Page 66 - The Mending Season

getting into the car. She stopped in front of the mother, who was closing the boot, and said, “Please speak English on school premises.”The mother said, “Excuse me? Excuse me? I can speak to my children in whatever language I want to. How I speak to my children is none ofyour business.”She came close to the teachers face, her finger almost touching the teachers nose, and yelled, “I am not one ofyour students!”The teacher stepped back saying, “These are school rules and - ”Before she could say anything more, the mother had climbed back into her car and roared off.The teacher walked towards her own car, her face turning bright red with fury. We stood staring in disbelief as the kombi came into the driveway.The idea was soperfect that it came to Malesedi accompanied by a sharp headache: there was enough money to send Tshidiso to a school in town, andprobably even enough to see her through thefirst year ofuniversity. She could see the neighbours' envy then, watching the women o f4 Mabele Street send their child to a school that was infinitely better than any o fthe ones they sent their own children to.She had been working in the kitchens when she came up with theplan toforfeit their dream o fhaving a business and use all their savings to send their child to the best school. People were talking about change like it was the coming o fthe Messiah. “Wellthen,”sheputhermopandbucketdown andstoodstillagainstthewalltolet the headachepass. “Tshidiso willbe apart ofthat change.”When she came home and told her sisters about it, they satfor hours in their meeting room planning everything.66