction I wished I possessed. 

When we got to the house, everyone was already seated, and coincidentally, my seat was next to Bonga. It was like everyone in the room was in a cahoot to get me hitched to him, the secret looks and the secret smiles were just too evident, I just sighed and pulled the chair, 

"So, Bonga, are you in a relationship with anyone?", my mom's question almost sent me flying off my chair, "Ma!"

"What?", she asked calmly and nonchalantly, 

"Really?! We just sat down, shouldn't we eat first before throwing personal questions like that?", I exclaimed really struggling to hide my frustrations, 

Bonga flashed a smile, "It's okay Thandie, is not a difficult question. No ma'am, I am single.", 

"There! he answered, can we eat now?", I politely snapped at her

"Yeah, that's all we needed to know...", she replied with a genuine smile on her face

"One more question, are you a long-term-commitment labels-defined relationship guy or a situationship-kind of person?", Sandra added to my mom's list of bizarre tailor-made questions, 

I gave her a disapproving look, "Sandra!! Not you too," 

"Oooh, good one Sandra!", My mom said proudly

"Mom, do you even know what a situationship is?", I looked at her curiously

"No, but whatever it is, it is definitely the opposite of a commitment, and we don't condone such in this table. It's either you are in or not, no in-betweens! So, answer boy?", she said sternly looking at Bonga,

"I am the first one ma'am, I prefer commitments.", he replied

I chuckled, 'even if you were not, you were probably not going to come out and say it'

It was like Bonga could read my mind because he went on to expand on his answer with more seriousness and conviction, "A situationship means that I must be open to sharing my woman, and that is something I can not stand. I am a decisive man and so I prefer a decisive woman. If you have problems that prevent you from being in a relationship, then you shouldn't even invite a person to your mess, because people are emotional beings, one way or another, someone is bound to catch feelings. So if you are not going to take responsibility for that, then don't start anything."

The whole table went silent in admiration of his maturity. I wouldn't have been surprised if the room suddenly broke into applause and cheers, I swear I saw my mother and Sandra already planning a wedding. Hell, I was even impressed, but his response caused a sting of pain in my heart.