A day in the life and home of a child in an informal settlement.

Hi my name is Becky, I felt scared and angry at the same time today. I was sleeping in my cozy bed ,(well, not really cozy) until my older brother, John, (who is also my big bully) burst into my room and started shouting at me,” Hey! Sis, wake up! Now!” But I just ignored him even though it’s Friday! Finally I just stood up in my bed and felt too sleepy to even bother what he was saying,” You have to come to my gang,(called Cool Style Gangster) we are going to play “Picking on Becky” John cried,” But John! Dad promised you before he die, he said you have to protect me from your gang and all the dangerous things around me!” I shouted, but he just rolled his eyes at me,” Come on! And dad is not here anymore so get over it already!” He screamed,” Or else I’m telling mom!” I shouted,” Oh no you don’t Becky, cause… I’m telling mom! Sorry but you once cutted mom’s favorite dress for your project and you saw mom how she was really angry like her head was on fire!” he shouted,” But I will never go next to your gang! Never!” I shouted, I quickly dressed in my tattered school uniform, I turned my head to face him,” By the way, bye!!!” I ran as fast as my legs could carry, you are trying to say where am I going, well I’m going to school! Why? Because that’s the only way to protect myself from my brother.

My stomach growled, I thought a monster was in my stomach. I felt hungry, my mouth watered like a fountain just thinking of my mom’s secret recipe, bacon and potatoes.  When I finally got to school I heard someone called my name,” Miss Bailey! I insist you to sit down!” It was my English teacher, Miss Lerato. “But I was only late for thirty minutes,” I replied, I was tired and hungry when I was doing NS and I couldn’t concentrate.” As you can see, you already know that the earth goes around the sun,” my NS teacher, Mr Snape replied, I shot my hand high up and asked,” But Mr Snape isn’t the sun suppose to go around the earth.” “ No, Becky I just told you the earth goes around the sun, I can see that you didn’t concentrate, what did you ate in the morning,eh?” He asked, I just shrugged my shoulders instead of saying,” nothing”. Then it was reading classes, I wanted to read books about fairies but because we don’t have a library we have to read boring books like history, geography, fruits and rats. I felt relieved when school was over, my school was a total NIGHTMARE.

I walked down the payment and saw some few men holding a sign up about they want some work to have some money, one man grabbed my hand I felt afraid and scared, I thought my head would explode! I read the sign and there were some few mistakes  on the sign, it said:

                                  Deer fellow people

                 Please give me a work any work I can do unless I have the mooney, for my family and I need food. Pianter, cleaner or plunger any work I can do please, just please I need work. Dankie very much.

I shook of his hand, I putted my hand into my pocket to see if I have anything for him, sadly there was nothing, I sighed and walked past the men. While I was walking, I saw my brother and his gang picking on the rich kids who go to other schools, my brother purposely, tripped this one girl who is like my age.” Ouch!” she cried, but my brother and his gang just snorted,” You should have watched were you are going kid,” sneered my brother, I was boiling with anger, I can’t believe he always have to bully me and others and he always go into other people’s business. “ Ignore my brother, by the way what’s your name?” I asked the girl who tripped,” Need hand?” I asked putting out my hand so that she can stand up.” Move away from me weird, street girl!” she shouted, I was angry at her so I shouted,” Hey! I just helped you and this is how you pay me back?” “ Well obviously you never listen to your parents,” she snapped,” Didn’t you ever heard this rule? Never talk to strangers, which includes you!”,” Hey I’m not a stranger okay! I’m just a innocent girl!” I screamed, she rolled her massive eyes at me and said,”Whatever, you are just helping your dishonest brother and you are just pretending you are nice and kind so, back off or I’m going to call the police!” I was too angry at her so I ran onto the pavement I ran and ran but I slipped on the water and cried,” Argh! Ouch!” my leg was bleeding! I quickly I ran to my house as fast as I can, next time I’m not going to help the rich kids, they are so mean.

I burst into the door and there was my mom, sitting on the chair sipping hot coffee waiting for me. I quietly walked to her,” Becky here’s some money,” she said, I took 10 cent on the table,”Go and get some bandages quickly and  hurry cause you got HIV,” she called. I looked at her brown eyes for the last time and ran into the rain, my feet got stinged by the small brittle glass on the pavement but I didn’t really care, all I need are bandages. I ran to the small clinic, the lady over there helped me ( but she wore gloves so that she doesn’t get infected) I said thank you and I ran out of the clinic, I ran and ran until I was in the cafè I used some leftover change to buy myself a fudge, a creamy delicious big box of fudge ( because I felt too hungry and I didn’t ate in the morning and I felt too weak to talk) while I was eating the fudge, my brother and his gang (again) saw me and ran towards me,” Hey, Becky what do you have there? Is it your loving mother bought it for you?” sneered Thomas (which it is John’s best friend)Thomas grabbed my box of fudge and he and I tugged the box of fudge, about 20 seconds I couldn’t hold the box anymore and I let it go and I fell backwards. “ Come on guys let’s go and take this sweet treat,” called Thomas,  John didn't even helped me and he and his friends were gone… tears trickled down my cheek, and I felt sad and lonely I don’t have friends ,everyone hates me. I stood up ,looked down on the floor , I felt hopeless that someday I will make some friends, but I was wrong all along. I picked up the bits of fudge on the floor and nibbled some of them. Even though it was dirty, I didn't really care. It was the worst day of my life! I passed some rubbish on the pavement, but I stopped, I walked back to the rubbish and stared at it for a while, I felt like I was useless but I picked the rubbish up and when to the store, they gave me 20 rand, and I smiled and nodded my head slowly. I entered into my old dirty shack and my mom looked at me as if I was lying to her.” What’s wrong Becky? Did John and his gang bullied you again?” she asked, I nodded my head, because my throat got twisted into knots, my mom took one step, and hugged me, I like her how she smells like coffee.” Do you want to eat bacon and potatoes? You look thin Becky, you look like you fainted,” she said,” No thank you I just want to sleep,” I lied ,” Well ok,” replied my mom hastily.

I’m going to have a test tomorrow which it is NS! Why didn't I concentrate in class times! I took my pencil and started to do my homework first, but I didn't have electricity at my house, I went outside as quietly as possible and did my homework under the shop, it was bright and there were tons of light, I studied after that and do my assignment but I didn't have a rubber! I sighed the only thing I can do is scratch my mistakes and I will get shouted by my teacher for doing my work untidily, but I just did it I felt really guilty just thinking about it, as quietly as possible I went back to my shack and I changed into my pajamas and slumped into my cozy bed, I looked up into the ceiling and thought for a while finally I felt sleepy and closed my eyes, slowly, I saw nothing but darkness, will my happy memory and dream will come?