YOLANDA
So, dad actually permitted me and Thando to have the taste of alcohol since we are both now responsible to do so, and I have been holding my first glass of champagne ever since it was given to me. Well, I guess you already know that I don’t like the taste of it one bit. It could be the flavour, but that is how I feel.
“Having fun?” Dad asks, coming from behind me and stands next to me. We are standing at the taffrail on the stern of the yacht. I have been alone in this area for a while with people who come and go. I won’t lie, it is a great yacht party, but I cannot stop thinking about what Kyle said to me. It hurt me so bad because he is my boyfriend and that was the least I expected to hear from him. He broke my heart.
“Not with this drink still in my hand,” I complain.
“Thando is on her fifth glass. Are you telling me that is still your first glass? You didn’t like it, did you?” Only if he knew that Thando has been doing this alcohol thing since her tenth grade.
“I hate it, but it is a great party. I just wish mom was here,” I comment.
He takes the champagne flute from my hand and puts it on the floor before he holds my hands and turns me to face him.
“Your mother was a nature person. She loved being anywhere near an ocean during vacations, so I believe that she is here with us,”
I roll my eyes, annoyed by his statement. I yank my hands from his grip and turn back to my previous position.
“If you believe that mom is really here, you would not be lusting over me right now. I don’t know why you cannot see how disgusting and wrong it is. You are going to make Thando hate me more than she already does,”
A smile creeps on his mouth and he tilts his head.
“So, does that mean that my little girl here has at least thought about it?”
I want to tell him yes, but that was months ago before I even met Kyle. That was when my “used-to-be best friend” hinted all these hot looks about my stepfather to me, and I started to creep on him. Yuck! But I am in love with Kyle now, and all that nonsense is out of my head.
“Sorry to disappoint you, but no. That is NEVER going to happen to Yolanda Xaba,” I smile at him. He shrugs his shoulders and clears his throat.
“My last name would sound good on you don’t you think? You might refuse to see it now, but one day, I am going to make you my wife, and you will love being my wife, shamelessly. You are just not ready for me right now but also keep in mind that I am not getting any younger. Yes, I may still look young, but the years have gone by. I am approaching forty and I don’t want to get there without you,”
“I don’t know why you are making this sound like it is my problem. You are the one having nasty thoughts about me. You are the one that harassed me in my swimming costume and took advantage of me. Dad, what you do is scary, and I do not like it. It is uncomfortable. Maybe you should focus on Petunia instead of me. I am sure she can make a good wife so much that you couldn’t wait to replace mom before her corpse even rot,”
“Nothing is happening between Petunia and me,” And just like that, he lies right in my face. I thought relationships were all about being honest with each other, but he chose to lie. He thinks that I am stupid, but what he does not know is that I do not need convincing from him when I know what I saw in his office. I know the “real” truth and one day when he is not expecting it, I am going to drop it on him.
Wait, why am I even bothered by the truth, and why on earth would I even ponder about us starting a relationship? No, I cannot be considering it.
“I am going back in there to join the party.”
***
Last day in Seychelles, and I am so exhausted from the yacht party from last night. I met a lot of wonderful people, Thando and I were having fun together, despite the tension between us, and Anele was the responsible one. Dad was surrounded by people, but even so, I caught him staring at me a couple of times. Does this mean that I was also staring at him, and he caught me a couple of times? Argh, this staring contest is confusing me, but anyway, we are all heading out for one last trip to his old friend. We are all in his private motor yacht, heading to his friend’s private island in the north. I wonder why it was so important for us to come here.
“WOW!” Anele exclaims as soon as the yacht stops. “Dad, are you telling me that your friend owns this villa, and it is his house, he lives here?”
“Yes, that is indeed what I have been telling you. Let’s go,”
We get off and head towards the entrance. This island has so many guards, and we only brought three of ours. If they were going to fight against each other, I would consider us dead people.
“Bennett, my old friend! It is really good to see you, man. How have you been!” An Indian-looking man in his swim shorts and an unbuttoned shirt, showing his hairy chest and potbelly waltz towards us with open arms to welcome dad, and probably us. One of his hands is holding a glass of whiskey, and the other has a lit cigarette.
If I know dad the way I think I do, I don’t think he is happy to see his friend.
“Muhammed,” He nonchalantly says. “It has been a minute. Meet my girls, Thando, Anele, and Yolanda,”
“Hello, sir,” We greet the man whom we have learned that his name is Muhammed.
“Beautiful daughters you have. Girls, why don’t you go inside and meet my wives?” Wives? Did Muhammed just say wives?
“Now I am curious! First, that man looks gay, and secondly, he just said wives. I cannot wait to find out how many wives he has,” Anele and I laugh when Thando announces as we walk towards the mansion. When we enter the foyer, a nice young lady welcomes us inside.
“Hi, welcome to our home,” She says with a beautiful smile. “My name is Sonia, and…”
“And you must be Muhammed’s daughter,” I quickly input, confidently.
“No, actually, I am his fiancée,” She says, showing me the diamond ring on her finger. Our jaws drop to the floor, speechless. If I were to guess her age, she is just as young as me if not in her early twenties. Muhammed looks way too old to be her lover.
Wait, so this whole trip was not about dad missing his old friend but me seeing that his friend married a young girl like me. Oh, I should have known! I am not going to fall for this. I cannot wait for us to go back home because I have a lot to say to him.
“Okay, just when I thought this was weird, it is getting even weirder. I want to see all the wives!” Thando fearlessly says. Oh, her mouth has no filter. Sonia politely smiles and nods her head.
Her eyes are sad though, and it cannot be Thando. Something more makes her sad. I should be her friend. She probably needs a friend, and I can be one to her.
Aksara