Sydney Mdlalose's Fate-Twisted Fairytale(Edited)

Chapter One.

{Meet Sydney Mdlalose. A 20 year old South African girl who grew up under her widowed mother's wing. Sydney is just like her mother. She is gentle and doesn't have a backbone to say no. }

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"Mama. How can I look after you without a job? I'm not sure I can do that." I sigh.

"Mntanami(my child), stop worrying yourself about that. Remember that household I worked for? Why don't you go there?"

I stare at my mother. She can't be serious. Just because she was a housekeeper, I should be one too?

No way! "Mama, I told you that I won't be able to do that. I don't see myself cleaning after a white man every day."

Mama sighs. "Then I suggest you start looking for a job."

I look outside the window. Where am I to start tomorrow? Could I actually be lucky enough to get a job without any qualification?

"Right. We should go to bed so that you can start early morning."

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"Sydney, wake up. Do you know what time it is now?" My mother wakes me.

I groan, shifting away from her. "Haibo! Wake up!" Mama yells. "Okay, okay."

I crawl out of my bed, looking at the clock hung on my bedroom wall. My eyes widen after seeing the time. It's almost noon!

I hurriedly take a shower and get myself dressed. Mama helps to do my hair.

I grab my handbag as I make my way to the front door of the house. "Good luck my child." Mama says. I smile at her, kissing her cheek. "Bye Mama. I'll see you later."

The walk to the bus stop is quick and short. After at least fifteen minutes of waiting and getting slightly burnt by the morning sun, a taxi finally arrives.

Just as I've taken my seat and paid, my phone rings. "Hello."

"Mngani friend. How are you?!" Nthabi almost shouts into my ear. I laugh, face palming myself.

Nthabi is my childhood best friend. We've been together since day one. She's fun, annoying and crazy. No, really. I sometimes suspect that she may be a little too unstable. But beyond all of that crazy, lies a beautiful, peaceful, loving girl.

Shh, don't tell her I said that.

"Hi. I'm good, how are you?" I reply. "You know I'm always good."

She clears her throat. "Mama told me you were going job hunting today."

Of course she did. Why can't I ever be the one to tell Nthabi things first? "Yeah, I am. I was going to tell you."

"Mxm. We both know you weren't. Anyways, why would you go job hunting when you can literally just get a job easily? You know, where Mama worked." I sigh, not wanting to answer her.

I jump off the taxi once it gets to town. "Lalela(listen) Nthabi. I have to go. I'll call you later."

"Wai-" I end the call. I adjust my shirt as I walk to the nearest workplace. The place doesn't seem busy at all.

I enter and look around. A girl who sits behind a counter smile at me. "Hello. Can I help you?" 

"Yes, uhm. I'd like to apply for a job." She nods. "Stay here." She walks into a room and another woman wearing a black office dress comes out along with her.

"Hello. My name is Vuyi, I'm the manager." She shakes my hand. I shake her hand back.

"Hi. I'm Sydney." I introduce. "I hear you're looking for a job. Do you have a CV?"

I reach into my bag, handing it to her. "Usually there is a process to all of this, but I guess just for today that can be changed. She immediately looks into it. "You've got quite decent skills for a twenty-year old."

Vuyi slowly furrows her eyebrows. "There's no matric certificate here."

"I, I never finished my matric year." I tell her. She sighs, closing my CV file. "Then I'm afraid I can't take you. You need to have a matric."

I nod. "I understand. Thank you." I leave the small building.

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Today didn't turn out to be as productive as I'd hoped it would be. I've been everywhere and no one could take me all because I didn't finish school.

What will uMama say? I sigh to myself, leaning my head against the window of the taxi.

Once I'm home, I throw my bag onto the couch.

"Sydney, you're finally back." Mama happily says, giving me a tight hug. "I cooked." I smile at Mama. "Thank you."

"So, kuhambe kanjani?(how did it go?)" Mama asks. I look down. "Not so well. They didn't take me because I didn't finish school."

Mama places a hand against my back. "That's okay Sydney. Let's just go eat."

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"Sydney vuka(wake up)." Mama says as she opens my curtains wide.

"You can't sleep like this is if you're going to work for the Miller's."

I look at my mother through sleepy eyes. "Mama, you're still on about that? I thought we spoke about this."

I roll over, getting out of bed. "Sydney, awunawo uMatric(you don't have a matric). Where are you going to get a job? One with at least an honest-enough salary."

"Let that be my problem." I drag myself to the bathroom to take a bath. I shut the door to stop my mother from following me.

"Sydney. Why won't you let me help you?" Mama asks from outside the bathroom door.

I sigh, turning the bath water on. My phone rings in my room.

"Ugh, really." I groan. That is really some bad timing.

Sydney's phone.
She's not available at the moment but I will let her know you called.
Alright, bye.

Mama is always answering my phone. And yes, it is a problem.