Cape Town Learner’s Essay: “Life is Beautiful”

Now that Day Zero has officially been postponed, here is an essay written by Anees Hassan, a Grade 12 learner at SACS High School in Cape Town, called “Life is Beautiful.”

Two years ago Anees received the Lead SA Youth of the Month Award (August 2016) for his mentoring work in Transkei. His story – giving up his holiday to mentor others – was featured on SAPeople. Here is his essay…

Life is Beautiful… 

We often take the simplest moments in life for granted. When these moments are taken away from us, acute symptoms of mass hysteria kick in. When these moments return to our lives, they remind us of their beauty and we never want to lose them again.

The taps are dry, the grass is little more than patches of dehydrated dirt and the daily ritual of carrying containers of water is breaking my back. Drought is one of the cruelest punishments that mother nature can force upon man. I steadily tilt the container of water as I prepare my water-rationed shower. A thin stream creeps out of the opening into the kettle.

There’s a sudden crash on the roof.

A constant sound of something hitting the clay tiles. I think to myself that it must be the cat fooling around. I then hear a piercing scream filled with absolute jubilation. My mother rushes into the kitchen with a look of relief on her face.

It is raining.

I rush outside, not bothered about the fact that I’m wearing nothing but cotton socks, a grey vest and a pair of unwashed underwear. The heavens have opened up. The rain laden clouds have burst like grenades shooting shrapnel in all directions. Heavy clouds are spread from horizon to horizon.

The drops are enormous in size like long rods of crystals falling from the sky, plain and cold in colour but very welcomed. A sudden sliver of radiating yellow light cuts through a gap in the clouds and illuminates the raindrops, making them look like flashing christmas lights.

The ground is like a beating drum, thumping along as the drops smash into the dry dust. They dance along the ground as each explosion hits with great force. The thirsty vegetation is taking a beating as the drops hit and role down the lifeless leaves. It is however a very welcomed beating as the tall trees and the grass suck up every last drop of precious water.

I shift my focus to the neighbours across the street. They have transformed into mindless zombies, heads tilted up, eyes closed and arms stretched out with each palm facing to the heavens. Silent and motionless, taking in the moment as if they had never experienced this blessing before. Others are screaming and dancing in the pools of fresh water.

I suddenly awaken from my own trance-like state and step back into this beautiful reality. My feet are drowning in my drenched socks. My grey vest has turned an inky-black and my grubby underwear has been washed out by the rain. I turn to my mother and smile.

Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. No matter how simple or common they may seem.

They make life beautiful.

By Anees Hassan

https://www.facebook.com/coz215/posts/10155009065366879