CARAMEL QUEEN

By Shama Moanakwena Through the outskirts of Pretoria, Hammanskraal to be precise lived a beautiful woman by name of Pauline, a mother of two children, a boy and a daughter. Pauline had two siblings , a brother (Sanza) who was the first born,herself and the younger sister (Lantisane). They grew up well, had both parents and did not lack anything in life. Pauline was a teacher by profession and she loved her work. Most of the people she taught would come by to see her or buy what they needed and end up telling stories of how she was in class. Funny tales they told I must say. This woman they were talking about was a strong black hard working individual who took no nonsense and carried herself with pride and dignity. Called Sesi by the locals because she was a people' person. She lost both her parents the same year,resigned from her job to take over the family business that her father was running to put food on the table. Apart from the risks and challenges she came across, she was striving. The break-ins from thieves at night or robberies,she wasn't giving up. One night she was slapped for not wanting to take off her wedding ring, the one thing that still tied her to her husband, the father of her children. The robbers were too strong, pushed her to the ground and pinned her down, slapped her a couple of times and took her jewellery. Her first born tried to get up to go help his mother but was bashed on the head with some metal object. The second born had hidden under the shelves but was dragged out to lay on the floor where it was visible alongside the other workers. They took all the money in the cash register, cell phones and food that was supposed to be sold that light at the shebeen. They locked them in the building and left. After all that happened, the next day she came in even stronger, high spirited and eager to implement more of her business ideas. She approached factories and started supplying them with lunch meals to make extra cash. Her sister (Lantisane)was a nurse by profession. A sweet beautiful dark skinned thick boned young lady. She was always the one who took her sister out of sticky situations in very difficult times. Pauline one day refused to be set back and decided to take matters in her hands by doing a stack out in the family business on a rainy night. She heard a banging sound like someone wanted to open the door forcefully, the sound went on for a while, then went silent. Then a cracking sound came from the roof, after a while a male figure jumped in through the roof. This guy started whistling to alert his colleagues that he was in. He went from around the counter to start taking things of the shelves. Unfortunately he came across the figure that spooked him as he wanted to screen but was hit by an axe on the head. The other guy on the roof who was waiting for his friend's communication to come through whistled for a signal but was not getting anything in reply. So he said "Hey Jabs have you found bags or boxes to use to carry all this stuff "? He repeated again, then a voice replied but it wasn't his friend's. COME DOWN AND FIND OUT. Shocked as he was, he alerted the others that there were people in the shop and they caught Jabs. They all ran off. Pauline took two black refuse bags, sat down on the concrete floor and started axing Jabs to pieces the rest of the night. She took a phone and called the police and told what she had done. By the time the police arrived the community was already gathered there waiting to hear what was going on. Covered in blood she opened the door and came out with two heavy black bags dripping blood. Pauline was arrested there and then.