As it has become a habit or rather a culture Ndivhudzannyi like most of South African youth is waking up everyday with a broken and scattered peices of her dreams. Facing sleepless nights waring against the demon of unemployment. She often wonders if her sin was the fact that she was born poor and she attended schools and university which were located in a village or maybe is her career choice that betrayed her, or she should believe what different religious leaders have been suggesting about her family being cursed.
Ndivhudzannyi is the second born to a family of four children. She is the only daughter of her parents, her mother Sophia and father Thomas. She is a born free, meaning she was born after the year 1994, this was after South Africa had their first democratic elections after the long reign of apartheid government and it's cruelty to the black people.
During that period every South African child had a resurrected dreams and hopes, because of the coming of new dawn. For the first time in history all children despite their races had opportunities to be something better. These include access to education, employment and traveling anywhere without being discrimination based on the color of their skin.
Like most children she grew up believing on the ideal which says "education is the most powerful weapon we can use to fight against poverty". She had seen many young educated minds changing their situations through education. She grew up with determination and discipline towards her dreams, she always wanted to be a doctor. When she was growing up the role she would always imitate was her being a doctor. Among her siblings and friends she was called doctor N. Through the small television they had in the house she learnt a lot about medicine. Reading of newspapers and old worned out magazines was of great aid for her english fluency. Her love and passion to take care of people stricken by illness came when her grandmother fell sick and was diagnosed of diabetes. She was always there to take care of her. She would always make research about this disease. Unfortunately her grandmother passed away. She felt broken and helpless since she couldn't do anything to save her granny.
When she was doing her grade twelve, she had already proved herself to be the brilliant student. Among her peers she was one of thehardworking students, many envy her . She never involved herself in any activity that would steal away her focus. She was the one who respected the rules of the school and her teachers. To find a record of her being punished because of breaking the rules of the school would be as difficult as pulling stopped car with a teeth.
Her routine would be either she is at is school, home or church. She had lost many friends, some were already having children and being married. It was not a suprising thing for a female learners in this area to be distracted mostly because for the love of money, either they date teachers or older men who were already working for money, and thus dropping their academics. Ndivhudzannyi was not that kind of a person. She was contented with her family and whatever it provided by that moment and she never complained. Despite having few clothes she was always neat and outstanding looking.
Many young beautiful females they ended up distracted by being deceived by their beauty. Whenever when a male would come to propose her she would always recall her mother's words. Her mother would always say "beauty with an empty mindset is the most destructive thing. Always fill your mind with wisdom, knowledge and understanding so that you become a woman of value"
Those words kept this lady focused and distinguished from the rest.
Teachers were always proud of her grades in mathematics and science subjects. Lack of advanced study guides and science laboratories began to limit her practical skills. Study guides were very expensive for a her and other students of the similar backgrounds. Although that seemed to be a challenge she kept her self in the race, using any given opportunity and materials, working hard to make sure that at the end she will be in a good position to receive an award or scholarship to study medicine.
Studying almost all night seemed to be the secret behind her consistent good results. This was up until when it was three weeks to her final examinations where she fell very ill. Both her hearing and vision ability were disturbed, she was also experiencing tremendous stomach pains. All this tragedy happened at school after a lunch break. It was after she had received a meal from one of her fellow top performing students. It was an emergency call since the ambulance was called.
On her way to hospital she kept remembering the words of her father which were " my daughter remember that no matter how innocent a person my look on the outside. Don't allow that to convince you that they really love you. The heart of a person is a secret which its intentions are known only by God and the owner of that heart. Love them all but trust no one"
It was later found that she was poisoned. The doctors said that the amount of poison was large enough to be lethal if not quickly paid attention to.
The doctors said for her to be back to normal it would take two to three weeks being hospitalized. The poison had affected her brains especially the parts which delt with memory. This came as heartbreaking news to the teachers and her parents. They kept her on their prayers daily. During those dark days it seemed like what the young lady, school and parents spent a decade preparing for was taken away by just one bite of a cake. She was already a light to her family, and community which that light seemed to be deeming away. The fire which was started seemed to be quenching. The faith of her brothers and sisters was going through the toughest trials of their time. This was a devastating event to all that cared.
However, the school activities continued, as it was during the time of revisions because final examinations were just around the corner.
Two weeks passed, Ndivhudzannyi was gaining her strength but the question was, 'will she be able to catch up with the examinations? Many said what they felt like saying. It was two days before the first paper that she was discharged from the hospital, although she was not hundred percent recovered. And Doctors had said it's possible that stress could be the threat to her immuno compromised condition. She must be careful, which was almost impossible because in two days she had to be in the exam room facing her first examination paper.
It came to pass that examinations started and her mother would escort her to write. No one could have been prepared for the moment like this. She wrote the examinations but never before did she ever wrote papers and felt like she wrote something she didn't understand.
During those days she oftentimes questioned the existence of God. Often asked herself whether this God really loved her or not. She was even traumatized to never trust people.
After the examination they had to wait for less than two months for the results.
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THE END OF CHAPTER ONE
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