Title: From Emalahleni To Sandton

The taxi rank in Emalahleni at 4:30 AM is a war zone. The smell of diesel, fried chips, and sweat. Everyone shouting JHB! JHB! And me in the middle, holding R150 that was not mine, wearing shoes with an open mouth. I am Naledi Mahlangu. 20 years old. No degree, no job, no father, and a mother who coughs blood every night in our RDP house. Today was my last chance. I saw an ad on f*******: Free Mode - Receptionist Needed, Stone Tower, Sandton. I borrowed R150 from Ma Khumalo. Emalahleni to Sandton, two taxis, three hours. At 8:45 AM, I stood in front of Stone Tower. Glass that touched the sky. Guards in suits. My heart beat fast. Inside, aircon was so cold, floor was marble, shiny. The receptionist with Brazilian weave looked at my handwritten CV and laughed. Wait there, she said. I waited from 9AM to 12PM. No food. Stomach growling. At 12:15, glass doors opened and he came out. Everyone stood up. Mr Stone. Alexander Stone. 32 years old. Billionaire. Owner of Stone Finance. Suit that cost more than our house. Eyes grey like steel. Handsome but angry. Why is client waiting, he shouted. Then he saw me, alone, open shoe, holding my bag tight. Who is that, he asked. Job seeker, no experience, the girl said. He walked to me. You have been waiting since when, he asked. Since 9AM sir, I said. Why are you still here, he asked. Because my mother coughs blood sir. And I borrowed R150 to come here. And if I go back without a job, we will not eat tonight. So I will wait until you tell me to leave. Silence. Whole office quiet. You wrote CV by hand, he asked. Printing is R5 sir. I had R0, I said. He stared long time. Do you know where Emalahleni is, I asked him, voice shaking. People think it is just mines and dust. But it is mothers who work until backs break. It is children who share one bread. We dont have experience in computers, but we have experience in not quitting. If you hire me, I will never be late. I will never complain. I will learn everything in one night. He turned to manager. Give her typing test. Now. I typed 45 words per minute. Hands shaking. Whats your name, he asked. Naledi Mahlangu, I said. Naledi from Emalahleni. You want this job? Receptionist, R5000 per month, 6 days a week, Sandton hours 7AM to 6PM. Taxi every day from Mpumalanga, he asked. Yes, I said. You will fail, he said. Sandton girls are different. They dont wear open shoes. I will close it with glue tonight, I said. For first time, he smiled a little. Be here tomorrow 7:30 AM. If you are late by one minute, dont come back. If you are wearing that shoe open again, dont come back. Understood, he said. Yes sir. Thank you sir, I said. I ran out of Stone Tower, into street of Sandton, and cried. People in suits looked at me like I was mad - a black girl crying in richest square mile in Africa, holding handwritten CV, with open shoe. But I was not crying because sad. I was crying because for first time in 20 years, someone from Sandton looked at me not as beggar, but as person. I took taxi back to Emalahleni. Three hours. Told Mama I got job. She fell to knees and prayed, coughing and praying same time. That night, I glued my shoe with Superglue, washed my shirt again, and looked at lights of Emalahleni - mine lights that never go off - and whispered. Tomorrow Naledi goes to Sandton again. Not as job seeker. As worker. I didnt know that man with grey eyes, Alexander Stone, would not let me go so easily. That my R5000 job would become contract I didnt read. That from Emalahleni to Sandton is not 120 kilometers - it is war between love and money. And I was about to enter it with open shoe and glued heart. My name is Naledi and this is how I left Emalahleni and entered Sandton. Tomorrow will be first day. I was scared but ready. Mama slept already, breathing hard. I sat on floor, looked at my glued shoe, and promised myself. I will not fail. I will make Emalahleni proud. I will survive Sandton even if Sandton kills me. Because I am Naledi Mahlangu from Emalahleni and we dont quit. The next morning I woke at 4AM. No electricity again. I used candle. I wore same shirt but clean. I glued shoe again. I took first taxi at 5AM. Emalahleni dark, cold, but people already going to work. Mines already working. I held R30 for return. I prayed whole way. Please let me not be late. Please let me not fail. At 7:15 AM I was at Stone Tower. Early. Guard saw me and smiled. You are back, he said. Yes, I said. I am early. He opened door. I went to reception floor. Same marble, same cold aircon. I stood waiting. At 7:30 sharp, Alexander Stone came out of elevator. He saw me. He checked his watch. 7:30. You are on time, he said. Yes sir, I said. Good. Follow me, he said.