Alice always did well in her school work; she was the second top student in all the Grade 11’s at her school. But her brother Enoch was not as smart as she was. Alice always felt like her brother didn’t really put as much effort into school as he did with memorizing his music.
“Where is your brother? Please tell him to come and eat super, the food is ready,” Beatrice said while dishing the rice and chicken she had just cooked.

Her brother was out with his friends some of which were refugees from other parts of Africa. They played basketball and listened to American hip-hop all the time. Enoch and his friends had started wearing clothes that were baggy to imitate the famous American rappers like Tupac, 50 cent and the rest of them. They always made sure to download their latest singles and always seemed to know every word of the song to the point where they had even stared to speak like the rappers. Alice always teased him by saying, “if only you knew your school work like this, you would be unbeatable in school,” Alice would say to him. Enoch would give her a very angry face and say, “I want to be a big time rapper and be famous and make money, unlike you, a lonely writer.”

“Enoch, Enoch, come and eat. . . food is ready”, Alice shouted outside the flat

“Coming,” Enoch replied with his back turned towards her

“Hey, is that your sister man? Damn she’s grown up so fast,” said Thabo

Thabo was Enoch’s older friend, he was from Eastern Cape. They went to the same school, but Thabo was two years older and he was doing his Matric. Enoch hung out with him because he made him feel older and cooler, unlike his age mates who were also 16 years and in his class.

“Jy! That’s my sister you’re talking about,” Enoch said with a loud voice. He never liked any boy eyeing his sister because even though she was older he always felt protective of her.

“Ok guys, I’m out yo. . . PEACE!” Enoch gave them the cool hand shake and then ran back inside the house to eat his super.

“C-ya”, shouted Thabo

Later that evening Alice came to joined her mother in the seating room and found Enoch as usual watching Trace on DSTV, listening to hip-hop music.

“It’s like you’re married to that TV,” his mother said jokingly. “Put on one of my gospel DVDs I want to listen also,” she said with a commanding tone.

“Ah ma, but you always watch those songs from your country, please let me watch Trace today,” Enoch said acting all disappointed and lazy.
“Enoch my son those DVDs remind me of back home and they are also Christian songs which are good for you,” his mother said.

***

Tell us what you think: Will Alice be able to get her mother to talk about her Country?