Chapter 5

The next day, Rose’s mother went to the school to tell Mr. Paul, the principal, that Rose should come home that day.

Rose went home and saw Stompi sitting under a tree. She ran toward it.

“Who did you come with, my donkey?” 

Her mother said, “That’s why I called you. At one o’clock, I saw Stompi coming in here.”

“Did it come alone, Mom?” 

“Yes, it came alone.” 

“Let me go to Uncle. He must be looking for it.” 

Rose got on Stompi, and the children around the village were surprised that Rose knew how to ride a donkey.

Beuty’s mother looked at Rose and was not impressed at all.

The children shouted Rose’s name loudly: “Rose! Rose!”

Beuty’s mother called her husband.

“Beuty’s father, come and see!” said Emily with jealousy. 

“Why did you shout when you called me?” asked Beuty’s father angrily. 

“Look at your neighbour’s child—she is proud of herself, riding a donkey.” “She is playing with fire, that little girl. One day she will see a miracle. A donkey is not something for children,” he said.

“Yes, I saw. Her mother is even interested in what her daughter is doing. She will regret it one day,” said Beuty’s mother.

Her husband walked away because he saw that his wife had called him for nothing.

"And ignore the neighbour’s child and take care of your own daughter.” He was angry at his wife.

Emily was embarrassed and started to scold her daughter. 

“Why were you sitting in the street at this time?” 

Beuty ignored her mother and went inside the house. 

The next day, the principal informed the learners that the competition would be on Friday that week.

He said that the learners who participated should prepare for the competition, saying that this year’s competition was different from previous years and they would be paid cash.

He said the first prize winner would win R20,000, while the second prize winner would be paid R5,000.

The learners were happy, and everyone who entered the competition said they would win.

Rose and her friends were on their way home. 

“You, Rose, you are cheating! You enter the competition every year, and you know you are going to win a prize,” said Elisha.

“Leave Rose. If she can do maths, let her enter the competition. You are jealous because you don’t know maths and you didn’t enter the competition,” said Beuty, defending her friend Rose.

“I’m not jealous, but she should give other children who know maths a chance to win a prize too,” said Elisha.

“Your family is rich. Rose needs that money too, as her mother is not rich.”

“No, no, Beuty, don’t say that,” said Rose sadly. 

Elisha became angry and slapped Beuty three times. 

They were near their home when Beuty screamed. 

Her mother came quickly.

“Today I’m going to kill her! Where’s Rose?” said Beuty’s mother, holding a stick.

Rose and Elisha fled to their homes because Beuty’s mother was so angry. 

Beuty’s mother entered Rose’s house quickly. 

“Merry, today I’m going to kill your child! You didn’t teach her properly!” Beuty ran and took her mother’s hand and looked her in the eye. 

“It wasn’t Rose who hit me — it was Elisha.” 

Beuty’s mother was embarrassed and left Rose’s house, pulling her daughter.

They were about to leave Merry’s house holding hands when Beuty pulled her mother.

“Let’s go to Elisha’s house to smack her,” Beuty said angrily. 

“Let’s go home and leave her,” said her mother, disappointed. 

“Oh… because it’s Elisha who slapped me, you’re not going to smack her?” Beuty said angrily.

“Hey, you didn’t hear me? I said let’s go home!” 

“Mom, you’re going to die of hatred — you hated Rose for nothing.”

 Beuty stood aside because she knew her mother was going to beat her. Her mother, embarrassed, ignored her daughter.

Rose and her mother were very disappointed. 

“My daughter, go to your uncle’s house and try to calm down. Emily hates you,” said Rose’s mother.

“I know that well, Mother, and that woman doesn’t want to see me with her child.

I remember one day she told me not to play with Elisha and that I shouldn’t be her friend, because I come from a poor family while Elisha comes from a rich family.”

“Don’t worry about that. We know that we are poor. You have to go now or the bus will leave you.”

Rose went her uncle's place she was so sad that her uncle quickly noticed. 

“You look so worried, my princess. Is something bothering you?” asked Rose’s uncle.

“Beuty’s mother wanted to beat me because Elisha beat Beuty,” said Rose, crying.

“Ignore her, my daughter. That woman is jealous of you.” 

“The painful thing is that after she realized that I was not the one who slapped Beuty — it was Elisha — she did not want to go to Elisha’s house the way she came to my house and tried to beat me.”

Her uncle saw that Rose was sad he changed the topic

 “How was school today?”

Rose started smiling. 

“Hee, Uncle… they said the maths competition is going to start this Friday, and we should prepare for it.”

Her uncle smiled too. 

“I trust you, my child. I know you will win the prize.”

“I heard some students say I can’t always win the prize every year… they say I should not enter the competition and give other children a chance.”

“No, no, my child. They are jealous. Don’t listen to them. You must prepare for the competition and ignore them.”

The day of the competition came. Many parents arrived, even those whose children did not register to participate.

Beauty’s mother was with her friends, talking about the competition. 

“Today Beauty will win this competition. We are tired of Rose—every year she is the winner,” said Emily, Beauty’s mother.

“You won’t stop her from winning. That girl knows maths,” said Lili. 

“You hate Rose for nothing. You always talk about her. Why do you hate that little child so much? What has she done to you?” asked Leana.

“You don’t see that child thinks she is special and smarter than our children, and the principal loves her more than our children,” said Emily angrily.

Rose’s mother was sitting with Rose’s aunt, while Rose was sitting alone, not playing with the other children. Her mother became worried and went to her daughter.

“What’s the matter, my child? It seems like something is bothering you.are scard of competition?" asked Rose’s mother when she saw her daughter  sitting lonely.

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