Anyone

There’s a personality that always attracts me for some reason. And usually the theme is ‘brokenness’. That’s all I’m going to say about that. But I was wondering, are we really that picky about who we choose? Like preferring a cheese burger rather than a bacon burger? Do we really know our types or do we just let it happen? Is there a commonality somewhere or is it our imagination?

Let’s take three scenarios (since you should know by now I have fun creating my characters) and see who you feel most drawn to.

David once had my heart, that silly boy. He was the type of guy to spin around the room, dancing his heart away, and I’d watch in wonder, because why are you embarrassing yourself like that?

Dear David. Everyone liked him – and when we met, it was when he found me crying in a classroom about something stupid. He annoyed me at first, because his way of cheering me up was talking music.

He was a great rapper and instrumentalist. His personality was way too hard to ignore and creativity oozed out of his body. It was amazing to watch it come alive in a song. Sometimes when he was in a really good mood, he’d pick me up and dance with me like we were in a ballroom. There was never a dull moment. Our lives were almost a song and no one could take it away from us.

He’s serious for a reason, that Sam. He loves talking about social issues and his passion is so attractive. I debated with him on a topic once and lost. He comforted me with a smile, and that’s when I knew.

He was a leader – admired for his need to help people and draw attention to the minority groups at school… No wonder he was elected as the president of the boys club.

Although many girls admire him, he stood by me all the time. He was never afraid of showing affection – but when it came to me, he was different. Not because he didn’t love me at all, but because he was always drilled as the guy to fix everything. He told me he hates the words ‘excel’ and ‘school’, but he does well anyway.

If he wasn’t in love, he would have been soulless, I like to think. He doesn’t really know where he’ll end up one day, because he could be anything he wants, but he said that as long as I was there, it didn’t matter.

It sounds so cliché, I know, but I first fell for him when he saved my life. We never spoke before that day, he just took it upon himself to rescue me from thugs near school.

I still feel bad that he got hurt because of me, but he said it was worth it because he got to look into my eyes for the first time.

Ever since then, I’ve warmed up to him. He has friends, but his crew was always in a fight. But getting to know him, I felt less scared and more secure. They call him Ice. Not because he’s cruel or anything, but because he’s always eating those small packets of ice that cost N$2.

He made it our thing. He loves with all his heart, and it’s the kind of thing that sometimes only I can see. He thought I would never be with a guy like him. But I know that sensitive side. I bring it out of him often. His friends say he’s changed, but I believe it’s for the better. Because he can’t be in fights all his life. I won’t let him.

In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.