The new kid on the block

Everything in the village was new to Cynthia, meeting new people and adjusting to new life was kinda interesting to her. She was willing to learn everything that the village girls do. First thing she had to go and fetch water from the river which was a bit distant from where they live. This was a bit familiar to her because they sometimes run out of water in her township when the water pipes are under maintenance and during this time she has to take a bucket and go to a remote area to fetch water. The fact that she had to walk a distance of about ten kilometres to fetch water from the river was new to her though and she enjoyed it as she was getting a chance to mingle with other girls from their neighborhood. They would sing, chat and laugh while on their way to the river. There were times they would stop and dance. That was fun and she was learning new things about the village life. In Johannesburg things were totally different. They would dance at parties and discos of which she seldomly attended then because she was not allowed to go out during the night owing to the situation they were in, during the time of the riots. It was risky to go out during that time because the police would open fire at then thinking that they were rioters. Other young girls and boys would dress up in their trendy outfits and dance up the storm in the streets especially during Christmas and New year's days. This became their custom as they were free because the police were taking off from their raids during these times. Many would host house parties and enjoy themselves. They would dance to the rithym of the music from artists like Steve Wonder and many more. The girls in the village were friendly to her except a few who were mean and sarcastic about her being a city dweller. They picked up on her and made a spectacle about the way she pronounced some words and the way she was doing things. She was an amateur when it came to fetching woods and pack them in an orderly manner before she put the packed bunch in her head. The village girls including her cousins, had to teach her how to do it. These girls were willing to teach her new things that were done by the girls who grew up in the villages. She became a centre of attention and everyone wanted to know about her life in the city. Some were attracted by her sense of dressing and her fashion flair. They were stunned by the way she braided her hair and adored her soft silky smooth skin. In the villages the girls had no means to buy all the fancy beauty products to make them look good. They did not even wear perfumes. So, Cynthia was different and everyone treated her like a princess. She was a new kid on the block and the boys were admiring her. Her skin was glowing and she looked beautiful with a tuft of long hair. The village girls asked her many questions about beauty tips since they knew nothing about the expensive hair and skin care products. They only knew Vaseline and calamine which they apply as a sun protection lotion and other than that they were clueless when it came to expensive beauty care. But deep down Cynthia knew the reason behind that glow. She was carrying a human being and she wouldn't dare tell other girls that she was going to be a mom.

Her aunt whom her mother entrusted her to, was a strict woman. She was making sure that she learnt all the basic chores that other girls in the village were performing. She thought her to smear the floors with cow dung do that they do not become dusty. She also taught her to stamp the millies. Cynthia was gradually learning all those basic chores and was starting to be good at them. The time came for her to attend school. Everyone was excited. She was going to meet new faces and make new friends. One thing was bothering her though. She was not feeling well and she usually had dizzy spells especially in the morning. One morning her aunt saw her sweating and vomiting. She looked at her with an anxious look. She helped her to recover and took her aside to inspect her closely. She inspected her boobs and her belly. She seemed shocked and questioned her about her menstrual cycle. Cynthia was confused. "What does my sickness have to do with my menstrual cycle", she thought. Her aunt also asked her about her boyfriend. She told her about Owen, the son of Rowen the white man. Her aunt became so disappointed. According to her that was called prostitution. A young black woman sleeping with a white boy. She had heard that from the stories of the grown women who slept with white man in order to get money. Cynthia was angry and surprised by the way her aunt saw her situation. She thought she was going to support her instead of judging her.

Her aunt decided to divulge the news to get mom who took them with a heavy heart. She recently lost her husband. How could Cynthia put her in such an embarrassing situation. She was your for heaven's sake. How would she be able to take care of a baby instead of going to school. She decided to send someone who wouy become a nanny and Cynthia was taken to boarding school instead of schooling in the village.