Almost Ready E-Book

Darryl Brent

• Herausgeber: Darryl Brent
• Kategorie: Für Kinder und Jugendliche
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2018

Beschreibung

With the end of twelve years of school looming, Langa’s future is a blank page. But his single mother’s been counting down the days until he can start earning an income. If he can’t find a job by the end of the month she’ll find a job for him. But Langa has visions of a much more exciting career than cleaning at the B&B where his mom works. Is Langa’s future doomed or is there a light up ahead?

Leseprobe

Almost Ready

Darryl Brent

Published by Darryl Brent, 2017.

This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

ALMOST READY

First edition. April 15, 2017.

Copyright © 2017 Darryl Brent.

Written by Darryl Brent.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

About the Author

 

Thanks to God, through whom all things are possible

And to Rosemary, my support and guiding light.

Chapter One

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Mr. Mkhize droned on at the front of the room.  He was talking about our futures again.

I picked at the frayed cuff of my white shirt, the heat was stifling in the classroom.  It was definitely time for school to end.  No-one could think in this dry heat.  Exams were over yesterday.  Exams!  I’d written my final ones.  Never again would I sit hunched over a desk, sweating over whether I know the answers.  My school days would officially be over in thirty minutes.

Mr. Mkhize stepped back and perched on the edge of his desk, lecturing on and on.  Why can’t he give it a rest already?  Does it really matter what we do next?  I know what I want to do next, persuade Cynthia to come out with me this weekend and avoid my mom making me help around the house.  For some reason it really bugs her when I relax.  You’d never believe I work all day at school the way she goes on.  She’s another one who keeps going on about the future.  I’ve tried explaining to her the first thing I need, after twelve years at school, is a holiday.  She sighed hard enough to flutter the leaves on her single pot plant, when she heard that.   Said she wished she ever got a holiday.  It’s not my fault she spends all her spare time cleaning the house and helping the Women’s Institute.  I’m sure she could take a break if she really wanted to. 

Mr. Mkhize’s voice broke into my thoughts, “Please bear in mind as you go out into the world that you are some of the lucky few, whose parents made sacrifices so you could finish your full twelve years of schooling.  Many of your classmates had to leave and start earning two years ago.”

Hmmph, bit of a mixed blessing I think.  I suppose it’s true that I haven’t had to get a job yet, but the last years of school had been the toughest yet.  Learning Shakespeare and the details of how cells work had hardly been a walk in the park.  All the teachers worrying about our final exams all the time.

“Those of you who have younger siblings have a responsibility to provide the same opportunities for them.  When you start earning your first paychecks don’t rush out to spend them, contribute to the family who has sacrificed so much to get you here today.”

Younger siblings?  Well that lets me off.  Luckily I’m an only child.  I tuned out of Mr. Mkhize’s speech and started sketching in my notebook.  Under my pencil, birds and trees appeared round the edge of the page. 

I was just adding the flick of a fish’s tail, viewed through the ripples of the pond when... Driiinnnggg.  The school bell rang for the last time for me.  It felt like chains falling off my back.  I couldn’t wait to get out of there.  Siya and I were out of our seats and through the door before Sir finished saying goodbye. 

We hung around outside the gate waiting for Cynthia and Nomsa to come out.

“Ladies,” I said, raising an eyebrow with my most charming grin.  “May we escort you home?”

Cynthia snorted and tossed her head, flicking her braids.  “We have places to be,” she said imperiously.  Nomsa didn’t look as sure, she threw a half smile at Siya.  He has it easy, Nomsa’s so gentle natured.  I don’t know why I have to pick the most difficult girl in the class myself, but Cynthia’s beautiful and easy to rile-up so I keep trying my luck with her.  Of course actually being accepted into university has made her worse.  It’s practically given her proof she’s better than the rest of us.  Her mom’s the nursing sister at the local clinic so they’re wealthier than most of us.  She’s going to stay with her aunt who’s also a nurse, when she goes to uni.  Most families here are lucky if anyone in the family has a job at all.  My mom’s a cleaner at the local B&B.  It pays peanuts but she keeps at it year after year.  You won’t catch me in a boring job like that though.  I’m going to do something impressive and drive a big car one day.

We fell into step with the girls since we were all going the same way anyway.  The tar road was edged with the tiny homesteads that make up our country town.  Each consisted of a large yard with a house front and centre.  The houses were a couple of rooms but they came in vastly different shapes.  Some were round, thatched huts, some rectangles with flat corrugated iron roofs and others were brick houses with tiled roofs.  Each had a matching outhouse at the farthest corner of the plot.  Freezing in winter and smelly in summer, you had to be careful to check for snakes before using them.  The curse of living so way out in the mountains.  I realised there was one thing I was going to miss about school.  The indoor toilets.

“So what’s next for you, Nomsa?” Siya asked.

She blushed a little in surprise.  “I’m not sure yet.  When the results come out, if I’ve passed, my parents are going to help me look for something.”

That’s an idea.  I’ll tell my mom I’m waiting for my results before I start looking for work.  I’ll tell her I’ll get a better position once I have my certificate.  She can’t argue with that.  She’s the one who kept saying how important it was I worked for my certificate.

“What about you Siya?” Nomsa asked.

“I’m thinking of becoming an entrepreneur,” Siya said, puffing his chest out.

I looked up in surprise at this declaration.

“I didn’t even know you knew the word ‘entrepreneur’,” Cynthia said. 

I didn’t either but now that she’d said it I felt obliged to defend Siya.  “Hey at least he has big ideas.  Not just copying his parents.”

“At least I know what I want to do with my life!,” she snapped back.  “I bet you still have no idea what to do Langa.  I’m going to be a nursing sister and actually help others.  That’s a lot more than either of you can say.”  She glared at Siya and I, eyes flashing.

I laughed at her to annoy her even more, but Siya looked uncomfortable. “I do know,” he muttered.  “You’ll see.”

“We’re too young to be worried about the future,” I countered.  “You are going to be an old woman before you know it Cynthia.  You better go out with me quickly this weekend before you’re too far gone.”  I grinned wickedly at her.

“Aargh!  You’re incorrigible Langa.” She turned on her heel and stalked off, with Nomsa trotting to keep up with her.

“Why’d you have to do that?” Siya asked.  “I was going to try asking Nomsa out.”

“You can do that anytime buddy but that Cynthia needs taking down a peg or two.”

“She is a bit high and mighty, but knowing her, she probably will succeed.  She was always studying this year.”

“So?  We’ll be the ones having all the fun.”  Seeing a tin can lying by the roadside, I scooped it up with my foot and started dribbling it as we walked.  “Are you up for soccer tomorrow?  My cousin’s putting a game together.”

“Of course,” Siya grinned.

“It’ll be the perfect start to the holidays.”

Chapter Two

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“Wake up, Langa,” my mom called.  “We’re going to be late.”