As the bus naturally made way and I’m relaxed on my way home after the afternoon shift, today it was busy and I’m tired orders were flying in the air, on the way almost home two idiots blocked my way before I could enter the gate, the only thing I remember is waking up in a hospital.

***

Friday of every month end is often called one of the busiest days in my hometown, I’m working the afternoon shift and knocking out at 10pm. I must then quickly rush home to the mother of my daughter, my daughter and my nephew, we lived altogether, I was the bread winner.

Rumours has it that the streets of pienaar are full of the devil’s work and blood spills caused by the drugs and the high rate of unemployment in the area, month end is one of the days of bad luck, finding yourself in the streets at night was out of luck to make in in one piece but it didn’t bother me since I’ve never come across that for over two years working the same job.

Honestly I hated my job, having no choice and it being the only thing that’s putting food on the table, holding on was my only choice, I held on so I keep out from the streets, drugs and crime. Always wishing I had a 9 to 5 kinda job and a better salary and not this minimum wage.

When knock off time came I was always first in the bus following I am tired it’s been a long afternoon of orders, at the same time I couldn’t wait to get off the bus immediately cause there’s a lot of chaos, others singing, others laughing and dancing, it’s month end salary celebration as they’ve passed by the town clubs to grab few drinks, intoxication is just in the air.

With mixed passengers the bus must rotate around the neighborhood dropping everyone station by station, and so was my station, no longer relaxed now I looked left and right and noticed there’s no one and I made my way moving in a paced way.

It’s too dark and there are no street lights in my neighborhood, I’m scared literally but I’m telling myself I will get home, this is after seeing the streets packed and people on top of each other intoxicated dancing in the tarvens, some of the tarvens people were fighting, others gathered in groups looking at the injured person lying in the middle of them, all of this just made my heart race.

It is true death or an accident doesn’t report when will it take it’s course, few houses before my house, I heard “click clack” it’s two men in front with a gun and the other with a knife. I was at the face of death and remembering my responsibilities I said a small prayer inside, raise my arms and surrendered at the face of death.

I felt hands running on my pockets taking out whatever there is to take, these two men are not talking, not even I am talking, it’s just an akward silence cover by fear from my side and cruelty from these two men.

He made way leaning against his friend’s ear whispering in his ear and he was back demanding my phone’s pattern and atm card pin, before I could even give them, a car coming from the corner brighted it’s lights, I heard two gun shots, I was on the streets lying there covered in blood, all I remember is waking up in hospital covered in bandages and pains in my chest.

I was discharge the following morning after discovering I was shot but not critical. 5mins after arriving home, cops came to my doorstep, they bring sad news, my nephew and his have been found dead before sunrise, it is believed he was shot dead by a security guard going to work as they tried robbing him, some of the items that we recovered from them it’s my phone and my wallet.

From that day I couldn’t recover, I spend most of my days hoping to change the lives of the streets that I come from, I don’t know how but I hope behind this pen and paper, alongside my community of readers I’ll drive out the crime in our town and I will never stop writing till I get it right