The first time Miss Turner noticed her, she stood quietly at the back of a group of girls. She and her brother were fairly new arrivals at Bulembu, their parents having died of AIDS. Nontando was a shy girl, Miss Turner thought.
The girls were there to spend their merits. All the 400 rescued children were in school in Bulembu and merits were given for good work and good behaviour; rewards to spend. Miss Turner was particularly pleased to land the job of running the merit shop. She saw many of the children she cared for in the trauma unit- those that had been most deeply affected by their loss.
And she saw Nontando.
Each term, when the shop opened, Nontando came. And each term she stood with her friends, looking on as they spent their merits on sweets, books, toys and comics. But not Nontando. She just stood, quietly watching.
‘Hi Nontando, don’t you have any merits to spend?’
‘Yes Miss.’
‘So where are they? Where are your merits? What would you like? Sweets? A book maybe?’
‘No Miss. I don’t want anything today.’
Miss Turner was intrigued. Every time the shop opened, Nontando would be there. Every time, she stood and watched as her friends spent their merits. Miss Turner figured she was saving for something expensive. Maybe the beautiful coat that had been sent in recently?
Each time the shop opened, she asked the question. Each time, the same answer.
‘No Miss. I don’t want anything today.’
It was near the end of term when Miss Turner next saw Nontando. With a big smile on her face, she approached Miss Turner with a handful of ‘merits’.
Miss Turner smiled.
‘Nontando, you’re going to spend your merits. How wonderful! You have a lot there- you can get something really special! Are you after that lovely coat?’
‘No Miss.’
Slowly Nontando walked to the back of the merit shop and picked up a beautiful pair of black leather shoes.
‘Oh Nontando, I’m so sorry- those shoes would never fit you I’m afraid. They are far too small.’
‘No Miss. They are not for me. They’re for my little brother, Ciswe. You see, he’s not got any shoes. This is my present for him.’
There were tears in her eyes as Miss Turner closed the shop that day.
This is based on a true story although the children’s names have been changed. ‘Miss Turner’ is our daughter Lois who works in Bulembu. You can find more about the rescued children here:http://bulembu.org/
The girls were there to spend their merits. All the 400 rescued children were in school in Bulembu and merits were given for good work and good behaviour; rewards to spend. Miss Turner was particularly pleased to land the job of running the merit shop. She saw many of the children she cared for in the trauma unit- those that had been most deeply affected by their loss.
And she saw Nontando.
Each term, when the shop opened, Nontando came. And each term she stood with her friends, looking on as they spent their merits on sweets, books, toys and comics. But not Nontando. She just stood, quietly watching.
‘Hi Nontando, don’t you have any merits to spend?’
‘Yes Miss.’
‘So where are they? Where are your merits? What would you like? Sweets? A book maybe?’
‘No Miss. I don’t want anything today.’
Miss Turner was intrigued. Every time the shop opened, Nontando would be there. Every time, she stood and watched as her friends spent their merits. Miss Turner figured she was saving for something expensive. Maybe the beautiful coat that had been sent in recently?
Each time the shop opened, she asked the question. Each time, the same answer.
‘No Miss. I don’t want anything today.’
It was near the end of term when Miss Turner next saw Nontando. With a big smile on her face, she approached Miss Turner with a handful of ‘merits’.
Miss Turner smiled.
‘Nontando, you’re going to spend your merits. How wonderful! You have a lot there- you can get something really special! Are you after that lovely coat?’
‘No Miss.’
Slowly Nontando walked to the back of the merit shop and picked up a beautiful pair of black leather shoes.
‘Oh Nontando, I’m so sorry- those shoes would never fit you I’m afraid. They are far too small.’
‘No Miss. They are not for me. They’re for my little brother, Ciswe. You see, he’s not got any shoes. This is my present for him.’
There were tears in her eyes as Miss Turner closed the shop that day.
This is based on a true story although the children’s names have been changed. ‘Miss Turner’ is our daughter Lois who works in Bulembu. You can find more about the rescued children here:
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