[Nokubonga, a young lady from rural KwaZulu-Natal, Mtubatuba has just been accepted to study at the University of Cape Town. Will the mother city change her? Before Nokubonga leaves, her mother has a chat with her.]
MaNdlovu: Look at you, achieving seven A’s in your matric year! (she smiles)
Nokubonga: I wouldn’t have done it without your support.
MaNdlovu: Still, you’re intelligent my baby girl!
Nokubonga: Thanks mama, I should go and pack.
MaNdlovu: Before you do that, I want you to know that I’m proud of you! (she hugs her daughter)
(Nokubonga leaves the living room, goes to her bedroom and calls her boyfriend, Lucky.)
Lucky: Hello.
Nokubonga: How are you?
Lucky: I’m sad, you’re leaving me.
Nokubonga: I won’t be gone forever. I will visit, and besides you’re a phone call away.
Lucky: It’s not enough.
Nokubonga: Lucky, I want to further my studies.
Lucky: But Cape Town is far!
Nokubonga: Please understand.
Lucky: I don’t know, maybe we should just break up.
Nokubonga: Are you serious?
Lucky: You have to choose. You can’t have it all. It’s either education or myself.
Nokubonga: Have you lost your mind?
Lucky: No, but I’m about to lose my girlfriend.
Nokubonga: It’s fine. Take care of yourself. I’ll always love you but life goes on.
Lucky: Have a safe journey and take care of yourself.
(Nokubonga ends her call with Lucky, thoughts run through her mind.)
Nokubonga: But Lord, Lucky is the only man I have ever loved.
(There’s a knock on the door.)
MaNdlovu: (she enters Nokubonga’s bedroom) Are you okay?
Nokubonga: Yes. It was Lucky. He broke up with me, (she cries on her mother’s chest).
MaNdlovu: Shhh! He was not good for you, you deserve better.
Nokubonga: But, I love him!
MaNdlovu: You deserve a guy who will treat you like a queen. Go to sleep, you’ve an early morning tomorrow. Your bus is leaving at 06:00 a.m. (MaNdlovu exits.)
(It’s the following morning, Nokubonga is getting ready. Her mother is making her breakfast.)
Nokubonga: Is this outfit appropriate?
MaNdlovu: Don’t stress, you look beautiful.
Nokubonga: Mama, I’m nervous!
MaNdlovu: Don’t worry. Just smile.
Nokubonga: (she looks at the watch on the wall) Is that the time? I’m going to be late. Let’s hurry up.
MaNdlovu: Finish getting dressed!
Nokubonga: I’m done! Here, (she gives her mother the luggage) let’s go.
MaNdlovu: You have everything?
Nokubonga: Yes, let’s go!
(They take a taxi to the bus station. Nokubonga starts to cry.)
MaNdlovu: Don’t cry, come. (hugs her)
Nokubonga: I love you mother.
MaNdlovu: I love you too.
[It is a moment of sadness as Nokubonga and her mother share their goodbyes.Fifteen hours later, Nokubonga arrives in the mother city, Cape Town. She’s full of joy and excitement.
She steps out of the bus, and searches for the taxis to Camps Bay.]
(Nokubonga looks around)
Stranger: You seem to be lost. Can I help?
Nokubonga: Not really. Thanks.
Stranger: (he laughs) Liar!
Nokubonga: Excuse me?
Stranger: I’m Sipho Mlaba, a 2nd year Psychology student at UCT. So trust me, I know your brain very well.
Nokubonga: (she laughs) Wow! Well I am lost. I’m going to Camps Bay but I don’t know which taxi to take.
Sipho: There. (He points her to a taxi across the road)
Nokubonga: Thank you.
Sipho: It’s my pleasure. (He smiles)
(Nokubonga departs to Camps Bay to her new apartment which was fully equipped with furniture.)
Nokubonga: Beautiful! All this beauty to myself.
(She calls her mother.)
MaNdlovu: Bonga!
Nokubonga: I have arrived.
MaNdlovu: I’m glad. You sound happy.
Nokubonga: It feels overwhelming to be in a different province!
MaNdlovu: I’m happy for you, will talk soon.
Nokubonga: Bye.
(Nokubonga goes to Spar Supermarket, just across the street.)
Nokubonga: (she picks up a pack of macaroni) R16? So expensive.
Stranger 2: It’s actually a sale. It’s normal price is R25.
Nokubonga: Oh! In KZN, it costs R8.
Stranger 2: You’re from KZN?
Nokubonga: Yes, in Mtuba.
Stanger 2: What a coincidence! I’m from Durban.
Nokubonga: Surprisingly!
Stranger 2: Where are my manners? My name is Lungile Qwabe.
Nokubonga: I’m Nokubonga Ndlovu. So what brings you to Cape Town?
Lungile: I’m studying at UCT.
Nokubonga: Me too. It’s actually my first year. What are you studying?
Lungile: Media Studies.
Nokubonga: Interesting! You want to be the next Connie Ferguson! (she smiles with amusement)
Lungile: No, I want to be the female version of Tyler Perry.
Nokubonga: That Madea guy?
Lungile: Of course! What about you?
Nokubonga: Politics.
Lungile: That’s incredible!
(The two girls exchange their numbers. Nokubonga kept on shopping and left the store, and returned to the apartment. That night she made macaroni and cheese. Ate and went to bed
It’s the next morning she gets up, takes a shower and gets dressed, wearing her torn jeans with a blouse. She takes a taxi to campus. She enters her classroom.)
Lecturer: Greetings to all. Very few people are passionate about Politics.
Brandon: Indeed.
Nokubonga: But why Politics?
Lecturer: What do you mean?
Brandon: Sir, she doesn’t know why she chose politics.
(The students in the class laugh.)
Nokubonga: Do you?
Brandon: I do but you don’t.
Nokubonga: Don’t be so sure. But I want to assure you something.
Brandon: Which is?
Nokubonga: One day, I will be South Africa’s president.
Lecturer: Wow! That’s a vision, a goal. I’m loving you already young lady. What’s your name?
Brandon: Miss-Know-It-All.
(The lecture tries to shut Brandon out of the conversation.)
Nokubonga: I’m Nokubonga Ndlovu.
Lecturer: Pleasure meeting you, I’m Mr Lucas. (he smiles)
[Nokubonga keeps attending her classes, makes friends and finds a job at Canal Walk Mall in a restaurant.]
(At Mugg & Bean, where Nokubonga works, she is serving her customers, two young men)
1st man: Hello there.
Nokubonga: Hello. What are you having?
2nd man: Can I have your today’s special.
1st man: Can I have you? (he looks at Nokubonga)
2nd man: Please forgive my friend, he can get carried away. We’ll both have today’s special. Thanks (handing her the menu’s)
1st man: Not so fast!
Nokubonga: I think we’re done here. (she moves away )
1st man: Look at you, an uneducated waitress. That’s what you’re! (he screams)
2nd man: Shut up!
(Hours later, Nokubonga is done with her shift. She meets up with her friends, Lungile and Nomzamo at her apartment.)
Lungile: Hey Missy!
Nomzamo: Bongs!
Nokubonga: Hey guys.
Lungile: You look exhausted!
Nokubonga: It was a long day.
Nomzamo: Let’s go out, that will cheer you up! (she says with excitement)
Nokubonga: Not tonight. Anyway, I’m thinking of going home this weekend.
Nomzamo: Oh!
Lungile: When will you return?
Nokubonga: I’ll be gone for two weeks.
Nomzamo: Are you thinking what I’m thinking? (she looks at Lungile)
Lungile: Which is?
Nokubonga: What?
Nomzamo: We can visit you and your mother in KZN.
Lungile: That would be lovely!
Nokubonga: Guys! Guys! I don’t know about this.
Nomzamo: Come on!
Lungile: Don’t tell your mother, surprise her!
(It was the weekend. The three girls are on their way to KZN. After 15 hours, they reach Nokubonga’s household Nokubonga knocks on the door but there’s no response. They enter. There are voices coming from her mother’s bedroom.)
A woman: You’re a blessing in my life Lucky boy.
A man: You’re my Queen.
(Nokubonga enters the bedroom.)
Nokubonga: What! Lucky? Mother!
MaNdlovu: What are you doing here? (trying to get up from the bed)
Lucky: You left me, so I moved on.
Nokubonga: Moved on with my mother?
Nomzamo & Lungile : Sies!
Nokubonga: I’m glad that I chose education over you. You were a waste of time.
(MaNdlovu breaks up with her Ben 10. Nomzamo, Lungile and Nokubonga graduate. Guess what? Nokubonga becomes the president of the country. She chose education, because education is indeed the key.)