Thembi can’t stop thinking about Siya. She finds herself blushing when she goes through the Debating Championship pictures – the photographer has caught and published one of her and Siya hugging! Very, very close full body hugging!

But her competitive self clears her mind of romance and Thembi’s thoughts move on to how they are going to do in the Provincials in the next two days. Her former school has made it and she can’t wait to debate against them. She sees this as an opportunity to prove to them all over again why she won the Best Debater of the Year award last year.

Her parents promised they will attend the Provincials. She wonders if they will travel together to the venue. She remembers how they use to drive in her father’s car and sit next to each other holding hands. When she looked up into the audience she would always find them smiling. Her father would raise his right thumb and wink.

The big day has arrived and Siya is looking smart, thinks Thembi. He’s in his white shirt, black tie with gold stripes, black sweater with two gold lines around the neck, black blazer with a school logo, and grey and black Toughee shoes. His head is shaved.

They settle down and Thembi scans the audience for her parents but she doesn’t see them. Maybe they decided not to come, she thinks, her heart sinking. Don’t they know how important this is to her, and how difficult moving schools has been?

“The motion for this year’s Western Cape Debating Championships is: This house would reinstate the death penalty. Please help me to invite the first speaker from the proposition to argue the case for the position.” The hall packed with students, teachers and parents, applauds.

Thembi stands tall on the podium, scanning confidently across the crowd, waiting for them to quieten. Then just before she starts speaking, she sees her mom and dad walk in at the back. They go to different sides of the aisle to sit.

Thembi does well and the crowd cheers. She smiles as she sees her mom and dad stand up and clap.

When it’s Siya’s turn Thembi leans towards him. “Destroy them!” she whispers. He knows what Thembi told him at practice: that it feels like you are on top of the world when your words are flying. And soon he’s there: on top of the world, and when he finishes his argument the crowd cheers.

He is all smiles. Thembi hugs him after, “I knew you could it. Look at you, mister.”

“Ladies and gentlemen, it has been an exciting day. Today’s winners will represent the Western Cape Province at the National Debating Championships in Johannesburg. I will now ask all the adjudicators to join me on stage to announce the winners.”

The Khwezi team all hold hands and wait.

The winners for this year’s Western Cape Provincial Debating Championships are … Khwezi High School!”

“We are the champions,” the choir sings. The whole team, and Mrs Mthembu, run up on to the stage. Balloons and ribbons drop down as they lift the trophy.

Thembi is overwhelmed when friends from her former school rush to congratulate her. This is a dream come true.

Finally she gets a chance to be with her parents. They are hugging each other. She feels like they are all a family again, and she wishes it could stay this way forever.

But reality strikes when her parents go their separate ways, and her mom offers to take her home to Granny. “Just a minute Mom,” she says, then waves and calls out for Siya, who is across the parking lot.

They run towards each other, into each other’s arms. Thembi doesn’t want to let go. But behind her she hears loud clapping … and turns to see her first friend at Khwezi High, Cindy, grinning at her.

* * * * *

“Ok, class. Today’s oral topic is: ‘An experience that changed my life.’ Who would like to volunteer to go first?” Mr Langa asks.

“I will go first, Sir,” Siya responds.

“Are you sure, Siya?” Mr Langa is surprised; this is not the Siya he knows.

“Certainly, Sir,” He smiles and looks Thembi. She nods.

“Ok, you can come to the front.” Everyone is shocked at how confident Siya is.

“An experience that changed my life is joining and being part of our Debating Club. I used to feel invisible. I had no voice. But debating has changed all of that. Soon I will be flying for the first time – to attend the National Debating Championships in Johannesburg. The flying in itself will be an experience of a life time…”

As he finishes his oral, he looks at Thembi, who is smiling from ear to ear. “To end, I wish to thank Thembi for starting the club, for her support, and for believing in me. She is not only the best leader in the team but she is a friend, and I respect her.”

“The best relationships are built on respect and friendship,” pipes up Cindy, but instead of everyone laughing, they start to clap.

“I have to admit Siya, you have changed,” says Mr Langa admiringly. “You have found your voice – and it is a strong one.”

“He’s found more than his voice,” Cindy whispers to Thembi.

Thembi just smiles.

*****

Tell us: How did you like this story? Do you think you need to learn and practise a few debating skills to find your own, confident voice?