Busted! - Chapter 3.5: Bring Out The Night!

I arrived in Sandton City and found Menzi waiting for me by the Nelson Mandela statue. He really looked good. "Hey you" I said as I hugged him. I held his hand and we walked around the mall trying to find a place to dine at. I guess I didn't really take into account the fact that I was no longer in Cape Town because Johannesburg people were really grossed out by the idea of two guys holding hands. We then decided to dine at some restaurant and started catching up. Menzi told me that he was about to complete his degree in marketing and that he was single. I told him that I had just gotten out of a hectic relationship the previous day and he laughed at me. He thought that it was a blessing in disguise that I decided to come back to Joburg when he was at a "mature" point in his life and that he would like for us to try things out again. I broke up with Menzi because he was still confused. It did however sound like had had managed to find himself whilst I was in Cape Town.

I had no control over my feelings. It really seemed as if I had feelings for almost every guy and I didn't understand why it had to be that way. I mean there was Thebe, and then Lincoln, and then KG and now Menzi! With Thebe, I understood that I couldn't get back together with him because of the situation with my mother. Lincoln had a fiancé and they seemed to have been happily in love until I decided to come back to Johannesburg. KG was confused; he was more like the Menzi that I left behind. Besides, I don't even think I was in love with KG; I was really just fond of him. That's all. So that left me with one guy, Menzi, who clearly stated that he, would love for us to try again. "Yeah! Let's do this!" I replied.

He couldn't stop blushing. I don't think he expected that kind of response from me but everyone that knows me well can tell you that Earl is quite the spontaneous type. I live in the moment because I might die tomorrow. That night we went to the cinema to watch some movie about a homosexual guy. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but Menzi didn't. "I feel like film writers exaggerate everything just to make the gay man look bad" he said. He argued that there are homosexuals out there, like himself who are not as bad as they are portrayed to be on circuit. A guy walking behind us overheard Menzi's comment. "That's exactly what happens when you get a man or a woman who knows NOTHING about homosexuality to write you a film. I'm sorry, I also hated it" he said. I just felt like they were supposed to keep an open mind and be aware of the fact that the only people that can change that notion are us.

KG called to tell me that he had put me on the guest list and that I should call him when I'm outside the club. Menzi wanted to join us that night so we stopped at his house where he introduced me to his mother. His mother was aware of him being gay and she also knew that there was once an Earl in Menzi's life. She couldn't stop telling me how I looked like Menzi. Everyone used to say that, even whilst we were still in high school!

Sihle called, I excused myself and went outside to talk to him. He told me that Jake left him. I really wanted to empathize but Sihle had been with Malcolm since he learnt that I was back in Johannesburg, had I been Jake, I would have also left. I did however be the friend that I was meant to be and told him drinks were on me for that night. Gavin on the other hand was serious about pursuing Morithi and Thobile was becoming aware of what he was up to. Gavin didn't seem to care; in fact, he plotted to do things to piss Thobile off! He was rather ambitious if you ask me.

We left Menzi's house and quickly rushed to the commune where I would grab my jacket before heading off to Zambezi.

Busted! - Chapter 3.4: So What?

I woke up at 11:21 the next morning. I had a very hard time sleeping the previous night because I was ambushed with thoughts about Thebe. As much as I would have wanted to sleep throughout the day, I couldn't because they were playing music so loudly that day; it was after all a Saturday. I remember this because I so badly wanted to just go out and be wild that day. I took a shower, got dressed and went downstairs to fix myself something to eat. I found Malcolm and Sihle all cuddly on the couch, and unlike KG, Malcolm didn't jump, he just went with the flow. Everyone else had left the house so it was just the three of us.

I was bored and I had no idea where everyone else had went so I decided to call Menzi and find out if he was going to be able to meet me for lunch. He told me that he was busy and he would text me around 5pm and whilst I waited for that, I called KG to find out what the plan was since it was a Saturday. He told me about an event that was happening at Zambezi, I just told him to arrange admission. I grabbed the book I was reading and went to go sit in the garden. My baby brother Oageng called to ask me to buy him a new phone. He was sixteen and just like every other teenager, he wanted to fit in. My mother wasn't budging because he had lost five phones in one year. I felt obliged to help him but that involved having to touch my laptop to send him money and knowing me, as soon as I would turn it on, I'd want to start working. That would obviously mean I wouldn't have time for anyone.

Menzi sent me a text letting me know that he was in Sandton and asked me to meet him there. I told him I'd arrive there in about thirty minutes and since I waited for his text, he too would have to wait for my arrival. I rushed into the house and changed into something nice. I grabbed my car keys and headed out. I didn't even tell Sihle where I was going. Why was I even meeting Menzi though? I guess I was just being vulnerable and looking for someone to take my mind off things. He was the perfect candidate.

Busted! - Chapter 3.3: Emotional Repair

I arrived in Johannesburg at around 9pm that night and booked a meter cab to drop me off at the commune from the airport. When I got there, I realized that I had actually left my key in my room so I knocked. I was drained from all the flying. I was so tired but more than anything I was hurting. KG opened the door and found me facing down. "What now?" he asked. I couldn't say anything. I just started crying. He hugged me and I feel like I lost it even more when he did. It felt like someone had just told me that my mother had died. I was in so much pain. I don't even know why it had to be KG that found me in that state. He just happened to be at the right place at the right time.

Gavin came outside and witnessed the intimacy that was KG and I. "What are you doing to my friend?" he asked KG. KG looked at Gavin and shook his head in irritation. "You're going to be fine". KG said to me as he walked back inside. As much as Gavin was blonde at times, when it came to me and how I was feeling, he never really had to ask because he had seen that side of me a lot of times. "Here! Have a shot!" he said as he gave me a shot of vodka. I took four. He went inside the house to call Sihle and we sat out at the bench that was situated close to the pool.

I told them how my last date with Thebe went. We talked about it for about an hour before we realized we had run out of alcohol. We then drove to the nearest bottle store to get more and went up to my room. At 2:15am, the alcohol had become hard for Sihle and Gavin to handle so they both passed out and I sat there waiting for morning to come. My return to Johannesburg had made them both avoid their homes. It felt great to have them around at all times especially because I never got to see much of them when I was in Cape Town. Eventually I also gave in and surrendered to sleep, preparing myself for a brand new day and a brand new life!

Busted! - Chapter 3.2: Official

The time for me and Thebe to make our break up official had come. We never really got to that point because neither of us had the guts to say it was over, but we knew that it had to be done for the sake of sanity.

I woke up that morning at around 6am and prepared to leave for Cape Town. My flight that day was booked for 8am. It would have been more cost efficient if we did things over the phone but Thebe and I had been through a lot and it wouldn't be fair on any of us. I asked Sihle to drop me off at the airport that day because KG was somewhat angry at me.

As I went downstairs with everything I needed for my short trip to Cape Town, there he was standing right at the door. "Where are you going?" asked KG. I froze because I didn't know if he was being serious. "I've got private matters to attend to KG!" I said. He pulled me roughly and told me that I wasn't going anywhere. He had such a strong clench on my wrist that it started to bruise. I was freaking out because I had no idea what was happening to him, the way he went on, it felt like I was about to get the beating of my life. Lerato came downstairs because she heard noises. I thank God that she came down when she did. "Babe, what's going on?" she asked KG. KG let me go immediately. He was so irritated; I don't even think he gave his girlfriend a reply. Lerato was the female version of Gavin. She too was a bit of an airhead. Had I been her, I'd have picked up the signs a long time ago. I got into the car and told Sihle what delayed me.

We drove off and we bumped into Lincoln and Kelebogile making their way back home from their morning jog. It looked like they had found common ground because they looked happy again. Sihle wanted to stop and greet them but I told him to just hoot and keep going.

I got to Cape Town in time to meet Thebe for lunch that day. I could see how sad he was and he could also see that I felt the same. Thebe and I had been together since I moved to Cape Town. It started off as a fling and then we became friends. After a year we realized we were compatible and decided to give love a try. I know this sounds cliché but he was everything to me. We could talk about anything and anyone and it felt alright because it was with him. We were more friends than we were lovers and I believe that always works out better than the former. I told him the truth about my move back to Johannesburg. As much as he wanted to fight it, he couldn't because he knew what it would mean. It was hard to agree to letting each other go but eventually we did that. We took long walks and stopped at all the places we found memorable, just to feel the love one last time. Later on, he drove me to the airport and I flew back to Johannesburg. I didn't cry. I guess at that time, I felt like Thebe and I had done everything we wanted to do together and the only thing that was really left was for us to get married. Since that was not going to happen, we made peace with it and parted ways like two grown adults…

Busted! - Chapter 3.1: Look Away

There we were, chilling in the lounge watching an interesting movie called "Why Did I Get Married"… appropriate title if you ask me. Everyone was glued to the screen until Lincoln and Kelebogile stumbled into the house disrupting the peace. Kelebogile was in tears. Nobody knew why but she went into the kitchen and Lincoln went straight up to his room. I followed Kelebogile and asked her what the matter was. She told me that Lincoln was calling off their wedding. I was a tad bit relieved but I also felt sorry for Kelebogile because I thought she was a wonderful person who actually deserved to be married. I mixed up some sugar water for her and left her in the kitchen.

I went back into the lounge to join everyone else, but they were not moved by what had just happened. It was evident to me from that day that my housemates preferred not to be involved in other people's affairs. I couldn't help it though, so I went to Lincoln's bedroom to find out what the matter was. When I went up, I looked back to see if anyone was looking. I don't even know why I did that, maybe it's because I was expecting someone to follow me. KG sat there looking at me with so much anger. I wasn't bothered because he had a girlfriend that was keeping him company.

I knocked on Lincoln's door, he asked who it was, I told him and then he opened. As soon as he closed his door he grabbed me and hugged me. I didn't know how to react so I hugged him back and that's when he started crying. It was the first time I had ever seen Lincoln cry. He looked at me and told me that he could not go through with the engagement because he realized that he never stopped loving me. I let him go and went to stand by his window. I looked at the trees and the flowers that were starting to bloom so beautifully. He came from behind and held me by my waist. He asked me to admit that I was still in love with him. I would have loved to do that but when I thought about what had happened with KG and Thebe and the pain that Kelebogile was in, I pushed him away immediately and ran for the door. It was true, I never did stop loving Lincoln but I had to come to terms with the fact no matter how hard I would have wanted us to work out, we never would because he didn't see things through my eyes. Kelebogile on the other hand was damaged by what Lincoln was doing so I took it upon myself to back off and let things be as they would.

I went back to the lounge to join everyone else. KG gave me those evil looks again. I was not bothered. I had even forgotten about our moment. He then stood up to declare a smoke break. Nobody listened to him. He angrily stood up and went out by himself. He slammed the door so hard that we were all frightened but that movie was so interesting that nobody actually cared to move. Sihle and I looked at each other; it was at this point that I realized that he was thinking the same thing I was when it came to KG's actions that night. I winked at him. KG was clearly on the verge of coming out.

Gavin seemed not to understand what was happening so I called him and together with Sihle, we all went up to my bedroom. We then started updating on him on things that happened that night. We told him about KG and I, Lincoln calling off the wedding and KG catching feelings. He was so excited. Gavin never really liked KG because he felt that he was living a double life. "Wait! Lincoln was engaged?" he asked. Well, now you know what we have to deal with all the time….

Busted! Chapter 2.5: Blood Rush

We got to the commune or rather the "Gigolo's Castle" as Gavin would call it. To my surprise, my housemates had actually decided to use up their savings to buy a brand new plasma screen. KG told me that it was my welcome back gift. I was only happy to see that they were also on my side with my plan to make the commune look nice again. Obviously Gavin and I also wanted to see what would happen when Malcolm and Sihle crossed paths. There was so much chemistry between the two of them but the set up was obviously not conducive. Gavin told me he wanted Morithi. I laughed. I simply couldn't understand how we moved from X to him having a crush on Morithi.

I took a tour around the house basically greeting everyone and I noticed that Lincoln wasn't there so I asked where he was. Nigel told me that he was out on a date with Kelebogile. I knew that they were looking for a reaction from me but I didn't give them one. I just unpacked the stuff I had bought and headed to the kitchen. KG followed me.

He then told me that Lincoln had been finding it hard to tell me that he and Kelebogile were actually engaged. This had been the case for six months. According to KG, Lincoln really wanted to marry Kelebogile but he needed to know that he had my blessings before going through with it. Now obviously they all gave him their blessings, I just didn't understand why they would want to involve me only because I was back in Johannesburg. When KG told me, I actually felt like crying but I just kept a straight face and told him I was cool with it, whatever that meant.

KG then took my hand and put it on his chest, as he was doing this; his eyes were fixated on mine. I felt so uncomfortable because I didn't know what he was trying to tell me, never mind what he was trying to do. Luckily Lerato, his girlfriend walked in and that awkward moment had to end…immediately!

I went back into the lounge where everyone was sitting in groups, Sihle and Malcolm on the other side of the room and Gavin busy trying to get Morithi to talk to him on the other. Funny scene if you ask me. I then went to my bedroom and laid on my bed. I just wanted to make sense of what had just been revealed to me. Lincoln was getting married and I didn't know how to feel about it. It had been a few years since we saw each other and a lot had changed but I'd always hoped that Lincoln would one day grow a backbone and be with me for good. I guess life doesn't really work that way.

Whilst I was lying there, there was a knock on my door, it was KG. He had come to tell me that Sihle was looking for me downstairs. I told him to tell Sihle that I was coming. Next thing I knew, he closed the door behind him and laid next to me. "If you don't want him to get married, just tell him." he said. I just looked at him and faked a smile. It wasn't as easy as he made it sound. He did that thing with his eyes again and before I knew it, we were kissing. I quickly snapped out of it and pushed him away reminding him that Sihle was waiting for me downstairs. He pulled me back and told me that Sihle could wait.  

He kissed me again for the second time and I gave in. He felt so good on my lips. When I closed my eyes, I found myself in another place. This was a place where everything was pleasant and serene. He maneuvered his sexy body in between my legs and started nibbling on my right ear. The feeling was so beautiful; it felt like something I had waited for my whole life. The heavy breathing made things even harder, excuse the pun! His body kept rubbing against mine and I just let things happen. I forgot about everyone at that moment, it was just me and KG. He then took off his shirt. He had the sexiest body I had ever stripped.

"KG, we can't do this…" I said as he caressed my neck, slowly shutting me up. His skin felt so smooth. I slipped my hands into his jeans and squeezed his beautifully shaped butt. He kept whispering things in my ear. I wasn't even listening because I was in a state of bliss. All this went on until we heard footsteps approaching my bedroom. He quickly jumped off and I told him to hide in the bathroom whilst I tried fixing myself up.

The door opened, it was Sihle. I was actually relieved that he came at that time because had he not, things would have been slightly complicated. Sihle had come to tell me that he and Gavin were staying over that night because they wanted us to catch up some more. I didn't mind at all. I sat there feeling a little shaken; silently praying that KG doesn't leave that bathroom until Sihle left my room. I put on my shoes so that Sihle and I could leave the room before KG came out but I was clearly too slow. KG came out of the bathroom whilst I was on that mission. "Uhm…I'll see you guys downstairs." He said as he shamefully walked out of my room.

"What was he doing in your bathroom?" asked Sihle. I tried getting out of it and I was almost successful until Sihle reminded me to zip and button my pants. "Wow friend, you are the devil!" he said as he laughed at me. I laughed too but I was so embarrassed. We agreed to keep it a secret and went to join everyone else downstairs. I still couldn't shake off the fact that Lincoln was getting married…

Busted! Chapter 2.4: Close Call

The following day I flew back to Johannesburg. I had already arranged with KG for him to fetch me at the airport. We got to the commune. I was just not in the mood for anything or anyone for that matter. All I really wanted was to reconnect with my two best friends Sihle and Gavin. As much as they were my best friends, they were also my business partners. They formed part of my gay clique. When I was in Cape Town, they flew down once every two months to see me. They had no idea I was back in Johannesburg because I had not really gotten the time to settle back in. So I called them both and asked that we meet up. In the meantime, Thebe and my mother were still unaware about my permanent move back to Johannesburg because I just didn't have the strength to tell them.

I remember not feeling the whole communal setting anymore. I was actually very eager to move into my own place. I felt like my being there just meant that more drama will come my way and I really wasn't in the spirits to handle that. However, that was just a thought at the time. I went downstairs to watch TV; no one was there at the time. KG dropped me off and left immediately after that. The best thing I could do was to just sit and wait for Sihle and Gavin to clear their day so we could go shopping.

In Johannesburg, Sihle stayed with his partner Jake. Life for them was good and they seemed to know exactly where they were headed with their relationship. Gavin and I were the only two that needed to find greener pastures in life. Gavin was single but not celibate. He fooled around with a lot of people simply because he didn't believe in this whole love thing anymore and that's because some fool broke his heart.

That day, the three of us met up in Sandton and Sihle couldn't wait to tell me about the hard time he was having with Jake. Sihle and I were so intertwined that we almost had the same kind of day. When I would have trouble on my side, he would too, almost as if we were cloned. Gavin on the other hand had a lot to complain about. He literally sat us down to tell us how X didn't return his call the previous night. To us it seemed like a very senseless thing to cry about, but he on the other hand wasn't taking kindly to it. He felt like he was the one that was supposed to ignore X's calls and not the other way around. Whenever Gavin would start with his complaints, Sihle and I would just look at each other and find solace in our drinks because we knew we would be quiet for a very long time. Gavin was very blonde but he knew how to bite back, I guess that's why we remained friends for a long time.

We commenced with our shopping and we knew that whenever we were together, eyes would be on us the whole time. In high school, our peers likened us to Destiny's Child. Since I was the ringleader, it was only fair that I took the Beyoncé title. We were a hot trio and we had great chemistry. When the three of us were together, you had to know that there would be noise and loud laughs all the way. Girls wanted to be our friends whilst boys had a hard time trying to figure us out.

By the time we left the mall, we had three trolleys full of stuff; mine obviously filled with appliances more than anything because I was trying to make life easier for everyone at the commune.

We then decided to stop at Bryanston for lunch before heading back to our respective homes. Sihle then decided to drop a bomb on us. As much as I would have liked to believe they were bored without me whilst I was in Cape Town, that wasn't the case. Sihle told us Malcolm was asking him out. I won't lie; I was very shocked because I thought that whatever fling they had ended in high school. Instead of Sihle and Gavin going home that day, they decided to return to the commune with me. My return to Johannesburg started becoming more interesting at that point…

Busted! Chapter 2.3: What's Next?

I got back to the hotel at around 10pm that night. The situation between me and Thebe was just not going to get any easier since my mom was in the picture. Thebe made me understand that my mother wasn't angry at me; she just made a realization that would spoil something she was trying to build, apparently. I must admit I was bitter because I didn't understand why my life had to come to a stop for her sake.

I remember pacing up and down the hotel room trying to put the pieces together when I received a call from reception. My mother was downstairs and she was insisting on seeing me, even when I had alerted the receptionist not to let anyone through. I knew Thebe was behind this because he was the only one who knew about my whereabouts. I told the receptionist to bring her through to my hotel room.

"Son, we need to talk!" she said. No greetings, no hugs and no kisses, just a very uncomfortable statement from her. I didn't know what she wanted to talk about so I just sat down and listened attentively. I must admit, the monologue from her was the most off putting thing I'd heard all my life. I didn't even know how to react to everything she said. I'm not even going to go into detail with regards to what she said. My mother had just destroyed my love life, or had I actually destroyed hers? I was very weak. No lies.  

At some point I actually didn't want to hear anything more from her. All I wanted was for us to be at peace with each other and I had to accept that it meant I had to lose Thebe just to make her happy. She had no problem with me being gay but the person she found me in bed with wasn't supposed to be 'The One'. In a nutshell, I was allowed to date any guy I wanted to, just not Thebe. Anyone BUT Thebe…

Busted! Chapter 2.2: Shock

As we were driving to the airport, Randy Crawford's "You Might Need Somebody" played on the radio. That song reminds me of my dad. He rejected me when I was young, he actually wanted my mom to abort me, but on the day of the deed my grandmother intervened. When I was in Primary School, he made an effort to reach out to me. It wasn't easy for me to accept his return but I did anyway. Unfortunately for him, I was still bitter about the fact that he was never there, so I gave him a very hard time. At some point I actually lived with him and his wife, but when it all got too heavy for me to handle, I went back to my mother's house. My mother was a smart woman; she never tried to talk me out of meeting or being with my dad because she always believed that experience is the best lesson.

My dad and his family ill-treated me a lot. I hated them. I hated my grandmother, his mother in this case, and I hated my aunts. The only people that made life easier for me were my cousins and half brothers. I literally lived my life paying for being born! When I was mature enough, I took what's mine and left. I couldn't handle it anymore. I remember being so angry that when my brother told me that my grandmother was sick and I told him that she should go die. In case you're wondering, she did, well after two months. I went to the funeral but I didn't eat anything. I didn't trust those people. I still want nothing to do with them. I don't hate them anymore, but I'd rather we not cross paths at all.

On our way to the airport, I bumped into Menzi. Menzi is my ex. We tried dating after my whole drama with Lincoln but that didn't work out because he too was living a closeted life and I felt like he was also going to hold me back. I asked KG to stop the car and I went out to greet him. He was so happy to see me; in fact he was much happier when I told him I was back in Johannesburg for good. I didn't really have time to sit and talk to him because I had an important flight to catch, so we just exchanged numbers and I promised I'd call him when I returned. We drove to the airport and I arrived just in time to check in to my flight.

When I arrived in Cape Town, I had to report to the car rental company to collect the car I was using during my stay in Cape Town. I then drove to Thebe's place; it was around 5pm at the time. Upon my arrival at his place, I saw something very disturbing. My mother's car was parked outside his house. I had no idea what my mother was doing there, but I panicked so much that I drove to the hotel and checked in. I don't even know why I panicked but more than anything, I was just asking myself why my mother would be at Thebe's place. How did it even get that far? Where did she get his number? HOW did that happen?

Later on that night at around 7pm, I called Thebe to find out if we could meet, he agreed, so I guess the coast was clear. I quickly slipped into something comfortable and went to meet him at Tasha's…

Busted! - Chapter 2.1: Interrogation

So I enter the lounge and find a place to sit. Luckily for me, it was just me and the boys because the girls were apparently on campus. There was an awkward silence, but I could sense that there were many questions that were going to be thrown my way. I waited patiently for someone to open the tap.

"Where do you work? Where did you get your car? How was Cape Town? How's life?" All those questions came rushing in from all of them, I actually felt like I was at a press conference. "Okay easy tigers, one at a time." I pleaded. I tried to reassure them that I was still the same person, the only difference between them and me is that I somehow managed to realize my dreams, well not all of them but most of them.

"It's just that it's been long and now you come back looking like Patrice Motsepe's side chick! Or is it because you're gay?" asked Nigel. There has always been that stereotype that gay people are rich. I don't think that's true. I just think gay people are comfortable and that's only because for most of our lives, we are made to feel uncomfortable about our sexuality. We are constantly ridiculed and that's why it's so easy for us to focus on things that will get us ahead in life and make us happy. Gone are the days when we did things to impress people. Educated gay people nowadays do things that suit them, and it is the same people that ridiculed us who come back and want a piece of our pie.

Eventually at some point, the interrogation turned into a catch up session. The girls returned and I got to meet them properly. There was Lerato, she was dating KG. Back in high school, I and a lot of other people used to think that KG would realize he's gay later on in his life. I guess we were all wrong because there was a lady in his life. KG had tendencies; nobody threw a bitch fit better than KG. He was a drama queen of note! Zama was with Nigel. They were such an odd couple if you ask me. One could have sworn Zama was arranged for Nigel, almost as if they didn't have a choice but to be together. Zama was bigger than everyone in the house combined. When she was with Nigel, they looked like the number 10. Thobile was with Morithi. I loved their union because Thobile understood Morithi more than anyone else in the house, including me. Malcolm was the only single guy in the house and he looked very much comfortable with it. The girls were a bundle of joy though. They spoke a lot of sense and that made it easier for me to connect with them. I guess it's true what they say about girls maturing quicker than boys.

Unfortunately, the time for me to face my own reality had come back to haunt me. I called Thebe and asked that we meet up for dinner. He still had no idea that I was in Joburg, so I had to fly to Cape Town, book into a hotel and pretend I was there the whole time. That's exactly what I did! I managed to find a flight that would leave in two hours. I packed a few toiletries and some outfits and asked KG to drive me to the airport.

Busted! - Chapter 1.5: A Breath Of Fresh Air

The first thing I do every morning before jumping out of bed is look up to the ceiling and plan my day. After doing that, I meditate and ask the Universe or whoever is listening at the time to grant me a great day. That morning however, I couldn’t even do that because I was so scared that ceiling would fall on me.

As much as that was one of the things I noticed, I couldn’t help thinking about Thebe and how he could have been feeling about my sudden departure. He called me a number of times the previous night, but he wasn’t aware that I had already moved to Johannesburg. Eventually I’d have to meet him and let him know why I took that decision without his consent and I spent some time thinking about the way forward.

A few minutes later, there was a knock on my door. It was Lincoln and he had brought me breakfast. I smiled, and that’s only because I didn’t know what else to do. Lincoln was a Libra, he was so romantic and that’s one of the things that made me love him even after all those years I guess. He sat on the chair I had placed next to my big window looking directly into my eyes. We both said nothing to each other, but that was one of the best conversations I’ve had in a long time.

Unfortunately we both had people of our own and I just couldn’t afford to find myself in another messy love triangle with Lincoln. “What can I do for you Lincoln?” I asked. He told me how much he missed me. It was a beautiful thing to say but he had to destroy it by asking if I didn’t miss him at all when I was in Cape Town.

I didn’t answer him; in fact, I got out of bed knowing how mad he is about my body and walked to my bathroom. I lived in the main bedroom, and that meant I didn’t have to share the shower with anyone, pity that rule didn’t apply to hot water. I could have sat and talked to Lincoln but I was still reeling from what had happened before I left for Cape Town. I had to face and tackle that before building or rebuilding anything with Lincoln. At the same time we were both committed to other people and I wanted to keep things that way.

After having my breakfast in bed, I decided to go join everyone else downstairs. I could feel the tension as I approached the stairs. Everyone just went quiet. I remember standing there for a couple of seconds before taking the first step down. As I slowly went down the stairs, I found them staring at me. It was so awkward. It was evident that before I came down, I was the topic! “Uhm… am I disturbing something?” I asked. “No! No! Never, come join us” they muttered. I went to the kitchen to wash my dishes and uncomfortably went into the lounge to join them…

 

Busted! - Chapter 1.4: Is This A Joke?

I slowly opened the door and as I did that, I looked back to see their reaction. They all looked away in embarrassment. I figured if I didn’t complain from the moment I drove in; they wouldn’t have anything to be embarrassed about.

Before I could even see what was going on, some guy in rags jumped onto me, totally covering my face. I had no idea who he was or why he did what he did until he jumped off. It was my beloved Morithi. I could have literally given him a hug, but I couldn’t help noticing the Hurricane Katrina II that was behind him! Out of shock, I handed Morithi whatever I had in my hand and took a terrifying tour around the house.

There were used dishes everywhere! There was that same old TV I left there, only with a few missing buttons and a coat hanger as the antenna. The dishes were ant infested! The couches! I literally just saw the structure of those couches, everything else was just depleted. There was nothing new except bottles of alcohol and a packet of cigarettes. I felt so light headed but I was even afraid to sit down. I could have also asked for a glass of water, but I doubt they had a clean one!

“You know what? Before anything, I suggest we all wear comfortable clothing and sort out this mess!” I instructed. Everyone unfroze and ran to their respective rooms to find comfortable clothing. I really enjoyed the effect I had on them, I knew it wouldn’t last but I abused it whilst I could. After twenty minutes, we all regrouped and I assigned tasks to every one of them, including the strange girls whom I never even got to meet formally. It was time to work!

I called Thomas, he’s a part time upholsterer but he’s also one of the web designers at our communications department. My two best friends, Sihle, Gavin and I started a company in Johannesburg after graduating from high school. We all wanted to do different things, so we incorporated it into one holding company called “3Complex”. Sihle was in charge of Communications, Gavin of Property and I was in charge of the Fashion and Styling department. It was quite peculiar to have a company that encompasses all three of those fields, but it worked in our favour. The buildup was dreadful but when we made it, we made it hard! Whilst I was in Cape Town, Sihle and Gavin were running things successfully.

I was also a creative director and shareholder of a successful magazine my friend Zanele and I started in high school called SWAG. We had a branch in Cape Town and Johannesburg, so whilst I was in Cape Town I spent most of time working on that rather than 3Complex which was exclusive to Johannesburg.

Back to the house, we commenced with our cleaning and Thomas together with his team headed to my house to take care of the couches and some other things that needed redoing. It was going to take two days, but because I had such a large team of boys, we were done within seven hours.

I was exhausted, especially given the fact that I drove for eighteen hours with absolutely no rest only to get to Johannesburg and work for seven more hours. I stayed up for over twenty-four hours and I only felt it when I entered my bed. I couldn’t even move a finger. Thebe had tried getting a hold of me but I was too tired to even press the answer button, never mind hearing the phone. Wherever he was, he was probably fuming...

Busted! - Chapter 1.3: Back To Square One (continued)

She helped me off load some of my luggage and placed it by the door which was closed at the time. She was really kind towards me and I had no idea why, but I figured that’s how she naturally was.

The second person who came out of the house was Lincoln, then my “dad” Nigel, followed by KG, Malcolm and a trio of girls, as if one wasn’t enough. I stood there and observed every one of them. You could actually say I was judging them.

Lincoln walked towards me to give me a hug. “Hey babe, I’m so glad to have you back” he whispered in my ear. I looked at that loser and felt like punching him in the face. He was literally flirting with me in front of his girlfriend, as much she didn’t notice, I felt like he was being disrespectful. I snubbed him, even though I made it look like it was a joke.

The rest of the boys and those strange girls stood there looking at me like I was an alien, never mind the fact that they all looked like they were high on something. “Uhm… are you guys going to help me carry my bags inside?” I asked because I was very puzzled by their state. That line definitely activated them, almost as if they were coming out of a trance. “Dude, did you win the lottery or something? What’s with this metamorphosis?” asked KG. “See, whilst you were busy getting high, as usual… I was working my butt off!” I replied. KG’s looks had started to fade a little; he was starting to look like an alcoholic.

I looked at the exterior of the house and I really couldn’t believe my eyes, they made absolutely no effort in ensuring that they keep the house as presentable as I had left it. I was fuming. I had even started shaking. I then pointed out a few things that were disturbing me. “Look Earl, we’ll clean it up man!” said KG.

I had absolutely no words for him. It felt so awkward because I felt like I was being scrutinized by EVERYONE. Almost as if I was auditioning for a big role in a movie. To break the ice I simply called them monkeys and asked that they help me carry my luggage into the house. They jumped at the opportunity. I really wanted to laugh because they all looked so stupid. In fact if I had video recorded that moment and shown it to them, they too would have laughed at themselves.

The time had come for me to enter the house. I was so afraid. I actually had to say a silent prayer before taking that huge leap of faith. I had an idea of what awaited me and I was just trying to delay having to see that.

Busted! - Chapter 1.2: Back To Square One

I drove to the closest service station, parked my car and started thinking. After a few moments, I decided! I was going back to Johannesburg to focus on things that side. Having gone through the motions, I decided to call Thebe to let him know about my sudden departure. His phone just went unanswered. I had not spoken to him since the incident happened. It felt like he was avoiding me for some reason and that drove me crazy. I called my friend KG to inform him that I was coming back to Johannesburg and that I’d prefer to have my old room back. I filled up my tank and started my long drive to Johannesburg.

My mom owned a house in Johannesburg, which she then turned into a commune when she moved to Cape Town. I stayed there for a year with my straight friends who knew about my sexual orientation. A year later, my mom felt the need to have me closer to her and that is what motivated my move to Cape Town. I am what most people call a “Mama’s Boy”. Living in Johannesburg without my mother wasn’t very pleasant because of the drama that had happened prior to me leaving for Cape Town. I left everything and everyone behind including my two best friends Sihle and Gavin, who were gay too.

At the commune, which was located in Northriding, I stayed with KG aka Kagiso, Morithi, Malcolm, Nigel and my confused ex, Lincoln. We all went to high school together. They formed part of my “straight” clique. KG was the party animal. He always had an excuse to either host a party or attend one. Together, he and I would plan parties that would become the talk of Jones Marc High School. Morithi was the weird one who spoke to himself… a lot! In the tenth grade, his mother passed away and he didn’t take her death very well. He just became a zombie. He also LOVED his alcohol. Malcolm was the sweet one, he didn’t really say much, all he ever did was laugh and say a few words per day. Malcolm and Sihle had something in high school, but just like Lincoln, Malcolm couldn’t handle the pressure of being called names by the rest of our peers. We were however still young and those kinds of things did matter then, which is why Lincoln and I broke up. The pressure got to him and he left me for a girl named Kelebogile, whom I’d never even met. Before leaving for Cape Town, Lincoln impregnated her, I had no idea she even existed at the time I found out. It really shattered me. Anyway, last but not least is Nigel; he’s the strict one who keeps us all in check. He’s a hardcore Zulu boy that everyone fears. He behaves like he’s like my father. As soon as he found out about my sexual orientation, he took it upon himself to protect me from anyone that tried to hurt me. For him, my being gay was dangerous and it would only get me killed.

After a long 18 hour drive, I arrived at the commune feeling rather worn out. WRONG feeling if you ask me. When I got there, I actually thought I was lost at first, but I wasn’t. That raggedy looking house was actually where I once stayed. It looked like a dumping site. The windows were dusty. The pool was almost poisonous. The garden had suffered major drought. I could not believe my eyes. You could have sworn no one stayed there, that house was a mess… and I was still just outside, looking at everything from the gate.

I hooted for attention. A cheerful lady, who looked like she forgot where the BATH room was, came to open the gate. I drove in slowly, at that point I was contemplating whether I still wanted to stay there or go book into a hotel until the mess was sorted. The lady approached me; she was beautiful and had a beautiful smile too. I wasn’t smiling at all. In fact I gave that girl looks that would send her straight to the bath tub but she wasn’t bothered. “Hey, Earl right? I heard you were coming. I’m Kelebogile, Lincoln’s girlfriend” she said.

God knows I wasn’t ready to meet that girl yet. In fact I thought she was out of the picture. Truth is, I never really got over Lincoln, and when I learnt that he and Kelebogile had held on for that long, I knew that what they had was real and all I had to do was accept and move on. It had been three years since I had left and Kelebogile was still there. I smiled at her and told her I was happy to meet her. As if!

Busted! - Chapter 1.1: Busted!

“It’s not what it looks like!” I frantically try to explain to my mother after she stumbled into my room and found me in bed with my lover, Thebe. She stood there looking at me with so much disgust in her eyes. I knew she was disappointed in me, especially because I tried by all means to keep my private life PRIVTATE. Before I could even have the courage to dress up, she made her dramatic exit, slamming the door so hard my intestines rearranged themselves.

My mother had always suspected that I was gay; I guess I was waiting for the right time to tell her, but unfortunate circumstances led to her finding out herself. I was so embarrassed. I remember Thebe jumping out of the bed as soon as she left and looking for what belonged to him before he too made his dramatic exit. That was the second time I heard the door bang in just under a minute.

I stood there feeling helpless, trying my utmost best to connect the dots but a lot of things were happening in my head. I had to figure out what I was going to do about the situation. I’ve always been the kind of guy to duck and dive whenever I sensed drama coming my way. I really hate drama. It just makes everyone uncomfortable plus it gives me diarrhea.

After twenty minutes of standing and processing everything as it happened, my phone rang. It was my mother. I remember feeling a sense of relief coupled with the fear of not knowing what was going to happen next. I didn’t even have time to say “hello” and find out how she was doing, I went straight into it. Unfortunately for me, she wasn’t in the mood to listen. All she had to tell me was that she wanted me out of her house immediately and then she hung up.

My mother and I had a great relationship, I couldn’t fathom the fact that it had to be destroyed in that manner by a moment of passion. I did however respect her wishes. I didn’t leave immediately, I had to think about where I was going, and getting there was the least of my worries. I waited for her to return… she didn’t. She probably knew I was still there waiting for her. I was so eager to leave, I felt all sorts of things. A part of me was relieved that the truth was finally revealed, but I also felt like I should have been given a chance to explain myself.

The following morning around 11am, my mother had still not returned home. It was at that exact point that I decided to pack everything that belonged to me and move… well not everything but what I could take. I really had a hard time figuring out what to do with myself in terms of accommodation. I wasn’t even sure I still wanted to stay in Cape Town. Anyway, after minutes of contemplating, I took what’s mine and left. When I heard the door bang for the third time, I knew that there was no turning back....

It's here! :-)

Hello

First of all I'd like to thank you for landing here and supporting me.

I really do not have a lot to say regarding this book, but I do promise that you will love it just as much as I enjoyed writing it. I'm going to give you a little background about Busted though.

My love for creative writing started at a very tender age, at first I used to just write songs and imagine someone else singing them BUT me, then I moved on to writing poems and short stories, it was only in Grade 12 that I decided to take things a step further by writing this book. Bear in mind that this was seven years ago, and obviously my writing skills have been enhanced so you can only imagine what I had to go through when I read this book for the first time in SEVEN years. Torture!

I took it upon myself though, to rewrite it and share it with the world. When my friends asked me why I didn't want to publish it, I simply told them they should consider this book a practise run for me because there's plenty more where this came from.

I do know that a lot of us will relate to this book because we've all had a campus life, and some of us are preparing for one. So, without wasting anymore time, I'm going to post the first page of this book, FOLLOW the story.

Once again, Thanks!