Friends and lovers
When Nqobani danced it was like watching a tigress hunt, grace and rhythm oozed from her very nimble body. She had the legs of a masai hunter, toned, long and lean.
Every woman in her class wanted a slice of her incredibly delectable body but she unfortunately only had eyes for Thobile. Thobile who seemed not to notice her, when others swooned and sighed, Thobile looked unaffected, when Jen giggled in the corner, Thobile practiced her routine, seemingly unaware of the goddess in the room.
Nqobani had ended a long relationship with a woman whom she had come to feel for like one feels for a sister approximately a year and 2 months ago. Where she had burnt with desire at her touch, in the final months of their relationship she had only felt the warmth one feels for a friend.
Like with most lesbian relationships, they were still the best of friends, the relationship had ended most amiably as it had become very clear to both of them that the fire was gone and never to return.
Nqobani had first become aware of her feelings for Thobile on the 15th of May 2013, she could easily point out the hour and minute it had hit her. The first stirrings of winter were in the air, on a Friday evening at 6pm, Thobile walked into her studio, complete with her usual verve and vigour, she swore out loud about the fact that she hated winter terribly and Nqobani looked up, seeing her as if for the first time, it was hard to explain, one minute she was just another woman, looking to Nqobani to teach her how to move her body to the music as if was one with her and the next she was the most delicious thing Nqobani had ever seen, she wanted, no she longed to sink her teeth into her long delicate neck.
Thobile looked up and caught her eye, she smiled, said hello and looked away, Nqobani’s world had been different ever since. She suddenly couldn’t wait for 6pm Friday night to arrive, and on the day Thobile missed her class, it was like the sun had left earth forever, never to shine again.
After 6 years of friendship she couldn’t for the life of her figure out why her heart had done the double on her mind. Thobile had been there when she and Lena went through the motions, always the supportive friend, forever reassuring.
Last Friday, she had almost made an ass of herself, longing desperately to feel this woman in her arms, she had chose her as a dance partner to illustrate a new routine, if she hadn’t been the talented dancer she was, she would have made a fuckery of the lesson, as it was, she had barely made it through the routine intact, breathing in Thobile’s sweat and light perfume was enough to bring her to tears of longing.
Nqobani wasn’t the type of woman to let love go by unrequited however and had therefore decided that the role of a swooning teenager was unbecoming of a woman her years, all 34 of them and was not going to take it sitting down anymore.
She had done all she could to draw attention to her feelings for the woman and failed, desperate situations called for desperate measures.
As everyone left, Nqobani and thobile stood chatting, Thobile complained about her day, she had a crazy boss Nqobani knew all too well, Nqobani just wanted to reach out and hold her to her breast.
All too soon, the studio she rented on 7th avenue in Melville was empty.
“I should go’, Thobile said realising that she was the only one left.
“Oh it’s no rush…unless of course you have a date”, Nqobani said stealing a look and hoping for her dear life that she didn’t.
Thobile smiled, “I just don’t want to keep you, that’s all…”, she said softly, running her fingers through her short brown locks.
What Nqobani didn’t know was that Thobile had had a thing for her for the longest time but had given up all hope for a relationship, they had been friends far too long, she constantly thought miserably.
She was still lost in her miserable thoughts when she noticed that Nqobani had moved, and was now standing right in front of her, she barely had time to react before Nqobani took her face into her hands and kissed her, very gently, unrushed, very very sweetly.
© JSA