Mangled Shoes

On their way to school, they drove past a church. Deborah remembered having been taught about this specific church in her Social Studies class back in primary school. The memory was brief: the church was designed by Gottlieb Redecker, a German government architect, in 1901, but the final plans weren't completed until 1906 as there was a Herero and Nama uprising against German colonial rule to deal with first.

They were five minutes away from the school. Deborah could no longer contain her curiosity; she had unanswered questions, and she needed answers then.
"Mom, why are the windows of the church so shiny?"
"It is a portal of Italian Carrarian marble, Debbie, and its features complement the neo-Romanic style, combined with art nouveau influence."
"Oh, so it's basically from Italy. Why is one end longer than the other? Why does the top look like a triangle?"
"Or we could say it's both German and Italian-styled just to be safe, Debbie, although its structure is based on the idea of the basilica, which is a rectangular church with a rounded end and two aisles, and its walls were constructed from Windhoek's sandstones.
"Wow, it's breathtakingly beautiful."
"Yes, pumpkin it is. Here you are. (She picks up her lunch bag from the back seat.) You almost
forgot your lunch Enjoy your day at school. Make sure you come back straight home from school."

The school building had a baronial structure that was well-appointed. In the middle of the school, there was a bridge that the students used throughout the day as a pathway to commute to their respective classes. On this particular morning, Deborah's first class for the day was biology. She had not gone through her books the previous day, nor had she completed her homework; she thought they would only have biology later that afternoon. She was wrong, she walked into the classroom, where Mrs. Van Der Merwe stood right in front of the blackboard and watched them walk in.
(Complete silence followed.)

"Good morning, class."
"Good morning, Mrs. Van Der Merwe." The pupils responded as they lifted their chairs from beneath their tables and sat down.
"Today we will be looking at plant nutrition, but before we proceed, I would like each one of you to take out your homework on food tests for reducing sugar."

Deborah knew for a fact that she had not completed her homework. She mentally prepared herself to sit in detention that Friday afternoon. As she watched her fellow learners take out their homework, she shut her mind completely from the class and went back and forth. Her mind is filled with guilt from the illegal act and promises of a happily ever after with Mohammad. Suddenly, Mrs. Van Der Merwe starts lashing out; she was behaving manically, At first, I thought it was me she was lashing out at; she could somewhat see that I was present but not really present. Then I realized half the class had not done their homework. The classroom was the perfect description of apartheid; there was segregation between the blacks and the whites.

The furious Van Der Merwe addressed the black half of the class, "Rook julle dagga met die goed" ("Do you smoke marijuana with the work?). Deborah raised her hand, and the Madam let her speak.
"Ma'am, could you please address the class in a more appropriate manner?"

The madam, well, she wasn't having it. She spoke with dispassion.

"How dare you speak to me like that? Julle swaart kol, vat julle sê saake en gaan uit my klas uit. (You black lot, take your bags and get out of my class.)

She got up and walked out of the class; her fellow learners followed. Little punks! They had a better chance of staying in class if they all confronted the Mrs., but no, they watched her sit there with a clenched jaw as the Madam's heart rate increased and her pale face turned peach-plump.

The brunette, the ginger, and the blonde took little stares and glances at Deborah; they hated her guts. What everyone didn't realize then was that they were all in the same boat and that there was no way out. After all, they now lived in an egalitarian society; apartheid meant nothing in her eyes.