Page 79 - The Mending Season

“Yes, but are you happy about it?”Trish asked.“I don’t know. Frankly, I’m worried. It’s a time ofbig uncer­ tainty. I don’t know what it means for me, but obviously Blacks are happy.”“Yes!”“Definitely, miss!”The Black girls cheered all around. “OK, OK. Calm down everyone. Sshhhhh ...”“It doesn’t really matter to me,” Dirusha said.“Why is that?”the teacher inquired.“Because for Indians it’s all the same. It doesn’t matter whois in the government. Mandela fights for Blacks.”“Mandela is everyone’s leader,”Tamz said. This seemed toannoy people all around.“I don’t think he’s my leader,” Dirusha responded.“Nor mine.” I was surprised to hear Laura take such astrong stance. “I mean, my parents taught me not to be racist, so I accept Blacks.”“Accept?!”Tamz yelled the word. “I’m not here for you to ACCEPT.”“Sshh! OK, girls! Girls!” Mrs Aleixo clapped her hands together. “Quiet, please.”“I don’t think she was trying to offend you. She just meant that she is not racist,”Dirusha defended Laura.“Accept is, like, if you must be here, then there’s nothing I can do about it. Blacks were in this country first“All right! All right! Sshhh! Tumisang, that’s enough! Girls, stop it now. You will have to discuss this at a different time. And I don’t think it’s about who was here first.”“Miss Veronica started.“No, no. Let’s move on. I don’t want to hear another word about it.”And that was as far as the discussion went. People snickered. It was obvious that everyone was upset, but they all let it rest.79