“Finally, I was about to launch a search party!” says my Mom, as soon as I step inside the house. I smile, recalling my comment to Mark.

“I missed you too, Ma,” I say to her, as I hug her and give her a kiss on the cheek. I sit down at the table. “Something smells great!”

“I made your favourite,” she tells me.

I grin. “Thank you, Mommy.”

My Mom places my plate in front of me and sinks down in the chair opposite me. “Shall we say grace?” she asks. We join hands. “Father, thank you for this food we’re about to have. May it nourish our bodies so that we can praise you more. Bless it, in the wonderful name of Jesus. Amen.”

“So how did it go today?” Kate asks.

I tell her about everything that happened at the march. “We are going to sit in their meeting tomorrow.”

“Just be careful, baby, it could be dangerous,” she says, beseeching me with her loving gaze. I nod. She’s right, it could get very dangerous, but this is a fight that we must fight.

*****

“Amandla!”

“Awethu!”

I address the crowd passionately: “I’m so humbled by your support, comrades. When I started this march I never envisioned so many of you would feel the same. One doesn’t have to study environmental science like me to realise the importance of maintaining our environment and our land. We cannot let these rich suits benefit at our expense. That is exactly what we’re going to tell them in that meeting. Now comrades, I implore you, let us keep peace during and after the meeting. Agreed?”

“Yeeeeeeees!”

We sing our way to the municipal offices.

Mr Bald is waiting for us with an angry expression on his face. “What are these people doing here?” he snarls at us.

“Calm down now, Mr Angry Man,” I tell him. “We go everywhere together. They won’t cause a scene.” I glance back at the crowd and they sit down on the pavement. I flash a huge grin on my face. “See what I mean?” I turn back to Mr Bald.

“Shall we go in?” Mark gestures with his hand.

We follow Mr Bald to his office, where six people are seated, including Mr Bald. The people have divided themselves equally on each side of a long, furnished dark wood table. There is one woman seated on either side. Counting Mark and I, there are eight people at the table.

The woman from the Luxurious side has a tight dress on. Her hair is tightly pulled and tied at the back of her head. I wonder if she can even speak. The other lady is older than my mother. She looks sleepy. The men are all big-bellied and suited in dull, worn out colours, except for one man on the Luxurious side. His suit is a sharp navy blue, and his nails are manicured.

“Ladies and gentlemen, this is Ms Lubisi and Mr Lukhele from the university,” says Mr Bald, introducing us to the group.

Mr Bald is actually the Mayor. I know it’s disrespectful of me to call him that. I smile at this thought and then quickly correct him: “From the community actually, sir.” I add the last word sardonically.

Ms Tight Dress shoots a supposed-to-be-scary look at me. I respond by curving my lips into an ‘I’m-not-scared’ smile, and then I focus my attention on the Mayor.

“Shall we begin?” the Mayor asks, opening a file in front of him. “As we know, the stu-… I mean, the community, is opposed to the construction of the lodge. We must find a mutually beneficial solution.”

“You must understand that this construction will create employment for at least a hundred men. It will also bring huge potential investments into this town, as well as tourism,” says Mr Sharp Suit charmingly. His real name is Mr Thomas. “This construction is going to benefit the whole community very much,” he adds, looking at Mark and me knowingly.

“Mr Thomas, firstly…” I shift to the edge of my seat and lift my index finger. “We are not opposed to the construction of the lodge. We are opposed to it being built on Oak Land. That land…” I stare at the Mayor for a second. “That land was promised to over 50 families who have been living in shacks for four years, waiting for this office to divide it accordingly. Secondly, how long will the employment that you mention last? Until your lodge is standing tall and blocking the sun, that’s how long. Four months at best. So please, Sir Thomas, that’s hardly employment.” I make inverted commas with my fingers.

“Thirdly, this lodge is only going to buy more of your sharp suits. It isn’t going to benefit us, the people from this town. We won’t be able to afford a glance at the place, not to mention a night. The people from this community will continue to be homeless and jobless, sir.” I sink back into my gargantuan leather chair.

Everybody around the table glares at me as if I’ve grown an additional limb. Mr Thomas studies me.

“Not to mention the negative impact that this will have on the environment,” I add, just because I can.

I think Mr Sharp Suit is impressed. He pretends to be scratching under his nose to hide the small smile spreading across his lips.

“Those people can be placed somewhere else, little girl,” says Ms Tight Dress, unable to hide the annoyance in her voice. “The building work will be temporary, but the lodge is going to hire long-term staff. People who work with their hands will be able to sell to tourists. Small businesses will be funded from the investments made into this town, local people will be able to network with well-known business tycoons…the list is endless.”

“As if your tycoon friends will want to sit down with the “locals” to discuss business with them,” Mark responds sharply. “We can’t eat based on tourists’ schedules. Have you researched any of the small businesses to be funded? Can you tell me at least one? Do you know any, Mr Mayor?”

The Mayor shifts uncomfortably in his chair. I can see the sweat bursting from his forehead. That’s my man, I think to myself, smiling as I listen to Mark.

“And where is “somewhere else”, ma’am?” he asks Ms Tight Dress.

This banter goes on and on. Every person in the room wants to make their point, but we’re going round in circles.

“We’ve already entertained you children. Enough now! We’ve spent a lot of money on this project and it is going ahead,” says Mr Sharp Suit angrily.

“Absolutely not!” I interject, my voice higher than I intended it to be. Mr Sharp Suit narrows his eyes at me as if to convey a secret message, but I keep talking. “If you think for one second that you’ve entertained us enough then you have another thing coming. This project is going ahead over my dead body.”

“Listen here…” Ms Tight Dress interrupts.

“I’ve done enough listening, Ms Tight Dress!” I snap back. “Can you even breathe in that thing, or is what these men think of you more important to you than breathing?”

I hear a couple of sharp intakes of breath from across the room, but I continue speaking: “You live in a mansion in a quiet and safe neighbourhood. All we want is a four-room house, OK? You need to buy a piece of land big enough to accommodate all those families, or else you will not lay a brick on Oak Land.”

I glance at Mark. Together, we stand up and leave the room.

***

Tell us what you think: Do Alex and her supporters stand a chance against Luxurious Group?