Thandie and Angela were busy preparing for church when Angela's phone started beeping. She answers it and smilling hangs up.

"That was my cousin from Nigeria,she is coming down for christmas."
She expained to her brother's baby mama Thandie.

"I hope she is not trouble,I really don't like Nigerian,they have a funny way of speaking english."
Said Thandie putting her baby in her pram.

"We are going to be late if you don't hurry up girl."

Angela hated the fact that her cousin,whom she hasn't seen since they were five when her mother broke up with her father and the father took the little girl with her,she wondered if she will be to speak her mother tongue SETSWANA.Angela's aunt has been staying with them until she died two years back of Aids,it was still a stigma then but as time went by,people accepted it and moved on with life.She had child to worry about,had failed matric and while repeat she fell pregnant with a guy who denied the child.Now the baby was almost six months old and the father had never came to see her,not even a pair of baby shoes from him.
****************
The day for the cousin to land arrived,everyone was happy to see her,as they last saw her in person when she was five,all they saw of her was the pictures she posted on facebook.

"Thandie,meet my cousin Ayoke Oyetoso,and cuz,meet my brother's girlfriend Doreen Nakake."
Angela introduced the two girls trying to sound cheerful,feeling the tense atmosphere.She sensed trouble as both girls muttered

"Nice to meet you."
Like grade ones greeting a new teacher.

Ayoke,a tall slim girl who took after her beautiful mother.her oval face and big eyes made her very adorable.

Thandie,who expected to see someone lighter was taken by suprise when she realise that she was way too dark.She looked like her skin colour would wipe off if wiped with a hankerchief.This Ayoke girl's beauty was exactly like the west African model Joel Khayembe.

"You sure are something else nigerian girl."Thandie muttered in Setwana.

"I didn't get that?"

"Oh I meant your name is Ayoke,right?"
Ayoke Nodded with a grin.

"What kind of a name is that?I thought your name is Lethabo?because your mother is Tswana and she named you that so how come your called by that ridiculous name?"

Before Ayoke could reply Angela was back with a tray of three classes and a coca cola cold drink.Thandie was starring at the black beauty like she was from another planet.

"I have brought something to drink guys,hope you know it?(Looking at Ayoke)."

She nodded again afraid of telling her cousin she has alcers and she was not allowed to drink acidic stuff,remembering how her grandmother had taught her its bad manners to refuse or be choosy when your a guest in someone's house.

"To answer you Thandie,I left here when I was very young,my fathers family changed my name and I can't even speak Tswana,Iam a Yoruba girl and my name means (one who people are happy to bless.)See Iam the first born of my father,he got married and I have two beautiful sisters and a little brother.My mother is the best mother anyone could ever have."

Ayoke narrated her story to uninterested Thandie,who already hated the spoilt brat,with a model figure and chocolate silky skin and British accent.

"How come you have a british accent
When you grew up in Nigeria?we were expecting that nigerian accent that's so funny.Look at your nails,your weave,and your clothes,God!did you buy all this clothes on your way here?"
Asked Angela,looking at Ayoke from head to toe adding,

"OMG,and your shoes!I never wore hills before,I don't think I would be able to walk in those."

Ayoke explained she adopted the accent from her grandmother who worked in Britain as a housekeeper almost all her life to put her dad and aunt through school,she only retired when her dad brought her back to Nigeria to look after her.There was a lot to talk about but the sun was already setting so Angela cleared up and all the girls headed for the kitchen to make supper.

*************

Thandie's sister wedding preparations underway made things hard for Ayoke as she was forced to look after Angela's child.

Three weeks later Angela broke down.
And tearfully tried to explain to her cousin what went wrong

"I need a new partner,my partner doesn't look interested in the whole thing anymore."

"Why?what happened?I thought everything was going according to plan?"

"Tebogo is just impossible you know,he promised to pay for the attire on time but now he is not even picking up my calls,its a mess as they said if I don't find a partner they will find one for me.
And the only available guy is that boring morgue called Sbusiso."

"Well its not like you are going to touch the guy,you will just be partners.Let Tebogo be,what if he can't affort to buy the thing?"
Ayoke reasoned

"Then why is he so silent?I always go to his house and he is never there and please stop defending him because you do not know him!"

Ayoke curved a smile on her lips,trying not to show her stressed cousin her amusement but it was clear Angela was dating Tebogo.

"Look Angela Iam not a child,I know you are dating this guy."

"We would date but our religions differ dear,Iam a Zion Christian Church member and he is a Born Again Christian.Bazalwana and us don't really get along."
Angela wanted to paint Tebogo as a bad guy but part of her Loved him though she wasn't ready to tell anyone,not even her so trustworthy Nigerian cousin.

********


The wedding date drew closer and there were no sign of Tebogo.One Afternoon as the cousin's were walking home from the shop,a cute tall goodlooking stood infront of Angela grinning from ear to ear.This made Angela push the baby pram furiously at the guy who stepped aside and took Angela by the hand.

Seeing what was happening Ayoke took the pram from Angela and drove home slowly,it occured to her that the guy might be Tebogo.The way her cousin responded to his touch proved the chemistry between them needed room.She smiled as she tried to get the guy out of her mind.

Angela later introduced Ayoke to Tebogo via Mxit,the two flirted and exchanged numbers in promise to invite each other.

They talked everyday and called each other every night.Ayoke asked both Tebogo and her cousin if they were dating but they denied it and so Ayoke dated Tebogo.He would play her his guiter during his midnight calls.
Advising her not to tell Angela of their ralationship as it was fair on her but he really loves Ayoke.

The wedding day arrived and Ayoke made sure she outlooked every female and was sure she would be more beautiful than the bride.

"Ngoanyana you look just like your mother!only that she was lighter than you.Come here my girl."

Angela's mother was standing at the door,admiring this black beauty,the black swan of the family.She stepped in and embraced her niece.wiping tears from her eyes.

"Please don't cry aunty,you will ruin my makeup."

"Its not everyday that I get to see you like this child,you will be going home in january and only God knows when your father will send you down here again.Iam not well off as you can see and I will be going to Moria nextweek,let me enjoy this few days with you.Off you go,before it gets late Iam sure they are waiting for you."

"Bye aunty."

Tebogo was waiting for her at the gate and escorted her to the wedding.The girl was afraid of being seen by her cousin or her friends in public with Tebogo but she told herself its about time their relationship goes public.While they were walking hand in hand there was a honk behind them,that's when they realised that it was the bride and her maids,Angela was also in the car.She opened the window and sarcasticaly called Ayoke Mrs Dube,which is Tebogo's lastname,and added that she will buy the shoes,dress and earrings that Ayoke was wearing so that Tebogo will escort her to weddings too.The car sped by and the words of Angela left Ayoke weak and shaking she was sure she would have one of those headaches she gets when she is tense.Tebogo assured her Angela didn't mean what she said,she was just bluffing.

"But how could she say that infront of all those girls?I look like a man snatcher now,maybe I should go back home."

"No,I would suggest we go back to my place but I have things to attend to at church,you will be fine ok?."

"Thandie hates me,now angela does too and I don't know anyone there.I speak only english and Yoruba,how Iam I going to communicate with anyone?"

"Baby,you will be fine,call me if you don't fit in,I will come pick you up."
Cupping her cheeks in,and rubbing his palm on her soft black skin.She looked like a little girl lost in a foreign town,which was true only that she was not a little girl,she was a nineteen year old beautiful woman.

Interestin...looking forward to more update!

Splendblex: Interestin...looking forward to more update!

Thanks dear