It was Saturday morning and I knew I wasn’t going to school, so I rested a little bit and woke up at nine. I made my bed and went to bath. I was hungry so I went to the kitchen to make some porridge and noticed that Mom was already awake and she had made my favourite porridge.
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“Morning, Mom,” I greeted her.

“Morning, my princess, seems like you are not feeling well, what is it?” She sounded concerned.

“Nothing, Mom, I’m just hungry,” I responded.

“OK, go and wash dishes so that you can eat your porridge.”

I went to wash the dishes and Mom was still busy with her cooking. I took my mom’s favourite plate to wash it but I don’t know what happened, the plate slipped out of my hands and broke.

“Thembi! Thembi! Thembi!” my mom shouted.

“Yes, Mom?” I answered, in a low-pitched voice.

“What did you just drop and break?”

“So…so…” Words couldn’t come out. “Sorry, Mom, it’s your favourite plate. The one Granny gave you when she was still alive,” I continued.

“What?” shouted my mom. “Are you trying to get me angry or what?” Her eyes were turning red.

“No, Mom, I’m being serious. Please forgive me,” I pleaded. I could see the anger in her eyes.

“Go to your room now before I do something I’ll regret!” She pointed to my room.

I didn’t hesitate, I went to my room, crying like a three-year-old baby.

Dinner came and I heard my mom calling my younger sister to come and join her. She didn’t call me. I went to join them nevertheless. She gave my little sister food and they ate while I stared at them. They left a plate full of hot chips and when I was just about to take it, my mom pulled it and said, “No food for you today, go back to your room and take a rest!”

“I can’t believe I spent the whole day without eating or drinking anything,” I said.

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Tell us: What do you think of Thembi’s punishment after breaking her mom’s favourite dish?