The short story is about a young girl who was left by her parents while she was still young in Malawi. She was bullied by her peers at school due to her skin colour (black). In the end, her skin colour becomes an advantage & invites a lot of love.

In Malawi they used to call me Pretty Chinedu, I used to live with my guardians after I was ditched by my parents. That is the story I have heard about my life when I couldn’t see myself. We moved to South Africa in 2021 so that I can also start attending school. Tata Nideru and her daughter Makwa treated me like their biological daughter ever since I met them. Tata took me to the school of Dithuto primary school in Lesotho & I was so happy to start schooling since it has been my wish to be like other kid’s.

I’ve never been proud of my skin colour, I would sometimes sit & look at myself in the mirror. I felt like I can peel it off. This started on my first day at school, other children laughed hardly at me because I was black & shiny. Some would call me Mughabe, when the sun dies I wanted to disappear go nowhere to be found because school was starting to be the worst place I’ve ever been.

Every day when I come back from school I felt relieved. One day a car parked in front of Tata’s gate & two women entered the yard, I quickly rushed into the house and call Tata. “Dumela Rra, we are here to see Chinedu she was chosen as a model to Represent Young Brown Girls at Pretoria” I was nervous & happy but my father sounded unhappy about this. He looked at them quietly as he was overprotective when it comes to me.

“Chenedu!” … I

“Tata”

“Come here”

They explained everything to me and Tata & I understood very well, he also seemed to be happy.

The following day I went to school with confidence I even started feeling perfect. I’d say I was not only shiny black I was intelligent. I’m now ready to face being bullied every day of my life and that is my motivation, I Said to myself.

The day before I go on a trip of Young Brown skin Girls, I passed an old woman under the tree having a conversation alone. “Dumela koko”! I greeted her in a well-mannered way. She looked at me and smile while waving her weak hand “come here Chinedu”. I was afraid how did she know my name but I slowly went to her.

“You are a young intelligent princess from Malawi Chinedu, Starting from today you are going to live your dream know that you are beautiful, gorgeous and splendid need no one’s opinion, tsamaya sentle ngwanaka”

That made me feel renewed, I started having confidence in myself and understood that I’m different in my own way.