Some people are born to manifest, to conquer, to work and to live life to the fullest. There will always be a boundary from one step to another. Have you ever imagined how happy the world would be if everyone had a dream for the future? If everyone was educated, with everything that he or she needed? Somehow, I think that if these things really existed we wouldn’t have jealousy. We wouldn’t have people killing other people for their success, just maybe.

There was once a young girl named Zingisa. She was very quiet and was in Grade 11. She lived with her grandmother in two small rooms in Bizana. Zingisa and her grandmother lived from her grandmother’s social grant, which was not enough for their needs. Zingisa’s grandmother was very old and not in good health.

Their neighbours were the Smiths. Their daughter, Lulama, was in Zingisa’s class. It was January and there was a Science Week at school. The students were asked to create anything of their choice and make it work. For example, some would build a house with wooden boards and make it light up.

Zingisa loved Science, so she entered for the Science Week competition with two boys: Musa and Azile. They worked as a group and built a radio. You could turn the radio on by snapping your fingers, and you could turn it off by clapping your hands twice.

They worked very hard to build this amazing radio. As a result, they won medals and were going to represent their school at the regional level. Lulama was just an ordinary learner who did not really participate in any school activities and did not get good grades. She underestimated her neighbour, Zingisa. Lulama did not think that Zingisa could do good things and get good grades while coming from a disadvantaged background.

Lulama told her mother about the amazing radio that Zingisa had built. Her mother was very angry because her daughter had not taken part in the Science Week.

If a child is not talented, what can be done to make him or her talented? Nothing, I tell you, nothing. Jealousy is a disease that cannot be cured.

Apparently, Lulama’s mother was never taught to be happy for other people when they are trying to make something for themselves out of nothing. I take it that Lulama inherited jealousy from her mother. Lulama started making fun of Zingisa at school. She threw papers at her in class, laughed at her when she saw her coming, bullied her and all sorts of other things.

Zingisa never paid any attention to what Lulama and her friends were doing. All she wanted was to pass and be an electrical engineer one day. The bullying at school and the hate at home continued for a very long time, but what amazes me is that the person being hated did not give her bullies any of her time.

The time came for final examinations. Zingisa took position number one for the most intelligent learner in her region. She won a prize of forty five thousand rand. She bought medicine for her grandmother, who was suffering from high blood pressure and problems in her joints. She also bought food, and then she saved the rest of the money.

Her grandmother recovered after getting medicine. Zingisa and her grandmother were very happy because they finally had food and everything they needed. The Smiths heard this news and it did not sit well in their hearts. As a result, Mrs Smith went to a witch doctor for muthi. She got this muthi and was instructed to put it in a bucket of water, while Zingisa and her grandmother were at the clinic to get pills.

When they came back, Zingisa had to give her grandmother pills before she went to sleep. She was tired from the clinic, so she took the water from the bucket and gave her grandmother her pills. Her grandmother drank the water and went to sleep. After four hours, her grandmother didn’t wake up. Zingisa started to fuss and went to try and wake her, but her grandmother never woke up. She shook her many times, but her grandmother did not wake up. Zingisa knew then that her grandmother was dead.

Zingisa cried for help in the neighbourhood. All the neighbours came, even the Smiths. They were very shocked to find out that Mrs Zulu was dead. Mrs Smith was also shocked, because her aim had been to kill Zingisa, not her grandmother. She found herself crying, asking herself aloud what she had done. People were confused and asked her what she meant. Mrs Smith cried with her head in her hands. She went inside, took the bucket with the poisoned water and threw it away.

She continued crying and said: “I killed her. I killed her. It was supposed to be Zingisa, not her.”

People were so confused. Zingisa’s grandmother’s friend asked Mrs Smith to explain herself. Mrs Smith told her that she had poisoned the water. Zingisa stood by the door and said nothing. The police came and arrested Mrs Smith. Zingisa and her relatives buried her grandmother. Zingisa then went to live with her aunt and uncle.

She finished her Grade 12, went on to varsity and became a qualified electrical engineer. After that, she became so popular and was called to many places to work. Back at home she built a two-storey house where she and her grandmother used to live. She lived there alone, but soon she got married and became blessed with three children: Wonder, Buhle and Cebolethu. At this time, Lulama was still living at her mother’s house, working at a restaurant as a waitress.

When God has planned your life, there is no way you can alter His plans. If you were born to manifest, to lead and succeed, nothing will stand in your way.

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Tell us what you think: Why do you think people get jealous of other’s success?