CHASING OUR DREAMS

*CHASING OUR DREAMS*👩‍🎓👨‍🎓

Written  by MOELETSI SEBATA

Chapter 1 📄

The train roared facing the north, I leaned on to the window as I continuously waved at my father who was standing by the station and bit by bit I lost his sight.

This was the life changing moment, the moment I dreamt about for years and finally it was all happening, I was finally going to purse my studies in one of the top Engineering institute in the country.

Though it was what I have always dreamt of I wasn’t sure if I will pull through, living alone and far from home was going to be another thing that I have never experienced.

Deep in thoughts , the train cruised and in silence ,I  sat next to the window and my brown suitcase was just by my side , the fear of being away from home  was creeping in but I did try to calm myself by chewing the nuts that we fetched from my father’s field yesterday.

I, Ntombi  Maseko , I was going to chase my dreams and make my dad proud and even my  late mother whom I hope she  will guide me through this journey.

I have to do right by my dad, I’m his only beacon of hope, I am his only child who have excelled in studies up to this stage, my brothers both dropped out of school at grade seven and they all left home and went to South Africa and their never looked back so it was only me and my dad left at home.

My dad strived and worked hard in his field to make a living for us but with the little grains he was making from his little plot, it weren’t enough to raise money for my tertiary education and the only thing he had to do was to sell some of his cattle that were all left after the last year scourge drought.
I was against the idea of selling those cattle but my father convinced me that it was for the best, ever since I was a kid he always fantasised about me being the first person to ever graduate from my family and now I had to leave him alone as I go through this journey alone it hurts a bit .

I know he wasn’t ready to let go of me but I know that deep down he was rejoicing  that he had finally managed to keep my mother’s dream of seeing me tertiary education , the journey from the small dusty  village from Gwanda  to Bulawayo wasn’t what I had imagined.

There was a lot I wanted to see along the journey but the train was moving so fast such that I missed many things , I last boarded a  train when I was a kid and it was when we were attending my aunt’s wedding and that was years ago.

Deep in thoughts I came back to reality when I saw people getting off the train, it was when I realized we had reached the final destination.

I quickly grabbed my bag and went outside the train,  I didn’t know which car will take me to the ZIMBABWE ENGINEERING SCHOOL  but at least my father had written me a piece of paper with all the direction and the place where I will find the taxi to take me there .

I can’t say it was easy even if with  that  paper because those tall buildings just made me look like I was lost , I looked at one of the tallest building and I found myself smiling as I imagined myself designing such building and I got lost admiring the beauty of the city and I snapped back  hearing people shouting ,

“THIEF  , THIEF  ”and when I looked around there was a boy running away with my white paper bag,my paper bag.

That paper had my roasted chicken and some nuts and maize cone and  now it was gone and I was just turned into  a fool as everyone was looking at me and then I quickly patted my bra and by grace of god my phone was sitting there comfortable , my dad did warn me about the city thieves.

trembling and shacking from the whole ordeal ,I finally found the taxi and I dragged my bag there , the car took few minutes and they dropped me off at the gate of the institution , I can say that I was blown away .