Thursday starts at 6 in the morning. The alarm rings at 5:50. I’ve set my alarm tone to be Asa’s song No One Knows, which is my favourite song in her album. So, when it rings I wake up immediately and if I’m in a good mood when I wake up, I sing along to it.

For the next 10 minutes, I lie on the bed with my eyes closed and listen to the sounds of sunrise. Birds sing on the tree that’s next to my window. The cars on Mandela Drive hum along. A taxi hoots down the street, looking for passengers going to work and other places. There is someone in the kitchen – which is four doors away from my room – singing a song that sounds familiar.
I think today is promising to be a good day!

My second alarm rings at 6 on the dot. I wake up to prepare for class. The water in the shower is hot. The only good thing about showering before everyone else does is that you find the water hot, especially now that it’s winter. I play Asa’s album and sing along to it. After a few songs, I rush out and head to my room.

I prepare breakfast. I eat.

At 7:20, Mosquito Mathebula knocks at my door. “Did you read the chapter we had to prepare for Mr Van Rensburg’s class?” he asks as soon as I open the door to let him in.
“What chapter?” I say.
He laughs. When he notices that I’m not laughing along with him, he stops laughing. He takes out the heavy textbook that I don’t like and pages to chapter 10. “This is the chapter I’m talking about. We were supposed to read it in preparation for class.”

My heart sinks. I didn’t read the chapter. What’s even worse is that Mr Van Rensburg is the type to just ask random question in class, thinking that everyone has read whatever he had assigned us to read!

Mosquito Mathebula sees the worried look on my face as I skim through the chapter. “Zee, I’ll lend you my notes on this chapter. Just skim through it before class. Now, let’s go to class.”

“For real?” he nods his head. Once again, Mosquito Mathebula saves the day! This time I make a mental note to count him amongst the blessings tonight when I pray.

We get to class at 7:45. The “early birds” are standing outside and, chatting to each other about this and that. The smokers are puffing on cigarettes. I still think today is going to be a good day. At least, I’m early!

ZZ xx