As Madlenkosi woke up, the day had not yet started and the sun has not yet risen. He slowly crept to get himself ready so he could meet Kwaku under the Baobab tree.
Today would be the day he goes to the mines with Kwaku and his older brother. He left his Aljada still sleeping and quietly snuck out under the moonless night.
He knew his Aljada would not allow him to go to the mines as they were seen as dangerous and deadly, but he knew if they only relied on the market they would never be able to live comfortably.
He too wanted to be like others, not going hungry or wanting for anything.
He too wanted to live a life where he was free from laboring day in and day out without much to show for it.
He encouraged himself that this decision would allow him to be able to change his and his Aljada's life forever.
This job would be their hope.
........
Madlenkosi briskly walked to the meeting place under the Baobab tree where he found Kwaku and his older brother waiting for him.
Kwaku's older brother had the small van he usually transported cocoa to take them to the mines. On the way there he explained to Madlenkosi the ins and outs of how they do their jobs.
Madlenkosi was somewhat nervous about this job, he had a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach but he ignored it when he thought of how much money he could make for him and his Aljada.
"Kosi, we're here. That's the mine over there, we start working as soon as the sun rises. See, there are already people there ready to mine." Kwaku pointed out to Madlenkosi as he explained.
Madlenkosi was shocked by the sheer amount of people there waiting to start mining for gold. There were people everywhere, on the hill, in the small ponds of water, people clearing the mining areas and some people in and out of the holes with buckets getting ready for the day's work.
Madlenkosi was an eleven-year-old boy so he was of small stature when compared to adults so he was tasked with going inside the holes to dig and fill the buckets before sending them up to be washed out.
Madlenkosi took his job very seriously and got to work as soon as the all-clear was given, with Kwaku leading the way.
As they descended into the cavernous hole of about two people in width, an earthy, clay-like odor filled Madlenkosi's nostrils. The further their descent the darker it became until a small light was seen, it was a small portable electric lamp that was hung on the side of the cavern. The space slowly got bigger until it was the size of a small room, Madlenkosi looked around as he took in everything around him.
"Kosi! Stop wasting time, come help dig!" Kwaku shouted.
Madlenkosi was startled and start to dig at the side of the cavern and because of his high physical strength, he was able to scoop and fill buckets extremely quickly.
As the day progressed and the sun was high in the sky, dust and bits of dirt were flying everywhere within the cavern. The buckets came and went as they were filled at record speed, everyone was astounded by the pace that Madlenkosi worked at. He continued to work as he noticed the wall was getting quite deep and he heard noise filtering in of shouting.
As he made his way towards the hole to see what was going on the cave started shaking and pieces of the ceiling came crashing down in chunks, he panicked.
"OH shit, oh shit, oh shit" Madlenkosi as well as children and adults of small stature ran for their lives as he saw the cavern crumbling down around him.
He coughed as he ran, dust-filled his lungs as he hyperventilated.
His visibility was obscured as rocks fell in his way and he tossed them to the side, scrambling to get to the entrance.
The lanterns fell as the lights within the cavern went out and the only light he could see was the small amount of sunlight glowing from the hole in the ceiling.
Madlenkosi struggled past the rocks as he got into the winding tunnel and started climbing.
Struggling to get to the top, a climb that was at least 20 feet in length, he climbed with the hopes of standing above ground again.
He thought about how he left his Aljada and that she wasn't aware of where he went, that he'd never do such a dangerous job again as long he as he lives, that meager jobs would be fine as long as he had life, hating himself for being too greedy . . .
That was until the glimmer of sunlight he had seen completely vanished.
The cave had fully collapsed, plunging him into absolute darkness. The last sounds which were heard were the cries of people being crushed around him by the fallen rocks, as he was also pinned under their weight...