Life at university was hard for Thenjiwe. She was exposed to the real world there, and she always felt like dropping out and going back home to her Gogo.

Her peers had everything she didn’t have. She was a laughing stock on campus, but whenever she thought about the situation back home, that would always make her hang on. There was not a single day when she slept without crying because of the way the others treated her.

“Girl, you need to get a life. Join us and we’ll show you,” said some girls who looked like models from a magazine, trying to convince her to be wild because time waits for no one.

She was tempted to say yes because she wanted to feel accepted, but then her Gogo’s words kept on echoing in her mind: don’t fall for material things when you get there, and always remember your purpose.

The bursary she applied for was approved, and that was a stepping stone for Thenjiwe. She bought herself some new outfits and started taking care of herself. Even the people who were laughing at her now wanted to be her friend. She sometime split the money with her Gogo for her to buy food.

“maThenji, don’t waste your money on us, that money is for your studies,” Gogo would say.

***

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