A FACE IN THE CROWD

A FACE IN THE CROWD

***Precious Lesedi sechaba***

"I'm Precious Lesedi Sechaba, and I'm the invisible one in my own family. My dad has two older sons from his previous marriage, and they're already grown with wives of their own. He loves my older sister, Princess Onalenna, so much - she's his favorite. My mom, on the other hand, adores my little sister, Prestige Amantle - she's the baby and gets all the attention. Meanwhile, I'm stuck in the middle, feeling forgotten and overlooked. It's like I don't exist.

I know what it's like to be a middle child - ignored, overlooked, and always having to figure things out on my own. My story's no different. My dad's family was weird - his dad had three wives and fourteen sons, but no daughters. It was like a curse. When my dad finally had a daughter, my sister Princess Onalenna, it was a big deal. She was celebrated and became his favorite. She looks just like my grandma, who passed away, so that made him love her even more.

Princess is three years older than me, and I was barely a year old when my mom had my little sister, Prestige Amantle. That's when I felt abandoned. Prestige looks just like my mom - fair skin and beautiful features. My mom adores her and always has. My dad spoils Princess, and my mom loves Prestige. Me? I was left to fend for myself.

I learned to take care of myself, do things my own way, and not rely on anyone else. When I cried or whined, no one paid attention. If I tried to get attention, I was accused of seeking it. It felt like I was invisible. But I didn't let that stop me. I found my own way, made my own decisions, and grew up faster than I should have.

It wasn't easy, but I'm proud of who I am today. I may not have had the attention or love that my sisters got, but I have something they don't - independence, strength, and a determination to make it on my own.

School was my escape, and I was lucky to be good at it. But what really saved me was art. I discovered my talent by accident when I was just ten years old. My stepbrother, Tiro, bought me a pack of coloring pens, and that's when everything changed. I was amazed at how I could bring colors to life on paper. It was like I had a superpower!

For the first time, I felt like I had something that was just mine. Painting became my happy place, where I could forget about being ignored and overlooked. I could create beautiful things, mix and match colors, and make something amazing. It was like magic!

Tiro never did much for me, but that one gift sparked something incredible. I spent hours drawing and painting, lost in my own world. Art became my confidant, my comfort, and my passion.

As I grew older, art remained my constant companion. It helped me express emotions I couldn't verbalize, and it gave me a sense of pride and accomplishment. I realized that I didn't need anyone's approval or attention to be worthy. My art was enough.

Looking back, I'm grateful for that pack of coloring pens and the journey it started me on. Art may not have filled the void of my family's neglect, but it gave me a voice, a purpose, and a way to shine.

.

.

. YEARS BACK...

I'm sitting at the dining table, sipping my tea and nibbling on my dry bread, trying to enjoy my simple breakfast. But my peace is disrupted by Princess's dramatics. She's standing in front of my dad, whining and complaining about a tiny scratch on her school uniform.

"I can't go to school like this, Daddy! My uniform is ruined!" she exclaims, trying to sound as pitiful as possible. I roll my eyes, knowing she's just looking for an excuse to skip school. She's always been bad at academics, and her grades are a mess.

"What's wrong with your uniform, sweetie?" my dad asks, and I can tell he's already sympathizing with her. I want to scream, "Nothing's wrong with it! It's just a tiny scratch!" But I stay quiet, knowing my voice won't be heard.

My mom is busy frying eggs, but I know they're not for me. They're for Prestige, of course. She's her favorite, after all. My mom will probably make her a special breakfast, while I'm stuck with my usual bread and tea.

I look at Princess's uniform, and it's hardly worn out. She gets new uniforms every class, while I've been wearing the same old thing for three years now. It's faded, torn, and patched up, but I make do with it. No one ever asks me if I need a new uniform.

My dad examines the uniform, and I can tell he's trying to find a reason to excuse Princess from school. But there's nothing wrong with it! It's just a tiny scratch. I've had worse tears in my uniform, but I never complained. I just patched it up and kept going.

I arrive at school earlier than usual, which is my habit every day. To be honest, I'm not excited about school or anything, but it's a good excuse to get out of the house. Home isn't exactly a happy place for me either. I feel ignored and overlooked, like I'm just a shadow in the background.

My little sister, Prestige, is the beauty queen of our school. She's got fair skin, a slim figure, and everyone fawns over her. Me? I'm the opposite. I've got dark skin, a large curvy figure, and a face that's always oily. I feel like I was created in a hurry, like God was busy and just threw me together.

I've tried to accept myself, but it's hard when everyone around me seems to worship beauty and perfection. My mom's always commenting on how fair and beautiful Prestige is, like that's the only thing that matters. My mom's always trying to fix me, like I'm a problem that needs to be solved. My skin won't bleach no matter what chemicals.

School's not much better. I'm invisible here too. Teachers don't like me, classmates ignore me, and I'm just a ghost drifting through the halls. I'm the invisible straight A-student. I don't get celebrated for my grades or anything.

I've got bullies coming at me everyday...Nala, mpho and Neo are my worst nightmare in school.

Nala:"Pig, Where's my maths assignment?