By the time Ive reached a week at the khumalos residence I had established a routine for myself.i would wake up as early as 6 am in the morning and help the servants around with few chores.Even though mama had told me I wasn't expected to work,I didn't feel comfortable sitting around in a house my mom was a caretaker. I felt I needed to be useful in a way.
I was even surprised I had found a friend in jabulani,the khumalos youngest son.He was a bright and bubbly child,he had good manners that most children with affluent families back in the village didn't have.
I was becoming bored despite the fact that jabu kept me company at times,he had taken me on a tour around the manor and also the surrounding areas that were filled with bushes and tall trees.There was even a river and an orchard filled with unripe oranges a little farther behind the manor,I had made a mental note in my head to come back when the oranges ripen.
Somewhere deep inside,I craved to be in the company of kilowanje,the khumalos eldest son.i haven't seen him since that night's dinner,only glimpses of him when he was around and he was barely around.
I asked jabulani once about kilowanje but he told me his elder brother was a college student but he was on a break and was interning at his father's company head office in Houghton.
* * * * *
I was lying on my bed and flipping through channels on my TV ,I heard a knock on my door and mom walked in.
she sat beside ,I stood up and sat beside when she gestured to me.
" lerato you are about to be eighteen and you didn't finish school back in the village.ive enrolled you in Bryanston High,"hearing those words,I was so elated and grabbed her in a tight hug.
"Nokubonga mama!" I thanked her our native dialect.
she smiled back at me and patted my back."you should thank Mr.khumalo ,he's a good man.As you starting school lerato,make sure you never ever act in any way that will bring negative attention torwards this family,you might not know why but make sure you don't".
I was perplexed and scared with the cold way my mother said those words to me.
* * * *
The next morning around 8:30am I was already dressed in a white button shirt and thigh length dark blue pleated skirt with kneel length black stockings.
I smiled at my reflection,I was looking pristine and beautiful.i turned my back and winced at the sight my back from the mirror,my skirt was a little shorter at the bag due to the fact I had plumpier buttocks.
I grabbed my bag and rushed downstairs,I was too excited to eat ,so my mom packed breakfast for me ,she told me I wasn't going to be joining the school's transport bus,that it was too risky.
siso was my assigned driver and he drove me to Bryanston in a grey car.
Bryanston was highly different than my school back in the village.The school buildings were tall and the school was fenced.students walked in,in groups and singles.siso wanted to drive into the compound but I insisted he dropped me at the school gate.He reluctantly did and I followed other students entering while swiveling my head in all directions in admiration of the beautiful premises.
"with the way your head is turning in all directions,I guess you're a new student."a tall girl walking Beside me said to me with a wide smile on her face.
"I'm Grace"she stretched her palm for a shake.
"I'm lerato"I smiled back and took her hand.
* * * *
I was grateful for meeting a girl like Grace,she looked at my schedule for me and we realized we were in the same homeroom,she took me to class and located en empty desk beside her desk and helped me in arranging My things.
when our homeroom teacher came,she told me to introduce myself,the moment I stood up,the make students starting whistling and catcalling making statements about my plump buttocks,the teacher had to threaten them with detention before they kept quiet.i felt embarrassed and slightly angry.