Age Is Nothing But A Number

Chapter Twenty Two

"God.... are you okay?"

"Thandy are you okay?"

"Are you okay?"

My little sister, my best friend and my mom asked the second my dad walked out of the room. They were hoovering over me wanting to check my busted lip.

I was still touching where dad hit me and I was sure that my dad's hand was probably hurting, coz my jaw felt like it needed to be replaced..

"Honey are you okay?" Maa Sophia asked again and I nodded,

"I'm good, I'll be good... I've had worse so I'm really okay..."

"Worse?" My sister said, "what could be worse than getting punched on your lip.."

I rolled my eyes to the obvious answer, "Umhh... getting hit by a car while you are in your car.... so yah dad didn't break me..."

"This is not funny...." Maudy said and it was like she suddenly hit a spot,

"Why the f**k would it be funny? My father just fucken punched me like I'm some criminal and you think I think this is funny!"

They all looked at me a bit taken back. I immediately got up and and went to my room feeling annoyed. I closed the main door then went to my bathroom. God, my lip was bleeding and I was swollen a bit. I washed my face, took out my tiny first aid kit and fixed my face.

I turned to my closet and took out my backpack. I put in some trousers and tops. I then put on extra sneakers.

How could he do this? He has always assumed that I was dating boys.. I never hid it from anyone. He was just blind or maybe he didn't wanna see.

I took out my phone and dialled my girlfriend.

"Baby I am about to be busy..." She said as soon as she answered. I sighed, of course she was on call because we were leaving in a week.

"I.. I know I'm sorry. I just need a place to crash...."

"Are you okay?"

As soon as she asked those words I couldn't hold the tears in anymore. I sobbed.

"Oh God Thandy what happened?"

"I just need to crash at your place... please..."

'Dr Omarley....' a voice said on her side and she sighed, "Baby go.. you know where the key is... we will talk when I get home.. please be okay..."

"Okay..."

"I love you okay..."

I didn't have time to respond, she hung up. I wiped my tears and took in one deep breath....

Things will be okay.

I threw my bag over my shoulder and walked out but I met Maa Sophia by the door...

"Thandy.... where are you going?"

"I can't sleep here... I'm going to my girlfriend's house.."

"She has a house?"

I nodded, "yes... so I'll just...."

"Can we sit down and talk..."

I sighed, "Maa...."

She took my hand and directed me back to my bedroom, she sat me down and I sighed. I honestly wasn't in the mood for this, not while I was this emotional.

"Honey.... look, I don't know why you didn't come talk to us about this... And tell us that you are attracted to girls.."

"Maa... I had no idea that I had to come announce to you guys that I'm attracted to girls... I mean I wouldn't have had to come announce that I'm attracted to guys, so what's the difference with girls...? Aren't they human...?" I asked a bit annoyed.

She sighed, "Baby... of course they are human.. but you have to understand from your father's...."

I shook my head stopping her before she could say any further, "don't... don't say anything for my dad coz he just acted like the darn cop that he is on me.. he hit me.."

"and he was wrong to do that... I know it took him by surprise but he shouldn't have done that..."

"Took him by surprise? I have never hidden my sexuality Maa, tell me if I'm lying, I don't even once remember saying I'm going out with 'him' or I'm going to see my 'boyfriend'.. he had always assumed because parents have so much expectations and plans for their kids..."

"Thandy... you have to understand his side too, he is shocked and just...."

"He hit me... there's no side of him I'll try to understand... Parents should expect their children to date people and not a specific gender... This is my life and I am happy.. his side is invalid if it's going to insult or undermine what makes me happy.." I said as I felt tears waltz down my cheeks.

She wiped them, "I understand you fully, but again it's not easy for parents Thandy.. this thing is new and we need to know so we can prepare..."

I furrowed my brows at her, "prepare for what? A funeral? Am I dead? Prepare for a court order? Did I kill someone Maa? No... I don't think so, so why are you guys acting as if what I did is just out of this world..? It's 2020 for God's sake..."

She sighed seeming a bit defeated, I mean all this was true, I was telling the truth and she knew it too. She nodded, "I hear you...but you can't leave..."

I shook my head stubbornly, "I can't stay here either...what if he comes back and kills me.."

She rolled her eyes, "Your father would never do that, he isn't crazy..."

I got up, "I once thought he'd never lay a hand on me.. look what happened..."

"Where will you go...?"

"Her house..."

"Where?"

"In Centurion Maa..."

She sighed, "when will you come back?"

I shrugged, "I don't know, I might just fly with her to New York..."

Her eye shot wide open in shock, "she's coming too?"

I nodded, "She is my girlfriend you know.. And this is serious, so yes and we are not going to discuss it... She is coming.."

I made my way to the living room where Maudy and my little sister were at, they looked at me as I went past them. Maud followed me, "are you okay? Where are you going?"

"Take me to Kat's place...."

She stood there a bit hesitantly, "are you sure about that?"

That question irritated me, I mean was I going to tell her to do that if I wasn't sure.. I rolled my eyes, "I can drive myself there you know..."

She shook her head and opened her car door for me. I hopped in and threw my backpack at the back of the car. She got in and started driving..

"That was a bomb your threw in there.."

I ignored her and looked outside the window.. She kept quiet for a few minutes and then looked at me, "so you won't talk to me..."

"And say what Maud?"

"Look I'm sorry your dad reacted the way he did and I'm sorry he hit you..."

"It's not your fault so I'm good...we good.."

She nodded and kept quiet for a while. The drive seemed to drag.

Do you ever realize how when you want something so bad it hardly happens or it just takes time to happen. Like why can't s**t happen the same time we want it to happen? Like take a second to reach my girlfriend's place so I can sleep?

"I wanna talk to you.... about this graduation thing... like ass I'm going to be out of the country for the first time.. I'm freaking out..."

I rolled my eyes, "you'll be fine..."

She laughed, "right.. I forgot, I have been staying in New York for the past three years and...."

I sighed "Okay okay.... you'll have someone who'll fetch you from the airport... And then you'll get to see New York and go to the hotel and.."

"Can I see Chloe...." She cut me off. I furrowed my brows at her and she smiled innocently, "just... wanna meet her you know..."

"Or f**k her maybe"

She shrugged and smiled, "meet her... I wanna meet her, stop talking crap..."

I rolled my eyes, "right... meet her pussy.... turn left there and stop..."

She did as I asked and the second she finished parking she looked at me, "you are the best thing to ever happen to me... thank you for this... thank you..."

I took my bag and opened the door then got out... "sure pussy... I'm still not sure how I'm friends with you...but then... I'm gone..."

"Be okay.. And call me..."

I waved her off and opened the gate...Then got in.

I immediately saw Mikey standing by the door, exactly where the spare key stays. I smiled as I recognised him from the pictures in Kat's bedroom. I had no idea what to expect. Was he going to like me or was he going to hate me and make my life a living hell.

We hadn't been introduced formally and I was a bit scared coz I didn't know he was back. He stared at me and I at him. He wasn't moving or anything and I couldn't tell what was on his mind, but his look was saying he isn't okay with strangers..

I walked a bit closer, and waved my hand at him slowly, "hi Mike... I'm Thandy, I don't know if you know me but.... I'm seeing your mom...Kat.. it's been six to seven months now... so last week you haven't been home and she told me you went on vacation trying to give us some space... so this is me and s**t happened at home so I kinda needed to be here... Kat is working and she'll be here later..."

He moved from where he was and I slowly went where he stood and took the key, he just looked at me.

He turned around and went the other side of the house. I wasn't in the mood for anything and anyone so I was thankful when he showed me his ass and left. I opened the door and closed it.

Made it up the stairs and went straight to my girlfriend's bedroom, which was like mine now since I been here for a week...and was probably going to stay here this week too.

I switched the tv on and browsed through the channels. It was literally boring.. If you know what I mean. It was some old reruns of shows I didn't even like.

I sighed and yawned then my lip hurt.. f**k, I even forgot about this thing. I got up and went to a mirror in her bathroom. I took off the plaster, and my lip was swollen and red. I sighed.. suddenly feeling the edge to cry.. like seriously cry...

I shook that thought off my head and went to bed. I laid on my stomach, closed my eyes and called for sleep ro take over.. And before I knew it, I was in dream land...

...

"Baby......" I heard a voice say, and I kept quiet.

"Baby come on... Wake up..."

I turned around and saw my girlfriend take off her clothes.

"Hey..." I said and she turned to me. Of course, her face immediately turned f*****g red when she took my face in, "who the f**k did that to you..."

I shrugged and got up into a sitting position, "it doesn't matter..."

She went to her wardrobe and came back with her first aid kit, "let me see... And why doesn't it matter? Did you get into a fight?"

I snapped, "Why? Because I'm black and we like fighting that much....?"

She was taken back by my outburst, she stared at me shocked. I immediately regretted it.

"No... maybe because you are gay and a lot of people are hating out here. I thought you was attacked..."

I sighed, "I'm sorry...I know I can be an annoying b***h sometimes, in case it takes you more than 15 years to notice it, there, I put it out for you.... And I shouldn't have said that."

She shrugged and said, "this is going to stink...."

Before I could register what she meant I felt her touch my busted lip and yeaah f**k, it hurt like hell... I jumped, "ouch..."

She wiped my lip with whatever the thing was and then put a new plaster there.. then she looked at me, "so they went for one punch..."

I rolled my eyes, "yes doctor....he only hit me once..."

"Who's he Thandy?"

I could hear the tone of her voice that she wasn't playing games. She was pissed like crazy... so I might as well tell the truth so we can get this over with, "my dad..."

"What? He did this to you? For what?"

Okay, take a deep breath Thandy and say this.. I did as my thoughts told me, "well.... he found out that the person I'm seeing is a woman..."

She ached her brows, "you are in the closet?"

I shook my head, "no...I was never in the closet..."

She took her kit and put it back in the wardrobe and then came to join me in bed, "then explain to me how he didn't know you were seeing a woman wheres you are so out and proud..."

"Since I was born I have never dated a boy in my life, it's always been girls and when I mention my partner I'd use the words 'she' or 'her' my mom caught on to it and we talked about it.. my father always assumed I meant boys and he paid no attention to the words that were most important.. then earlier today I corrected him.. I told him it's a She and not a he... he got mad and asked stupid questions... I ended up asking if he needed to be with a man to prove how straight he was and that earned me a punch...."

She looked at me amazed or shocked... I couldn't say which, "wow... I mean.... wow.... so you don't see the need to come out..."

I shrugged, "I'll come out the day straight people come out too... why should we come out as if we are announcing that we are dating animals... it's no different.. we are all human.."

She nodded, "I hear you...it makes sense... I'm sorry he hit you..."

"I'm sorry for being a bitch...." I said and she kissed my cheek, "I feel like kissing you.. but your lip is f****d up..."

I rolled my eyes, "don't.... oh hey I saw Mike..."

She looked at me a bit worried, "you did? And?"

"I told him who I was and then he just left....like what I was saying was too shitty for him..."

She laughed, "he likes you... but he's shy...."

I rolled my eyes, "I thought he was a person.... I half expected him to talk..."

She laughed, "you are such an idiot..."

"He is a part of you baby and you treat him like a human being.. you'd swear he is one..... And.."

I was cut off by my phone ringing. She looked at the screen and then said, it's your dad..."

I shrugged, "Like I was saying... Mike scared me a bit..."

"Aren't you going to answer your phone?" She asked when she realized I showed no interest in the phone. I shook my head, "no..."

She furrowed her brows at me, "really? What if he wants to know where you are and if you are okay?"

I sighed, I did not want to get to this, "then he'd have to ask Maa.. I'm okay, she saw and she knows I came to you, I told her that.. the okay part, well he knows exactly how I am."

"But baby...."

I shook my head, "no Kat, when I say no I mean no... that's one thing about me.. I don't want you using your knowledge on me... if I say no, I mean no, please respect that.. it's what I want..."

She kept quiet and looked at me. More like stared in surprise.

I sighed, "I don't wanna feel like I have to do something coz you asked me to do it or you over powered me coz you are older than me... I don't want that. If I say no, then it's a no.. please let's not argue about it..."

She sighed too, "I'm sorry... I didn't see it like that... I'm not trying to overpower you because I'm older.. And please don't take it like that, I am just suggesting a better solution..Coz I don't think it's wise to be avoiding your father.. Worse when you have graduations in five days... I..."

"Yea yea... babe I get you.. you make a very valid point.. I'll talk to him.. just not today... so can you please take off my clothes and...."

In a second she was holding the hem of my trousers, "...And have my way with you?"

I looked at her and saw the lust and the yearning in her eyes. I shrugged, "well I was going to say and let us sleep... But you can also have your way with me..."

She bit her lower lips took off my trouser, she waisted no time in burying her head in between my thighs making me moan her name a bit....

...

I woke up still dead tired from the s*x last night. You'd think that a busted lip would stop me and Kat from being nasty but no, we would need more than that to stop us from having s*x.

When I opened my eyes she was sitting on the couch looking at me. I furrowed my brows, "what?"

She shrugged,"nothing.. Why?"

"You are staring... And that's rude.."

She laughed and took a coffee mug that I didn't realize was even there. She sipped on it, "if I'm staring at what's mine it's never rude baby..."

I smiled and then my phone rang again. I looked at her and she said, "Your dad.. it's for the fifth time now...."

I sighed.

She got up and came to kiss me, then she looked at me. She wasn't just looking at me for the sake of doing so, she gave me that look. The "do the right thing" look...

I sat up, "fine... I'm answering it..."

She smiled and went out. I took my phone, "hello...."

"It's your dad..."

I rolled my eyes, as if I don't have his numbers saved as 'dad', "Okay...."

"Where are you? Are you okay?"

"In Centurion...."

"Are you okay....?"

"I have a busted lip.. how do I answer that?" I asked getting annoyed, he sighed, "come home..."

"I love my face like this.. so no I'm good exactly where I am..."

"Thandy.. you will come back home and we will talk about this..."

I sighed. God, I hated this but then remembered my girlfriend's words. I needed to fix this before the graduations, "Okay... I'm on my way..."

'Great... I'll take you there...' my girlfriend said behind me and I stuck my tongue out at her..

"I'll see you when I come back from work then..." my dad said and I nodded, "bye..."

I turned to my girlfriend and she smiled at me, "I'm so proud of you.. now go bath while I make breakfast for you..."

I rolled my eyes and went to the bathroom anyways and thank God I didn't have clothes to take off since she took them off for me last night and well.... made me sleep at 3am.. you know when this woman said she loves s*x, I thought oh yeah she does.. little did I know that she was the f*****g deal.. And God I was willing to satisfy the living out of her, coz I knew that our s*x life wasn't going to bore anytime soon...

I finished bathing and ate while my baby was putting her staff in the car. After finishing I said bye to Mike and ran to the car...

"You have to fix things babe, just sit down with the old man and talk to him..."

I nodded, "yah well you kinda f****d that in my head right.... you told me a thousand times... I will do so baby...."

She parked in front of my gate. I looked at her, "I love you.. And thank you for everything.. And for putting up with my moods..."

"Baby.... it's nothing, you put up with my old ass too... I love you too okay.. And please come back home if things turn bad.. I'll find you there later..."

I nodded and leaned in. Our lips connected and she quickly deepened it and held my cheek. I ran my tongue on her bottom lip and I swear I heard her moan. She pulled away and looked at me, "do you always have to kiss me like we are about to fuck....?"

"Huh?" I asked a bit confused and she laughed, "this kiss is for saying goodbye and not to get me wet.. so please, don't fucken turn me on, I'm going to work...."

I laughed this time around, "but baby it's either I go all in or I don't go at all... I love kissing you..."

She rolled her eyes and pecked my lips, "more like you love turning me on... Baby let me go before I'm late..."

I kissed her nose, "you... I love you..."

I got out and she drove away.

I turned to my home and slowly walked in. The moment I extended my hand to hold the door knob it opened revealing my little sister who looked very disturbed.

"Sindy.....?"

She ran past me and out the gate. I turned to see my dad and his wife walking out too...

"What's going on?"

"You... your behavior is now on my daughter.. see I don't care who you sleep with or whatever, but you are not going to teach my child that!" Maa Sophia spat right in my face and I felt something in me shift.

Oh God... how did they find out?

I shook my head, "so what were you guys doing in there?"

"Setting her straight! Like I'm about to do with you." My father said and I ached my brows at him, I wasn't sure if he meant what I thought he meant...

"You want to set me straight? I came here to talk...."

Maa Sophia stormed out, "she'll come back.... And I will deal with her..."

"You guys are scaring me, using words such as deal and set.. that sounds very violent.... And I do not tolerate that..."

"Well this is my house Thandy, I am afraid you have to tolerate everything that's happening here as long as you stay under my roof..."

"I will gladly move out Maa... my happiness comes first... so I'll just get my things and go look for my little sister...."

"No one is moving out.. we will deal with this as a family before it escalates to the streets and people find out about it. We will deal with...."

I cut off my dad when I realized he was about to talk s**t, "daddy... I didn't kill anyone and I do not have some contagious disease... now if it takes me.moving out for you guys to understand how I really am feeling.. then it's exactly what I will do...."

.....

11 hours later.. I looked everywhere, and I couldn't find her. It was like she disappeared into thin air.. what sucked was that lawfully we aren't allowed to open a missing person's case until they been gone for twenty four hours... twenty f*****g four hours ....

I came to a stop and looked at Maud, "her phone is off.. And she isn't even with her girlfriend.. even she can't get a hold of her... Maud I'm scared..."

My friend shook her head, "she's fine..."

"Then where is she? If anything happens I'll blame me... She was so scared Maud.. She had no idea what was going on and she came to me.. And now this is.... God no, nothing bad can't happen to her...." I said and Maudy touched my shoulder,

"Shell be okay... we will find her...."

My phone rang and it was my dad. As much as I didn't wanna talk to him, I had to answer since we was helping each other look for Cindy...

"Yes....."

"Thandy...."

"Please tell me good news...." I said and I head him sigh,

"We can't find her... And it's late...."