It was a beautiful afternoon when I saw Vânia dressed in bright clothes. Birds flying from one side to another, the sound of cars making noise and students moving from one side to another. Vânia was a girl with red lips, with a body like a guitar, soft skin like glass and while she was walking I thought she was parading.
I looked at her carefully and she showed me a bright smile. Her teeth looked like gold, her eyes were like a sunrise. I looked at her carefully and she showed me a bright smile again. I got mad about her but I was afraid to talk to her.
My friend used to chat with her since she liked to buy sweets in his shop. I started thinking, ‘If I talk to my friend, he will help me to talk to her. I’ll tell her that I love her.’ So, I decided to talk to him to tell Vânia that I wanted to talk to her.
Next day, Vânia passed by the shop of my friend. When I saw her, my heart started beating faster as if I had seen an animal with seven heads. I stood alone leaning against a tree while my friend was chatting with Vânia. Minutes later my friend called me: ‘Morgan, come here.’ The beats of my heart accelerated but I had to go because I wanted to talk to Vânia. I was crazy because of her. I went to the place where Vânia and my friend were exchanging words.
‘Your friend said you wanted to talk to me,’ Vânia said. ‘What do you want to tell me?’ I began to think of the words that I would tell her. Then, I got the courage and I said: ”Give me your number, I’ll call you.’ ‘Write there,’ Vânia said while she was laughing ‘82245….’ She also took my number and she went.
Thirty minutes after she had gone, my phone started ringing: ‘Trim… Trim… Trim…’ I thought it was Vânia and so I took the phone immediately. But it was my mother who was calling. I answered the call and I talked to mom. The call reminded me of Vânia and so I decided to call her. After a few minutes of talking, I decided to tell Vânia that I got mad about her. She replied that she also got mad about me.
Seconds before disconnecting the call, Vânia asked me 5000 meticais. I replied ‘Okay’. I did not have that amount at that time but as I loved her, I had to do everything possible to satisfy her. Each and every time I called her she asked me money. I gave all my little money to her and I became moneyless. I did not have even a cent to buy something to eat or to pay my house’s expenses.
Days later, I met Vânia in town when I was going to talk to my friend and she asked me some amount. As answer, I said that I didn’t have the amount she needed. Her last words to me were amazing: ‘Don’t call me anymore because you do not have what I asked you. You must delete my number.’ I started to think about everything I had spent including my time. I cried and I hated her forever.
Anselmo studied English at the Universidade Pedagógica in Maxixe, Mozambique