Grade 11, Basa Combined School Protea Glen
I look at her as she sings along to her favourite song, Always Be My Baby by Mariah Carey. I once asked her why it is her favourite and her response was a lousy, “That is for you to figure out.” As a child, curiosity would blow my brains off my skull. Anyways, she turns and looks at me as I smile to myself. “Don’t just stand there, staring…” She walks to me, pulling me to her “dance floor” and she starts doing her “Burstdown” moves. “… dance your problems away!!!” I laugh at her while dancing along. Well, I am not a great dancer, for crying out loud. I have two left feet and my body is always tense. The song reaches its end, and my mother starts laughing her butt off as she takes a seat by the kitchen aisle. “My pumpkin, you are a terrible dancer,” she laughs. I gasp as I take a seat. “You should stick to what you do best.” “And what would that be?” I ask as I take a sip of her homemade juice. “Being a nerd, you get me?” she says in a black American accent. I gasp while holding my chest with shock. We then laugh.
To be honest, my mother is everything I would literally ask for and beyond. Yes, we are not wealthy, but she tries her best to provide for me, pay for any necessities needed, and more. Well, I also play my part, hence I am doing my final year at University of Johannesburg under a scholarship. She is always there when I need her. She has never missed any of my soccer matches. She basically covers all the gapsin my life. “Did you collect your sash and gown from the dry cleaner?” “Yes, mom… I did.” “Your dress?” “Mom, the graduation ceremony is still two days away. We still have time so don’t overstress yourself.” She shoots a serious look at me. I know she will not drop this subject until she gets her answer, so I just tell her all the details. She is so excited about this graduation ceremony, more than I am. I sometimes wonder if I am the one graduating or her. But I do get where she is coming from. It is after all a parent’s biggest achievement or dream to see their child graduate. “Tomorrow, you, me, make-over. Good night, pumpkin.” With that said, she heads upstairs, leaving me defeated. Hear me out… I am a soccer player, technically meaning I hate being girly. Yes, I am a girl but I prefer being natural, plus I live by the motive,“Everything has its own time.” After all, I still have time. It is not like I am going to die anytime soon.
The day of my graduation has arrived at long last. I can finally get this over and done. “Zoey, time is not on our side. The ceremony begins in an hour. Hurry up!” I must say, it was a struggle to walk in these heels. How do people survive these shoes? “Oww my baby, look at how beautiful you are. Your father would be very proud of you.” The story of my father really wounded me. When he died, a big part of me died with him. Well, I guess I must live with it. “How do you walk in these things you call shoes?” I say, sitting on the high kitchen chair. “That red dress makes you look like a princess, my little princess,” she says, adoring me. “I am proud of myself. I was able to convince you to wear the heels,” she says, wiping a fake imaginary tear from her eye. “Hahaha, very funny mother. Only for four hours.” “It still counts. Now go, go your ride has arrived.” She says that, chasing me out of the house.
SHUT THE FRONT DOOR!!! BMW M5 on my doorway!!! The driver gets out of the car and stands beside me, looking at the car as well. “Pinch me!” I say, flabbergasted. He laughs at me. “Ready to hit the road, Ms Pinch-me?” he says, chuckling while shaking his head. “I am not Ms Pinch-me,” I say getting annoyed. I mean, it had only been less than ten minutes of his arrival and he is already giving me a pet name. “Then who are you?” he says, raising his head with a serious face. “Zoey Mthaniya Zulu,” I say, not backing up from the intense eye contact. “Well, I am Larona Mokoena” he says. He is also not backing off from the eye contact. He is stupid to think I will go down that easily. Challenge accepted. He then looks away. Well, I guess I w… “GET DOWN!!!” he says, bending. I turn to scan my surroundings, then I flinch as a very sharp pain on the left side of my chest tackles me down. My eyes become watery, my head feels light and my legs become wobbly. I hear car wheels screech. “Zoey!” I spot my mother, running towards me. As I fall backwards, I land on hands… the driver’s hands. He gently slaps my face. I can see he is talking but I can’t hear him. I then spot my mom. She pulls me towards her chest as I try to make out what she is saying. “Stay with me, Zoey.” I am trying so hard to keep my eyes open. “Don’t let her close her eyes!!!” The driver yells. I cling onto my mother’s dress as the pain gets harder to suppress. I hear commotion, but it sounds distant. I then detect sirens. A figure pops up, a woman to be precise. “Ma’am, I need you to step away so that we can help her…”
Zoey then closes her eyes and commotion fills the place as her mother tries to free herself from the paramedics restraining her. “Date: 9th March 2023, time: 13:04. Victim: Zoey Mthaniya Zulu. Cause of death: Shot right next to the organ of life,” records the paramedic, anguished. 9th March 1996 at 13:04 was the day that the song, Always Be My Baby by Mariah Carey, was released, urprisingly the day Zoey was born and sadly after twenty seven years, the day she took her last breath, as a Qualified Advocate.