Breaking point

“Sheep or Goat?”

Thandi looked at the man puzzled.

“Sheep or Goat?” He repeated, clearly annoyed.

He was tall dark man with short black hair that was neatly cut into precision and no beard. Neatly dressed in simple clothes, no stain and not a single wrinkle could be seen on his clothes. His sharp piercing eyes seemed to be looking right through her soul. Thandi shivered, she had no idea what he was asking and how she might have offended him.

“Don’t scare our kids on the first day back! What’s wrong with you?” A stern voice warned. Thandi let out a sigh of relief. The voice belonged to Miss Cele, who was her aunt Noli’s friend. Thandi had seen her a few days ago at her aunt’s house. She knew that she was a teacher but did not know that she thought there and really happy to see her.

“Don’t mind Mr Q and don’t let him scare you,” she advised kindly.

Thandi nodded but did not dare look up, afraid that he would be looking at her.

“Mr Q, this is Thandi, she’s our new grade 9a pupil,” Miss Cele introduced the shy Thandi to the intimidating teacher who looked at her with a cold face before turning and walking away.

“He’s your maths teacher, the best in the province but.... “Miss Cele hesitated.

“But what?” asked Thandi her heart pounding.

“Nothing, just don’t aggravate him and you’ll be fine. Now go to your class. It’s the first door on the first floor middle block.”

“Thank you.”

Thandi could not help noticing how very different the school was from her old school. At the first day, her old school would be buzzing with laughter and shouting as pupils met again after the the holidays. Here it was dead quiet. She saw a few pupils with serious faces walking to their classes. She found the school creepy.

She walked up the stairs, debated in her head if she should knock or just walk in. If she knocked, would the pupils make fun of her? If she didn’t and there was a teacher inside would she get into trouble?

In the end she decided to open the door without knocking. It was too early for the teacher to be in. The school started at 8 o’clock and she was 10 minutes early.

She in front of the door and scanned around. The classroom was very noisy. There were three boys jumping from one desk to the next chasing each other. A paper plane flew on the air and landed on her head. She had no idea which direction it came from. There were ten girls sitting in the middle of the classroom chatting and laughing. In the right corner there was a girl chatting with five boys. Their eyes were glued on her and absorbing every word she uttered. Outside the classrooms the school looked so quiet and creepy but inside it was chaotic. Now that was the first day of school she was familiar with. She exhaled, relieved as she familiarised herself with her surroundings.

The classroom had five rows of desks. Each row had 4 desks each desk had two chairs. She did a quick calculation in her head and discovered that her class has 40 pupils or at least the desks were prepared for that number. Numbers came easy to her no wonder Mathematics was her favourite subject. The first four desks on the first row from the door were occupied, leaving the last desk in that row unoccupied. The pupils sitting in the first row seemed uneasy and hardly talking to each other.

A girl stood up from the circle of girls in the middle of the classroom, walked towards her.

“ Good morning. Welcome to 9a. I’m Pretty, last year’s class rep. You can sit at the last desk on the first row. That’s the row for new pupils.”

Thandi looked at the five girls and a boy sitting on the first three desks and understood why they were so quiet. They were new like her and did not know each other. She walked to the last desk and sat down on the chair next to the wall. This desk has number seven written on it, next to her was number eight.

A few minutes later, the door opened again. A beautiful stylish girl walked in.

“Mandy!” Pretty ran to her and gave her a hug. “Welcome to 9a,” she said with a smile. “You have to sit on the first row for now but after a week you can sit with me.”

Pretty held Mandy’s hand and lead her to the last desk where Thandi was sitting.

“This is your desk for now. Tell me if you need anything,” Pretty beamed.

Thandi and other classmates could not help but notice the difference in Pretty’s attitude. Although she welcomed everyone politely, she was a especially nice to Mandy.

“Thanks,” Mandy responded with a gloomy face without even looking at Pretty. She did not know Pretty but was not surprised by her behaviour.

She was used to all sorts of people sucking up to her. Others wanted to gain her Father’s favour and many girls fancied her brothers. She was always respectful but that day she was in a bad mood. She was previously in a prestigious private school. After getting expelled, instead of finding her a new private school, her father decided to send her there. It was her first day and she hated it already. She sat down on desk number eight next to Thandi without looking or greeting her.

At 8 o’clock the bell rang. The door opened and everyone rushed to theirs desks. The previously noisy classroom was now dead silent. A talk figure stood at the door.

“Good morning Mr Q,” the pupils stood up straight greeted in unison. Thandi and and all the new pupils in the first row all stood up with the rest of the class, except Mandy.

Mr Q walked around the classroom inspecting every desk, pupils uniform and stopped next to Mandy.

“Eight strikes!” he exclaimed and stood in that position like a statue. Thandi had no idea what that meant but his tone made her shiver.

Pretty stood up and left the classroom while everyone remained standing. Thandi was so scared she could hardly breathe. Her desk mate on the other side was sitting down looking at her colourfully painted nails. A few minutes passed and the door opened again. Pretty walked in carrying a sjambok which she gave to Mr Q.

Thandi watched with horror as he lifted it up and striking Mandy’s back. He did this eight times with Mandy screaming her lungs out and tears flowing down her face.

“Isn’t corporal punishment banned form schools?” Thandi thought to herself, shocked.

“I don’t know where you come from and I don’t care!” he roared. “This is my classroom and you shall follow MY rules.You are sheep and sheep are smart enough to know that it is safe to stay with the shepherd to avoid danger. If you decide to be a stray sheep or a goat you will meet the wolf and it will devour you.”