With gaunt hands laboriously clutching at some firewood, Ambuya vaJoyce's eyebrows shot up when she saw her two grandchildren saunter home. The clock had just struck half past eight and the old soul was beginning to get worried that that some misfortune might have caught up with the siblings on their way from the farm. In a moment they would fill her in with what had happened since five in the morning till then.

It was such a long story the ten-year-old girl and her younger brother had to jointly tell. First, it had been Baas Langeveldt's anger at their five-minute-late show-up. Threats had banged their eardrums and the siblings had been much terrified. Then Mr. Langeveldt calmed down promised to-day there would be a late dismissal. Hard work was still on its way.

Well, two twenty-five-litre containers came in handy and enough water had to be brought, from a river one kilometre away, to fill a four-hundred-litre-plus tank within on hour. The siblings had only half-filled the tank when the last second of the hour ticked away, exposing them to the venomous tongue lashing of Baas. The lateness had only served to drive breakfast away and Baas wasn't sorry.

After the tank was full, some two thousand bricks had to be moved to a place, four hundred metres away and no breakages were to be entertained. Besides, the wheelbarrow wasn't that well oiled. After that Madame Langerveldt needed some wood for the fire and that would only be found a kilometre away in any direction. One black mamba nearly bit eight-year-old Robert and cold chills ran through his body as he ran, stepping on sharp thorns with his bare feet. On their arrival back, Madame had finished preparing breakfast and twenty minutes was too much time to spend on eating.

As the scorching sun reached its highest position in the blue sky, some 'little weeding' had to be done and some bushes chopped down. Lunch was unfortunately not coming. As the sun disappeared on the western horizon, Joyce and Robert embarked on their last but one assignment of the day -driving the livestock into their pens. It was almost seven o'clock when the children set off on their four-kilometre walk home, three dollars firmly in each right palm.

Ambuya vaJoyce couldn't hold back her tears as they narrated the sorry story. It was her desire that at least her grandchildren attain an education and Langeveldt's offer that he would pay school fees for them for 'some little work during holidays' had seemed to be a brilliant idea at first. Now if it was coming to this! However, she knew full well that it had to be that or no school for the children. If only these children's parents had not died. If only they had been more careful with this monster AIDS! Now look, their children don't look that healthy to me!

As these thoughts crossed her mind, the siblings fell asleep, what with all that day's work. Just then, she remembered that there were some chakata for supper and the two had to awakened. After the 'supper' the children found sleep again, their young bodies recovering some more strength for what awaited them on the following day. With a sad sigh, Ambuya joined them.

Joyce and Robert's case is not unique anywhere in the world. With all sorts of things claiming the lives of young couples these days, children are left at the mercy of the cruel modern world and the interchanging situations and experiences that define it.
It's high time people heard these children's faint helpless cries and something was done to curb, or hopefully, abolish this CHILD LABOUR.

Chris Hwingwiri
Mucheke High School
Zimbabawe