Chapter 14 - The Livestock and Grains

My grandparents had livestock. My brothers used to assist my grandfather in looking after it. They had goats, sheep, cattle, pigs, and chickens.
One Saturday morning, one ox called Rooiman came charging after me. I did not see it coming. All I remember is that I was knocked onto the ground. I quickly ran to the house. I was very scared, but thankfully, I was not seriously injured.

The oxen were used to plough the fields. November was planting time. Mealies, cereals, and beans were planted. January and February were hoeing months. I used to assist my grandparents hoeing in order to gain experience. April was harvest time for maize and marula fruit.

My grandmother used to brew marula and made beer from it for my grandfather. She also used to make juice from marula. It was just like colddrink, very delicious. The dried core of marula was then split open with a stone. Inside the core...



To read more on what they used to produce from the many grains and livestock they had, buy the book at: https://www.amazon.com/Memories-Life-Alexandra-Township-Know/dp/1483693805 (Amazon) or http://www.takealot.com/the-memories-of-my-life-in-alexandra-township-i-know/PLID36786983 (Takealot).

Chapter 13 - The Tragic Incident

Kgopa was back looking for his wife after two months. When my brothers and I arrived home from school one day, we found twenty dead chickens laid in a row. Kgopa had killed all our meat. We were shocked and scared. Kgopa was standing at the gate like a bodyguard. We ran to my maternal grandmother's house nearby, and she gave us food to eat.

My grandfather called the police, who then took Kgopa to a mental hospital. He was discharged from the hospital after a few months. He went back to be under his father's care in Maripa Thekwini. After some time, his father became tired of looking after his mad son. Kgopa's father was a widower. The stress of looking after his mad son took its toll.

One evening, whilst Kgopa was sleeping, his father locked the hut where he was sleeping from the outside with a padlock. He...

My maternal grandmother, Rosina Mokgadi Manyama. Myself and the other kids
used to run to my grandmother's house for safety afraid of the mentally disturbed, Kgopa.

To find out what Kgopa's father was up to, buy the book at: https://www.amazon.com/Memories-Life-Alexandra-Township-Know/dp/1483693805 (Amazon) or http://www.takealot.com/the-memories-of-my-life-in-alexandra-township-i-know/PLID36786983 (Takealot).

Chapter 12 - My Grandparents' Home

My grandparents' huts were surrounded by fig trees that acted as a fence.  We gained access to the yard through a wooden gate. The yard was very big; there were aloe trees, a mielie field, and a pumpkin garden.

One Sunday, my friend and I saw a green snake wrapped around one of the fig trees. We quickly called my grandmother. When my grandmother came out, the snake hid itself. I was very scared that night because I thought the snake would come out in the hut whilst we were sleeping.

My grandparents had a dog called Tom. It was a black-and-white dog. Tom was a friendly dog but not to strangers. When I arrived late after dark, it never used to bark at me. My friends, however, did not enjoy such pleasures because Tom used to bark at them. As a result, they were reluctant to visit me. They were also afraid of my grandmother; she was noisy and cheeky. I used to go and play with my friends.

One of the games we used to play was kgwele. The game entailed...

To find out more about the game called kgwele, buy the book at: https://www.amazon.com/Memories-Life-Alexandra-Township-Know/dp/1483693805 (Amazon) or http://www.takealot.com/the-memories-of-my-life-in-alexandra-township-i-know/PLID36786983 (Takealot).

Chapter 11 - The Nearby Farm Known as Ga-Broer

We used to live near a farm. Once a year, the farmer would let us come and collect firewood from his farm in exchange for the hard labor. We had to remove weeds from his farming fields. This took twelve hours. We started at 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. The following day. The following day, we would go and collect the firewood.

The farm was dense. It had a few wild animals, such as hare, monkeys and springboks. There were also snakes and lizards. I was scared and followed my friend wherever he went. We went searching for dry branches, stems, and trees. The farmer only gave us a day to collect wood. For lunch, we had porridge and spinach, which we brought with us from home. While we were collecting firewood, I saw a monkey, and I was scared. My friend comforted and encouraged me.

We worked systematically in that we collected wood and placed it in a central area and then moved it to the gate. The firewood was arranged in such a way that it can be carried over our head. Each girl had bundles of firewood. Every girl had someone from home helping her to carry the firewood. My grandmother came to help me carry the firewood home. The farmer did not permit them to enter the farm. They waited for us outside the fence.

My grandmother was not happy with my collection. She said...

To read more why Rose's grandmother wasn't happy with her collection buy the book at: https://www.amazon.com/Memories-Life-Alexandra-Township-Know/dp/1483693805 (Amazon) or http://www.takealot.com/the-memories-of-my-life-in-alexandra-township-i-know/PLID36786983 (Takealot).

Chapter 10 - The Initiation School

I was surprised one day when my paternal grandfather's second wife came to fetch me.  She took me to the initiation school for women.  I was both curious and excited because I always wanted to discover the secrets of the initiation school.  No one, except the initiates and the instructors, was supposed to know what happened at the initiation school.  Should any initiate disclose any secret information, she would be summoned to the chief to give account.  There were rumours that said that if you told others about what happened at the initiation school, you would become insane or even die.

The initiation school was held at the local herdsman's home at a mountainous area and accepted about thirty girls at any time.  Our uniform was animal skin.  We had to wear animal skin every day.  As a result, our waist started to itch because we became infested with lice.

The first person to undertake any task at the school was the headman's daughter. She was supposed to go first so that she can test the safety of...


To learn more on what the headman's daughter underwent at the initiation school; buy the book at: https://www.amazon.com/Memories-Life-Alexandra-Township-Know/dp/1483693805 (Amazon) or http://www.takealot.com/the-memories-of-my-life-in-alexandra-township-i-know/PLID36786983 (Takealot).

Chapter 9 - In and Out of the Rural Area

Living in the rural areas was difficult at that time. The transport system was appalling. We used cattle-drawn wagons to go to town. Our village was surrounded by mountains, hills, and rivers.

When I first left Alexandra for Pietersburg with my uncle, we used a train. We boarded a bus to Johannesburg Park station. When we got there, my uncle did not buy me a ticket. I was still very young. The train examiner came and asked me to touch my left ear over the head with my right finger. If my hand did not reach my left ear, then I wouldn't have to pay.

During school holidays, I used to travel to Alexandra with my uncle. My uncle used to hide me under the bed in the train so that I wouldn't have to pay. When the train examiner came in to check the tickets, I would lay still and only come out after he left.

When I arrived in Pietersburg, the guy called Monnana would give me a ride to my grandmother's house on his bicycle. The road was terrible. It had a lot of stones and potholes. The journey was unpleasant.

My grandmother would be very happy to see me and would slaughter a ....


To read more on Rose's welcoming ceremony; buy the book at: https://www.amazon.com/Memories-Life-Alexandra-Township-Know/dp/1483693805 (Amazon) or http://www.takealot.com/the-memories-of-my-life-in-alexandra-township-i-know/PLID36786983 (Takealot).

Chapter 8 - Minor Ailments

Sometime later whilst living with my grandparents, I developed an infection in my left eye. It started itching and was painful and sticky in the morning. The eye was lachrymating and very sensitive to light. Gradually my eye was getting smaller and smaller.

My friend Masali was asked to look into my eye to see if there was any foreign body. She saw white spot on my cornea. My grandmother checked my eye also but saw nothing. Masali was called. She was asked to prick her right index finger and squeeze the blood into my eye. This was according to our custom because she was the first one to see white spot on my cornea. After a few days, there was still no improvement.

I then decided to write a letter to Mom informing her of my situation. She quickly informed my uncle, Mr Phineas Maponya. He was a teacher at a nearby village called Laaste Hoop.  He took me to a doctor in Pietersburg in his car. The doctor gave me an injection, medication, and eye drops. The infection was gone within a few days. It was a real miracle especially considering my friend's blood. I thank God and my uncle's swift action. If it was not for them, I would have lost my vision.

My brother Johannes developed a skin infection. He had sores all over his body. As a result, he could not ...

My younger brother, Johannes "Mokolobetsi"
 Rakoma, who once developed a skin infection.

To find out more about Johannes' condition; buy the book at: https://www.amazon.com/Memories-Life-Alexandra-Township-Know/dp/1483693805 (Amazon) or http://www.takealot.com/the-memories-of-my-life-in-alexandra-township-i-know/PLID36786983 (Takea