The Zulu Maiden

Liz was running up the road and she was getting tired. "Man, I didn't realise this road was so steep", she thought. Her calfs were starting to scream in pain, but she was almost there. No pain no gain, right? She was almost out of breath. Just a little more, she thought. Just a few more paces and I'll be at the top. Huffing and puffing, sweat running down her back, she finally made it to the top. She bent over and put her hands on her knees and tried to catch her breath.
When she could breathe easier she stood up and looked around.

Wow!! I'm a long way from home she thought. She looked up the road and saw a road sign that said "Bishopstowe". She new if she took road to the right she would go past that entertainment centre that they took their pupils from creche(daycare)too. Now that was a lovely day. So much fun!! And the babies were so happy😍. She thought that was bit far though. She also knew that if she went straight, she would come to a dirt road that lead up to the Kenosis community creche. Decisions, decisions. Should she go right, straight or just turn around and go back? As she was thinking, she suddenly saw a car coming up the road. She didn't know much about cars but this one was amazing. Big and black. She'd probably need a step stool to get into that car. Not that she was short or anything but that car was kind of high. The car helped her to make up her mind. No way was she staying here, on this deserted road with a big black car with tinted windows coming towards her. Not that she was scared or anything but she turned and ran for home

Better safe than sorry, hey. She kept running and surprisingly, she suddenly had a bust of energy and her chest wasn't even the tiniest bit tight or wheezy. It felt soo good. She felt free as a bird. She was practically flying down the road. This had to be longest run she had ever done since she started jogging. Her high school friends would never believe that this was her. Running wild and free. She'd discovered in high school that she was asthmatic. Suddenly all the huffing and puffing every winter made sense. She'd been using an inhaler ever since. She'd  been in hospital every second month because of an asthma attack. Her mom tried every herbal and traditional remedy she knew but nothing helped. Then one day a friend of her mom's told her. to  try exercising. Her mom told her friend that Liz run out of air just walking to the shop. There was no way she could handle an exercise routine. The friend told her that her daughter also had asthma and it had gone away after they signed her up for swimming lessons. Of course Liz's mom couldn't afford swimming lessons. So Liz had started walking. A few kilometres every morning and sometimes in the afternoon. She eventually graduated to jogging and started seeing less and less of the hospital. Thank God!!. The last time she was there, they told that her asthma was under control. She couldn't be happier. She had been so focused on getting away from the black car that she forgot to check her running App. She took out her phone now to check. OMW! She'd run 16km's!! That was definitely her longest run yet. Wow!!

She was almost home, so she stopped the App and slowed down her pace. She had her inhaler in her backpack, but she was glad she wouldn't be needing it today. She felt good. Refreshed. She finally reached home and was so excited to tell her mom how good she felt and that she hadn't used her inhaler again. Today makes it a full month without using it. Yay!! She got home just in time for supper. She wanted to bath first but mom said "eat before it gets cold" So that's what she did. Then she had a bath and went to bed. Only to dream of that big black car .

Chapter 2