The next morning, Lungile woke up early and got ready for school. She put on her uniform and shined her school shoes. Her mother had long since left for her job in the city centre. Just as she was leaving, Bongani burst through the front door, only just arriving from his night-time activities. Lungile stood at the door.
“Do you even know what you’re doing?” she asked him, suddenly very angry.
“What does a small girl like you know about anything?” Bongani spat back.
I know what you are doing is wrong and the time will come when you will look in the mirror and be ashamed of who you see.”
Bongani thinned his eyes and clicked his tongue in annoyance and headed for the bedroom, where he’d now sleep all day, so as to be ready for the night once again.
Lungile went outside. She found Mudiwa and her mother waiting down the road for her. “We’re leaving, Lungile. Thank you so much for your help,” Mudiwa’s mother said and then she reached forward and hugged her. “You’re a brave little girl. I see a bright future for a girl with such courage.”
Lungile was too shy to answer such big compliments. She looked at Mudiwa. “Good bye. I hope you’ll travel well to your home,” Lungile said, keeping her emotions steady with the formal words.
Mudiwa rushed forward. Lungile could feel her friend’s tears wetting her uniform. “I’ll remember you always. You’ve been the best friend a girl could have had. Do you know what I wished for last night?”
“No,” Lungile said. “What?”
“I wished that on our birthday, sometime in the future when everything is good again, that we will be together. We will have a big party with balloons and games and dancing … and a big cake … with lots of cream.”
Lungile watched quietly as Mudiwa and her mother made their way down the block. Just as they were about to turn the corner to the bus station, she shouted, “I hope your wish comes true!”
She wasn’t sure if Mudiwa heard her, but somewhere inside she was positive birthday wishes come true and she would see Mudiwa again.
***
Tell us: Do you agree with what Mudiwas’s mother that a girl like Lungile has a bright future? Why?
