By Samantha Weale
A sweet scent blew in the wind as the long sharpened edges of the sugarcane leaves danced in the breeze, carrying away with it the roar of laughter from the boys he walked with. His face shone and beamed at the warmth of camaraderie about him. Sadly, he was not a part of it. He barely knew the boys and had only tagged along for fear of being left out. As they walked through the sugarcane field, he broke off a sugarcane stem, the crunch of the stalk between his teeth a satisfying release of tension. As he looked at the boys he realised he was nothing like them. They had mothers, fathers and siblings all he had was his uncle’s girlfriend.
The sparsely planted sugarcane stalks allowed just enough room for a scrawny fourteen year old boy to lay down. The ground under him was warm but gave off a slight muddy scent while busy ants worked at drawing the sweet sap from the cane stems. As he laid his head on his arm, he watched the clouds slowly drift along the sky and drifted to sleep.
As he lay to rest his dreams relived the nights of gnawing hunger pangs soothed by water. The long treks to school barefoot and the unforgiving KZN winters that tested his threadbare jersey. The death of his mother heralded a new depth into hell living with his aunt. Her always angry demeanour and scrunched up lips constantly reminding him that he had no place at her table. Somehow he endured the abuse. Her death was the answer to unspoken prayers. And then his uncle’s girlfriend, a faint smile graced his face mimicking her warm smile as he drifted to sleep.
His sleep was shortened as sudden frantic shouts woke him. He jumped to his feet. Every direction he ran toward was blocked by sweltering hungry flames and thick towering smoke. Stumbling over and gasping for air he fainted. He suffered devastating injuries: over 60% burns on his body and face, loss of his nose and arm – a monster.
Sad and tragic but he flourished thanks to his passion for life and soccer. Today, Scelo holds a certificate in Marketing, ran the New York and KZN Championship Marathons and named Sharks Soccer Academy 2024 Most Improved Player.
To hear more about Scelo, encourage him or help him on his soccer journey, email tonderai@tkninc.co.za
The post Scelo’s Story – By Samantha Weale appeared first on The Home Of Great South African News.
A sweet scent blew in the wind as the long sharpened edges of the sugarcane leaves danced in the breeze, carrying away with it the roar of laughter from the boys he walked with.
The post Scelo’s Story – By Samantha Weale appeared first on The Home Of Great South African News. Read More
