Who Feels It Knows It

By Shemica O.C.

This is the moving story of a passionate and inspirational young man whose life was full of all imaginable forms of heartache and pain and yet he still managed to embroider a rich tapestry of melody and humour into it. His emotional intelligence skills played an important part in dealing with his burdens and his determination came from inner strength as he would constantly remind himself of the sacrifices his grandparents had made so that the world could be a better place for all. This was the debt he owed to his forefathers who ensured that their spirits would live on, manifested in everything they lived, worked and died for. Hatred he received did not dampen his spirit, as he knew that hatred, if not addressed, would last for decades. That’s why he was trying to be on good terms with all people. He was always aware that in good times friends know you and in bad times you know them. These are the times we live in.

Did you ever have to laugh when you feel like crying? Have you ever had to live when you feel like dying or have you ever have to go when you felt like staying? Who feels it knows it.

About the Author

OC Shemica was born and raised in Buxton in North West Province. He studied at Lekwene Primary, Batlaping High, Taung College of Education and Port Elizabeth University. He presently resides in Pudimoe. He works at Moretele-Ntswanahatshe village at Jerrry Mahura Secondary School.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Shemica O.C.
• Release date: Mar 12, 2019
• ISBN: 9780463980552

Book preview

Who Feels It

Knows It

Who Feels It

Knows It

By Shemica O.C.

Copyright © 2019 Shemica O.C.

Published by Shemica O.C.Publishing at Smashwords

First edition 2019

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system without permission from the copyright holder.

The Author has made every effort to trace and acknowledge sources/resources/individuals. In the event that any images/information have been incorrectly attributed or credited, the Author will be pleased to rectify these omissions at the earliest opportunity.

Published by the author using Reach Publishers’ services,

Edited by Noreen Thomson for Reach Publishers

Cover designed by Reach Publishers

P O Box 1384, Wandsbeck, South Africa, 3631

Website: www.reachpublishers.co.za

E-mail: [e-mail]

Table of Contents

Dedication

Acknowledgements

1. Survival and Sacrifice

2. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

3. Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace

4. Family Feud and Boo-Boos

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my late parents and my late brothers.

You left fingerprints of grace on our lives. You shan’t be forgotten. I am who I am because of you.

Some people feel the rain; others just get wet.

Bob Marley

Acknowledgements

I would like to express my very great appreciation to my brother and my three sisters; this one is for you. I just want to say to you ndapandula.

Above all I want to thank my wife, Keitsile; you’re always there when I’m down and weary. I could search this whole world over but you’ll still be my best friend.

To my children, I hope this book will inspire you more.

I would like to express my gratitude to all Reach Publishers staff members for their professionalism and enabling me to publish this book. You deserve the best.

1

Survival and Sacrifice

He sat in the morning sun sipping his coffee and watched all the birds flying by. How sweetly they sang and how he wished that he could fly far away from the crime, corruption and exploitation which was the ruination of his province. Lost in thought, he sat and wondered what could be done to improve matters and rid the ailing province of all those destabilising influences. People no longer felt safe walking on the streets or even in their homes, and it had become the norm for parents to escort their children to school.

As he sat there, negative thoughts continued to flood his mind and highlight the issues which concerned him: "Nowadays people are living just like animals in the national parks. Every morning an antelope wakes up knowing it must be able to outrun the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning a lion wakes up knowing it must outrun the slowest antelope or it will die of hunger. It doesn’t matter whether you are a lion or an antelope, when the sun comes up, you’d better be on your toes!

Many people are in the same situation as the lion and the antelope. It is the survival of the fittest! You wake up and stay on your guard for anything such as robbery, hijacking, dismissal, or any other threat which is likely to affect your life. Every day we are confronted by Armageddon. In order to survive in this world, you have to be quick on your feet and a fast, logical thinker. We are living in fear, fearing one another wherever we go! It’s true that the world is not what it used to be. Even the numbers are not compatible with each other. Do you know why six is afraid of seven? It is because seven ate nine!

What an imagination Dumshen Kimbundu had! After draining his coffee mug, he went back to his room and lay on the bed. With a sigh he gazed up at the ceiling and listened to the whirr of wings as a flock of large birds passed by. He caught a glimpse of them through the open door as they flew past in a V-shaped formation. Dumshen knew that they used the V formation to cleave through the air against the powerful wind they were facing. Each bird flew slightly above the bird in front of him, resulting in a reduction of wind resistance. The birds took turns to fly in front and fell back when they became tired. In that way the birds shared the responsibility of dealing with the strong wind they were facing.

He asked himself why people in his province could not be like the birds and share responsibility in their different organisations. Sharing could possibly assist in the elimination of crime and corruption. Even a reduction in the crime rate would help.

The Freedom Charter clearly states: The people shall share. Struggling for power will not take the province anywhere, but could turn to violence. The way things are done and problems are handled by those with power, and who claim that they know better than others, really disturbs him. People who know that they know, not what they claim to know, need to be in control. That’s why he started researching various types of people in his province.

Dumshen thinks that most of our people have not learnt from humanity’s past mistakes. Exploitation and corruption are still the talk of the town at present. During the slave era, an African man was stolen from Africa and taken to America. He was forced to do hard labour on only one plate of food a day.

One day he stole his master’s cooked fish and ate it to appease his hunger. All the slaves were gathered and asked who had stolen the master’s food. They all denied it, even the thief himself. Whoever was found guilty of stealing was to be hanged in public so that it would be a lesson to the others. Each slave was given a jug of seawater to drink and the saltiness caused them to vomit. The man who stole the fish vomited it up, and he was sentenced to be hanged in public.

At the gallows before the execution, he was asked if he had anything to say.

He answered: Yes, Master. I only want to know whether I am the only thief here and whether this law applies to all who steal.

Yes, the law applies to all thieves, and who are the others? Point them out, said his master.

I was stolen from Africa, my motherland, and brought to America. Those who stole me are as free as the birds, although they know that they have committed a crime against humanity. But my master, I have realised that in life everything, no matter how bad it is, will come to an end one day. That is all I wanted to say, hangman. Deliver me from this evil land because I’m ready to meet my Creator, said the accused bravely.

All the other slaves were amazed but proud of him, and their master was astounded. Never before had he encountered a slave who could speak the truth with such confidence and undermine his authority. It had not occurred to him that in life there comes a time when a man feels that enough is enough. He would rather sacrifice his life than suffer the indignity of being the scumbag of those who thought they owned the world. It was a case of, Who feels it knows it.

Okay, hangman, release him, said the master sweating profusely. There was great jubilation amongst the slaves, because the first step towards freedom had been accomplished.

He was released and warned not to steal again. That’s how our people were exploited and abused in the slave era. Slaves were