It was a rainy Friday. The sky had been grey and somber throughout the day, and anyone could see that the clouds held gallons of water in its hands ready to pour them on the dry hard surface of the earth.
Mother was sitting on her sofa, with a morose face staring at dad’s empty couch. We were all gathered around mother, all of us wearing a face that was molded by worry. It was raining when dad walked in. The whole house came alive when dad’s voice echoed in the house as he entered, and from the door to the bathroom he left a trail of droplets that his clothes took when the sky gave its liquid. Mother’s face wore her favourite smile – the same one she wore when her eyes were lit colourfully on her wedding dress 16 years ago. Dad walked in, leaving on the door a box wrapped in a black refuse bag. The box forlornly stood on the corner and we all stared at it with eyes enthralled with curiosity. Mother went to the kitchen and made dad a cup of warm coffee in his enamel cup.
When dad came out of the bedroom dressed in warm clothes, we all – all three of us rushed to him.
“Daddy what’s in the box?” I said.
With a whimsical smile he said, “Why don’t you go and see for yourself?”
I hurriedly went. as I stared into the box, my eyes dropped to the floor, followed by my jaw as excitement paralyzed my body.
“What is it, Sipho?” asked mother wrapped in father’s arms.
“Daddy bought a computer,” said my little sister.
The rain that threw stones on our zinc roof, leaving deafening sounds echoing in our ears, suddenly became a distant sound that slowly faded as my excitement grew and my heart thudded so hard like it wanted to escape my chest.
“That computer is for school work and not for otherwise business,” said dad after I regained my consciousness, mother’s smile followed his words.
“Yes Daddy,” I responded with a smile while; my heart said you won’t even see me still.
It was 2008, age 16, when I first laid my eyes on this computer, and since then, I have grown to write poems and books on this computer. It is because of that momentous day that I have discovered my passion and purpose in life.
The world I liberate through this keyboard is the reason for my existence, the reason I value my laptop, and why, no matter what happens, I will always regard it as the best gift that my Dad has given me. From this life to next, I’ll always be grateful to him. It is through this computer that is my Something Special that I get the chance to inspire the world with my writing and creativity. It is through this keyboard that I have been able to develop my Philosophy.