A Gypsy at Heart

She was a fairytale princess. The once ugly duckling turned perfect. She never believed it.

At school they laughed at her home-cut hair, skew teeth and second hand, too big clothes.

The product of an abusive father that left home when she was still tiny and an absent mother,

working for a greater cause to free all woman from their abusive husbands. Even though she

tried to ignore them, their remarks stayed with her forever.

Reading was the only thing that kept her sane. Studying and reading became her bubble,

protecting her from the cruel world.

He arrived when she was thirteen. A real nerd, the kids said he’s gay. He had a loving mother

and wore thick glasses. They both loved reading and studying. They became friends.

She didn’t know what gay was or a nerd and she didn’t care because he talked to her, liked

her.He was one of the girls. She hated men, her mother made sure of that. Never trust a man,

they just want one thing and they will hit and hit and hit to get what they want.

Ned was the best thing that happened to Nia. He didn’t care about her hair or her skew teeth,

she had a brain. One day, very upset he told her, he couldn’t go the library, he has a dance

class at three.

The next day he told her how awful it was. He has two left feet and everybody laughs at him.

The girls in class refused to dance with him. His dear mother wondered of Nia doesn’t

want to go with him,so he can have a partner.

To Be Continued

Nia fell in love. Not with Ned but with dancing. Freedom at last.

Nothing else existed while she swayed, twirled and turned.

Nia didn't know her mother use to be a dancer. She never danced again

after her father left.

Manuel, the owner of the dance school noticed her

immediately and decided to team her with his teenage son.

The big championships were around the corner. Emanuel, the son,

was less impressed and though his mean remarks would stay

imprinted in Nia's fragile soul for the rest of her live, she was too

exited to let him upset her. 

None of them considered Minet, Nia's mother's reaction when

she found out about the dancing. Even though Nia had no real

relationship with her mother she never defied her or lied to her.

 She kept many things from her. She could never share the horrible

 tales of her school life with her mother. She tried once but realised her

mother was too busy for unimportant nonsense. It was only much later

that the culminated hurt would burst open into resentment for the woman

 that was suppose to protect her.


 Manuel didn't want to loose her and offered her free classes.

Luckily Minet was so busy that she never knew where Nia spend

her afternoons. For the first time in her life Nia did something against

 her mother's wishes. She found something that made her feel whole again.

 She could not let it go. Paula, Ned's mother became more and more Nia's

 mother as well. She suggested to Nia's mother that Nia needs braces for

 her teeth. For once Minet agreed. Again they laughed and mocked her.

 Manuel was the worse but his father kept him in line and they started

winning the one competition after the other.


Time moved on. High school was as much a nightmare as before but she had

 her dancing and Ned. Paula helped her to open an account for the money she

won at the competitions. She was going to use it to become the best lawyer and

help all the poor women abused by men.

To Be Continued

At the end Nia was just a young girl and when the captain of the First team

asked her to be his date for the school dance, she desperately wanted to go.

Ned subtly tried to warn her things might not be as they seem but with a bit

of renewed confidence in herself, she accepted.


Paula, bought her a new dress, tried to do so something about the hair, that

Minet insisted on keeping short, but with the braces not much could be done.

Ned though she looked beautiful. Minet assumed Nia and Ned were attending

a debate night at school and Paula and Ned drove her to her first date.


Ned insisted on hanging around as he was quite weary of this whole situation.

It was not to long before Nia came running out of the gate. The main guy was

waiting for her on the hall steps with all his friends,

They mocked her and couldn't believe she was so stupid as to believe

he would be interested in the girl with the wiry teeth and the mop on her head.


Nia never dated again. On the evening of the Matric Farewell she went to watch

a movie with Ned. After getting distinctions in all her subjects she was ready to

move out of her mother's house forever to become the best lawyer with no sympathy

for any man.

TO BE CONTINUED