I am writing this story inside a cold prison cells with scars as proof of the life I have chosen for myself and hoping this story will be a wake up call to a rebellious teenager out there. I grew up in a well off home with both parents working decent jobs and I never lacked anything while growing up, problems started when I went to high school and got mixed with the wrong crowds. I started causing problems at school bullying other children and the principal’s office has become my second home because I was always in trouble and I was a sucker of the attention that being in trouble comes with. I used to make distractions in class when teachers were teaching and that caused classes to be disrupted, teachers would report again to the principal’s office and this time around my parents were called and I was suspended.

My parents tried intervening with my problems and asked what is wrong, what is it that they could do for me to be a better human being. The most important thing that was missing from my life was attention and affection a child requires, my parents never attended anything that involved me starting from school meetings, school competitions, soccer matches they never took interest to ask what I am interested in. It was an open wound in my heart that was never filled because other children would have their parents cheering for them in the soccer fields while I looked at the benches with tears in my eyes hoping to see at least one of my parents in attendance.I would remind them all the time if I had any event that required their attention and they promised to try and come but work is keeping them busy.

They never knew when I had won anything instead they would hear from our neighbors how hard I work and congratulating me for my wins. I was really appreciative of all my parents do for me but I wished they could also fit their only child in their busy schedules and that is not too much to ask. My suspension was lifted as I have promised the principal I will be on my best behavior, a few weeks passed and I was still a good learner giving no hassles. My friendship with the older kids at school started again and they were nothing but bad influence, they smoked during break time, they would also take lunch money from other kids and saw nothing wrong with this behavior.I started being disruptive in class again and one of the female teachers reprimanded me and told me I would never be anything in life that’s why my parents don’t even care about me. I just saw red and I slapped and choked the defenseless teacher and I only became aware of was happening when I was pulled away by male teachers, they called my parents and police. The police asked the teacher what had transpired, she explained and she says she wanted to press charges and also sue my parents for medical expenses because she had a broken nose and swollen lips.

I was took to juvenile prison where I was scared for my life and I knew sitting on those cold benches in jail that my future as a soccer star was doomed and no school would accept me after this incident. My parents came to visit me, they were disappointed and saw it fit that being in juvenile prison will give me time to introspect my life and how I want to move forward. In their next visit I finally broke down and explained the reason behind my barbaric unruly behavior and my parents were shocked and said that they will be better parents, if that is what will take for me to be a responsible citizen. After 6 months the teacher that I had assaulted dropped the charges, I was expelled and no school was willing to accommodate me. I became demotivated and decided to join a gang where we do house robberies and hijacking, I became so absorbed to the lifestyle that I saw a life no other than this. My parents disowned me when they found out about my criminal life.

On the 30^th of September 2020 my life changed forever ,me and my gang went to rob a house in Johannesburg suburbs , we found a family in that house , tied them up and took what we wanted .The husband was able to untie himself and we wrestled for my gun and ended up shooting the husband dead in front of his family then proceeded to shot the wife who survived and was able to describe me to the police and a week later I was arrested , charged and sentenced with murder and attempted murder for 30 years. Everyday inside these prison walls I am hunted by the innocent faces of those children whom I robbed them of their father and they are going to live with the trauma of witnessing a cold blood murder of their father and their mom without the love of her life. My parents kept on visiting me and they never gave up on me as their child. What I realised is as much as my parents did not shower me with affection and love I should have chosen a better life for myself and made use of the resources and money my parents had to become a soccer star that I always envisioned myself as. I hope teenagers are careful of who they became friends with, they must listen when reprimanded and always strive to be a better person for themselves not for anyone else and never be defined by their situations. This is Martin Mukwevho a 23 year old young man and this is my story and I am reporting inside prison and its hell! 

 This is an awareness to the young rebellious person out there, be better, do better, nobody owes you nothing.