Heartlines_For_Good - Learning for Life

“
It was a happy childhood, but the problem began
when my mother lost her job. She was working as a
domestic worker and I used to live in the kitchen,
there was a room there at the back. It was very
nice because the people she worked for were good.
When she lost her job, I came to stay here at
Nompumelelo, and at that time there were no
houses, it was only shacks.
“
That’s when I started to meet friends because I would see
that this one is wearing nice shoes and I can’t get such shoes
because my mom is no longer working. The only way I can get
those shoes is to do crime ... all my friends were wearing nice
things because they are doing crime. I used to rob, drive
cars, fast cars, and go to steal cars.
I was working for an old man so that I can bring money and
buy a bag of potatoes because no one is working at home. At
least I can buy myself a nice pair of takkies, a nice jacket ...
Then I was arrested for armed robbery, with rape, attempted
murder ... I was 16 years. I was still attending school at that
time, I was in Standard 8. Oh, I was doing well because I loved
Maths and Science. I was sentenced to 15 years. One of the
others got life sentence, but I got 15 because I was not so
involved.
“
“
I can still remember hearing my mother say ...
because she was there during that time of the
sentence, she was asking me, ‘How many years’
I said, ‘15.’ Inside me it was painful.
“
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