Nothembile’s neighbours were leaning on their fences listening to Gcobani’s insults as he walked home. This incident was surely going to earn them a nice cup of coffee from the neighbours who missed it.

Themba walked into the house, where Nothembile was now still fuming. Samkelo was sitting on the couch lost in his thoughts. Just a few weeks ago his uncle thought highly of him, but today he called him ‘worthless’ and said even his degree was worthless. Maybe his uncle was right, he was indeed worthless. His degree couldn’t land him the job he spent years at university studying for.

How different was he from his older brother? At least his older brother was clever enough to drop out before he became another statistic: a graduate without the job he had studied for.

To rub salt into the wound, Themba was working at a warehouse as a general worker, and he was able to help their mother with groceries. The degree that he had insulted Themba for not having during his ceremony, wasn’t helping him put food on the table.

“Don’t mind him, Samkelo. I can’t even imagine how you must be feeling right now, but you will soon get the job you studied for,” Themba comforted his younger brother.

“That’s right! You can’t imagine how I am feeling because you are not a graduate. You don’t know how it feels to be an unemployed graduate. Just … do me a favour and shut up because you’re not helping!” Samkelo yelled at Themba and stormed into his bedroom.

“Samkelo! Samkelo! That’s no way to talk to your older brother. This is not how I raised you. Come back here and apologise to Themba,” Nothembile exclaimed as she went to Samkelo’s room, but he had already locked his door.

“Come sit down Mama. Samkelo is just stressed,” Themba said, but Nothembile didn’t stop shouting at Samkelo’s door. She just could not take Samkelo’s disrespect towards Themba anymore.

He however, begged his mother to stop banging at his brother’s door and calm down. He might not have a good job, but at home he was a loving son and brother.

In his bedroom, Samkelo sat on his bed and opened an email on his phone. This had been in his unread emails for the past three days. He had been wanting to open it but he wasn’t sure if he could handle it if it was bearing bad news – like all the previous emails he was getting from his potential employers.

This company had been so quick to process his application that within a week of applying, he was already on the phone being interviewed. He hadn’t told his family and Nozi yet that he was applying for the job in Cape Town. He read the email with his heart in his throat:

Dear Mr Samkelo Ncesi,

We are pleased to offer you the Laboratory Technician position at Robertson Labs.

However, as the final step of our hiring process you are required to pay R280 for the background check before you sign the contract.

We also recommend that you pay R750 upfront for the lab coat and safety goggles. We will be expecting the money from you before the end of business day on Thursday week, so you can start working on the following Monday.

Since you are currently in the Eastern Cape, we have decided to make it easier for you by allowing you to transfer the money through your nearest Shoprite.

We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,
John Thompson, HR Manager

To Samkelo, this was the good news he had been praying for, every chance he got. His day had abruptly changed from bad to great! He wanted to tell his mother as soon as he finished reading the email, but she was probably still angry at him. However, it was Sunday and the following morning she was working, so he had to tell her before the end of the day.

Also, Thursday was only a few days away and he would have to ask for the money from his mother. Samkelo decided to wait a little bit longer in his room, until she had cooled off. In the meantime, he lay on the bed and shut his eyes. He visualised himself looking at a specimen through the microscope in the lab, working the job he had dreamed of since high school.

***

Tell us: How do you think the family will react to Samkelo moving to Cape Town?