Infidelity

40

A few days later...

There's an unknown car outside of my apartment. It is too fancy to be the Uber I've requested. The person in the steps outside and he approaches me.

"Ma'am please do not be alarmed." His accent is funny and I can't figure out where it is from.

"Why would I be alarmed?" I ask him.

"He said you might be..." He shows me a tablet with Keletso's picture on it. I bite my lip to hide my smile.

"He sent you." I clear my throat.

"Yes, he sent me to fetch you." He tells me.

He opens the door and motions with his hand for me to get in. I walk towards the car but I immediately stop and stare at the back seats.

"Call him first." I'm feeling a bit anxious.

He doesn't even hesitate and I relax a bit. Keletso answers immediately and I snatch the phone from the driver.

"It's you, right." There's an evident panic in my voice.

"Yes it's me. But if you're not comfortable with him, you can do whatever you want." Keletso says.

"It's fine. He's fine." I give the man a curt smile.

"Africa..."

"Yes?"

"I don't like that you're afraid of me." I notice the discomfort in his tone.

"I'm fine." I assure him but the pitch of my voice is clearly off-key.

"Anxious people who are not fine say that all the time." He tells me.

"It's only because he's a stranger, but I'm fine now." I quickly end the call before letting out a heavy breath.

My hands are trembling when I return the phone back to the driver. He notices.

"Miss are you alright?" He seems genuinely concerned.

"I'm okay." The words come out as a heavy and sharp breath.

"Miss... Breathe. You're having a panic attack." He informs me.

"I'm well aware, thanks." Speaking is becoming more of a defect for me as I take in heavy breaths.

"In..." He instructs and I obey. "Out..."

"That's it focus on my voice." He says.

I look into his eyes and that's when I realise that he has albinism, when all this time I thought he was white.

I burst out laughing.

In the car...

"What was so funny?" He looks at me through the review mirror and I look at his eyes again.

I smile at him. It's a full smile.

"I thought you were white." I stifle a laugh but I just end up snorting.

"Why is that so funny?" He seems confused.

"I'm laughing at myself." I say.

"It is often said that those who are able to laugh at themselves are most happy." He tells me.

I wish...

I wish I could remember the last time I was happy.

"Where are you from anyway?" I ask him.

"I'm from Ghana but my mother is from Spain." He says. His words carry a sense of pride and joy.

"That's nice," I say and I look outside the window.