Page 121 - The Mending Season

I stood up and started washing the dishes, not interested in hearing more from my mother.“Your father is coming this weekend,” she told me, her voice sounding more cheerful now. I looked forward to my fathers visits. Hearing more about his world was always a nice change from my everyday routine. I was fascinated by his sto­ ries of men and women who worked far from home. They always took me away from Bofelong and into the back rooms and hostels ofGauteng.I felt grateful to have something to look forward to.“Tshidiso,” my mothers depressing tone had returned. “Do you think Veronica should be allowed to come back? After what she did?”I stopped. The aunts rarely asked my opinion on any important topic. I turned around and faced her.“I think they should both come back. I think they should get detention or whatever kind of punishment, but I think they should both be allowed to come back. If they re punish­ ing Veronica for slapping Beth, why aren’t they punishing Beth for swearing at Veronica?”“It s not the same offence to the school. This is what I keep telling you.”I returned to my chair. How exhausting I found this! “Dont you think they should come back?”“Ofcourse. They,ll never learn anything this way. The par­ents should stay out of it, really.” I remembered just then how the aunts never stayed out of my other school when I had come home with bruises from being beaten.“Would you go to the school if Veronica had slapped me?” I asked her.“No. Only if the teacher had slapped you.”“I don’t want to be asked to leave,” I said to her slowly, watching her reaction.“That will never happen,” she said.121