[It’s Monday morning, and the family can be seen eating stiff porridge and eggs for breakfast, everyone is seen except for Jeffrey who is in his room still preparing for school. The children are wearing their school uniforms and Martin is in his brown overalls that he had as a uniform after landing a job as garden-man in a nearby suburb. Mary can be seen chewing on her breakfast while engaging her parents. ]

MARY: Mama is it true that the Mlungu lorry is not coming today?

AGNES: Yes my child. But I see it as an opportunity to profitably spend some time on household duties (her face sinks into deep thoughts). I’ll collect cow dung and decorate the compound.

MARY: Naledi said the Mlungu gave his driver a day off from work to visit his family in Zimbabwe.

MARTIN: Naledi? That child will regret the day she started prostituting herself. Her body will be reduced to nothing but mere bones, who knows what diseases those bloody foreigners carry inside their bodies?

AGNES: My soul peels away when I think of what’s to become of that child. She never had nurturing parents, who were also cut short before their daughter was out of diapers. And before she entered the morning of puberty and understanding the dynamics of adolescent, she had every boy swimming in her filth and exploring her flexibility in the bedroom. Lord, please have mercy on us to change her intellectual nappy! (She uttered a prayer under her breath). We seek refuge in God and ask for His forgiveness.

MARTIN: (condemning) Mercy my foot! We all had a fair share of brief moments in sufferings of the earth. But we didn’t let that steal our youth and vigour. We were determined to make it beyond the breadline and still trying to take bull by horns. That child comes from a whoring family, she takes after her mother. Do you remember what happened before her death? (His eyes resting upon Agnes) She was caught in bed with her Master, Yoh! Her Madam nearly beat her to death. And that fool husband of hers was too forgiving to let her get away with such a crime. And now her daughter has inherited her sins and paying tribute to shadows of the past.

AGNES: It takes a village to raise a child.

MARTIN: Not anymore. The government has granted the youth knowledge of the world and now they are unruly and unrest. (Jeffrey walks in; he collects his breakfast and settles between his mother and sister).

MARY: But Papa, granting us knowledge you were denied was one of the ultimate goals during the liberation struggle.

MARTIN: Yes my child, but democracy is not synonymous with whoredom.

MARY: (her lips part into warm smile) But at least I was born after the troubles. I was not going to content being ordered around by White people. Democracy is so cool (her honey-coated voice is music in the house).

MARTIN: (Disappointed)You call this democracy? Let me tell you my pains, as comrades who had faith in the A.N.C and saw them as guardians of Black society, our goals were geared towards being given the same constitutional privileges as White people. That’s what attracted us to the A.N.C. The political profile and policies of A.NC were going to free us not subject us to polite dictatorship. We showed resilience and bravery in defying orders of Hendrik Verwoerd, but look what A.N.C did to us; owners of the land are still serving former colonial masters and beneficiaries of apartheid regime. Some of us are still doctoring their gardens on the land of our forefathers.

AGNES: (Pierces Mary with her doll like eyes) Mary, when you get back from school could you please wash your father’s blue overalls? I won’t have the time for laundry, there’s so much that needs to be done.

MARTIN: (Lights his tobacco pipe) And Jeffrey, I want you to go and fetch my leather jacket from your uncle’s house. Otherwise your uncle will start claiming it as a Christmas gift from his lowlife gangsters of children.

JEFFREY: (his head hanging down and eyes pacing around the place) I… I… (clears his throat) I have afternoon classes today, but I promise to collect it before Friday.

MARTIN: No, you can always have your classes tomorrow but today you collect my jacket.

JEFFREY: Father, I…

MARTIN: (Interrupts)What is this? Now you are head of this family? Okay, Mr Mighty Mugabe what do you suggest we do?

AGNES: Martin…

MARTIN: (without looking at her) Shut-up woman, I’m still talking to my son.

JEFFREY: (after brief moments of silence) My apologies, father. I’ll collect it today.

MARTIN; Good boy. (Stands-up and collect his lunchbox from the kitchen table on the far-right of the room) Expect me home-late tonight (looking at his wife) I’m going to pass at the shebeen to wash the taste of sweat from my mouth.

AGNES: (Humble) But this past weekend you had enough beer to wet the tongue for the whole week. How about we save that money for the new stove?

MARTIN: Now you decide what I should and not be doing? You forget your place, Agnes.

AGNES: (apologetic) I’m just…

MARTIN: You are just crossing the line woman. We’ll buy your damn stove when there’s enough money (walks-out, leaving Agnes and the children wearing a sickly-musk).

***

Tell us what you think: What does democracy mean to you?