***The Moment***

“Good morning Gogo Sophie,” I said while stretching the sleep out of my body. “Is breakfast ready?”

“Good morning,” Gogo Sophie responded, and her words were accompanied by a warm smile with rosy cheeks. “Yes, breakfast is ready. But you first have to go bath so you can eat.”

I got up from the bed, took the silver metal pot, and poured the hot water which Gogo had boiled for me, along with some cold water, so I could take a bath. A few minutes later, I began eating breakfast. It was not the usual glitz and glamour breakfast we always see though, it was uphutu (steamed pap) and water. I really enjoyed it though – I still do – and even though I regularly wished for pancakes with honey on top, I just appreciated what Gogo Sophie could provide.

“Gogo, I have to get going, otherwise I’m going to be as late as I was the last time,” I said.

“Okay, I love you, uhambe kahle,” Gogo Sophie responded.

After greeting Gogo, I took my schoolbag, which had detailed images of strong women of the past and present, and gently placed my plate into the green bucket in order for it to be washed. I then went outside, opened the rusty gate, and hurried my way to the bus stop. Luckily, I got there in time, and I got into the bus and went to school.

As I got out of the bus at school, the sun was shining very brightly, which resulted in my crown, which is my afro, to look like the pearl of a mermaid. My long school skirt swayed from left to right as I walked towards the school, and my school socks were as white as a polar bear. To top everything off, I had my blue school blazer on, and that was how I did not let poverty define me: by walking with pride and dignity. But I was one of the first three black students at Collin Secondary School.

Soon after school started, I went to the Creative Arts class. The Creative Arts teacher was Ms Jane, and she always had dull clothes on, which made it difficult for people to tell that she taught Creative Arts. The only thing that made her standout was her long, royal blue hair, which she always tied with a grey ribbon. Her personality was not all that bubbly too, but she was a good person. Well, she was a good person to some of the other students, that is.

“Okay, okay learners, settle down so we can begin,” Ms Jane said with a Spanish accent.

As soon as Ms Jane spoke, all the learners in my class went to their respected seats and took out what was going to be needed in the Creative Arts lesson.

“Today, we will be doing a play. It’s Romeo and Juliet, and we are practising it for an event that will be hosted at our school. The aim of the event is to fundraise for the Grade 10 school trip, and there will be special guests there, so let’s begin practicing so that it can purr-fect,” Ms Jane said with a smile, which allowed her red cheeks to rise. She was definitely in a good mood.

After speaking, Ms Jane began giving out roles, and everyone was excited, including me. I was hoping to get the Juliet role, but, unfortunately, I did not get a role!

“Uhm, Ms Jane, I don’t have a role,” I said after clearing my throat.

“Oh, you see, uhm, I don’t want any odd people in the play. I mean, people like you. So, you know what, just watch us,” Ms Jane responded with a wicked voice.

After Ms Jane spoke, I shed a tear because everyone in the class was laughing. I did not think I would ever be called an odd person in my life. On the bus back home, I was still thinking about what Ms Jane had said to me, and I was very devastated and angry because of it. She could not even think for a second that I was a human being with feelings. How can a woman discourage another woman? We should be encouraging each other to do more, not mocking or insulting each other because of our skin colour, race, nationality, or culture.

I got off at the bus stop, and as I was walking towards home, my phone buzzed. My day kept on getting worse. It was one of those colourism quotes about light skin and dark skin people, and I could not believe that black people had an evil eye for each other too. After reading the text, I went home and found Gogo Sophie in the house.

“Here’s my beautiful child,” Gogo Sophie said while sitting on the brown couch, drinking herbal tea.

“Gogo, why is the world so unfair? Mmm, why?” I said with my eyes filled with tears.

Before responding, Gogo Sophie gently placed her white tea cup on the wooden table, and carefully got up because her bones were getting fragile day by day. “What’s wrong, Thandeka?” she asked.

“If it’s not my school, it’s my community, the people I live with,” I said.

“Thandeka, you’re not making any sense,” Gogo Sophie said.

“Gogo, since from day one, I’ve been called an odd person in that school. If it’s not my hair, it’s my race, and now it’s black people against each other. Colourism, Gogo, but why?” I asked with tears rolling down my face.

Before responding, Gogo Sophie gave me a cuddle, and her floral red dress got damp on the upper right shoulder because of my tears. “You have to stand up for what is right and own it mntwanami,” she whispered.

***

Tell us: How do you think Thandeka should deal with the racism she faces at her school?