Winnie saw her mother out, kissed her and promised to change her shift and come home as soon as possible. Miriam walked to the bus stop as if in a trance. After she had paid her fare, she counted the money in her purse. As there wasn’t enough left for her to go straight home, she decided to collect her wages at the big house. However, to her surprise Steve was waiting for her at the Claremont bus terminus. Her heart started racing as he came towards her.

‘What is it, Son?’ she asked apprehensively.

‘Fassie is on the run, Ma, ‘ he blurted out.

‘Why, what happened?’ she asked. ‘What does it mean?’

‘He threw a petrol bomb at a police van. They saw his face and gave chase. He hid in someone’s house and then jumped the fences. They followed him. If they find him he will go to jail. They know who he is! We will just have to wait for him to return home when the time is right.’

‘I thank the Lord, he is alive. When will this unrest end?’ she cried.

‘No one knows. Looks like it’s only started.’ Steve looked grim-faced.

‘Look Steve, I have no more money. We need food. I’m going to Madam to explain the situation to her. She will understand and give me my money. I’ll go back to work when Fassie comes home. Now I must go to the big house. Are you coming with me Steve?’

‘No, Ma. I don’t like it amongst those people. You go. I’ll go home to Pa. But please bring some food home, Ma.’

They each went their own way, she back to Paradise Road and Steve back to the township.

As she opened the gate of her employer’s home, the dog ran to meet her. She went around to the back door and in the yard, to her surprise, she met a new maid with a bucket and rags hanging from her arm.

‘Is the Madam home?’

‘Yes. She is drinking her tea on the patio,’ the girl answered shyly.

Miriam walked through the huge house to the poolside. There she saw Madam sunbathing. She went closer, ‘Good afternoon, Madam,’ she said in a shaking voice. She didn’t know how to go on.

Madam looked up and replied casually, ‘Oh, you finally arrived, Miriam.’

In a defiant mood Miriam replied, ‘I’ve had a lot of trouble, Madam. My son is gone. My Fassie is missing!’

‘I believe there is unrest in all the townships. Why are you people so violent? And where is your son? He is supposed to be at school, not so?’

‘I see someone has already taken my place. Why the hurry?’

‘Well, you let me down badly, Miriam. I had no alternative – if you can run home whenever you hear a gunshot sound in the township! Master and I have decided that it would be best if you stay home. Now let me pay you your month’s wages. I have decided to deduct from your money the cost of the figurine you smashed. Is that okay, Miriam?’

‘Yes, Madam. And my reference? I will have to look for other work. My husband is sick at home as you know,’ Miriam pleaded softly.

‘I shall post your papers, or you can tell your new employer to phone me.’ Madam went inside and soon returned with Miriam’s wages. ‘Now if you don’t mind Miriam, my tea is getting cold.’

Miriam walked away, her shoulders slumped. ‘Now that is appreciation for all the work I have done here!’ she thought.

She walked through the large kitchen, opened the refrigerator and helped herself to a cooldrink. On the table she saw a tempting cream cake topped with red cherries – Master’s favourite nightcap! She cut a slice, then another and another- she could not stop eating. When she had had her fill she cut another large slice and wrapped it up to take home to Amos. She picked all the cherries off the topping and stuffed them into her mouth. Finally, feeling satisfied, she went out into the back yard.

Suddenly she remembered that Madam had a bad habit of accusing her servants of stealing. She had a pen in her handbag and she went back to the kitchen. She took a piece of writing paper from the kitchen cupboard drawer and wrote a message to Madam. ‘I ate the cake and enjoyed it, Madam.’ She pushed the note into the cream of the leftover cake. On her way out she greeted the new maid. ‘Poor girl,’ she said to herself.

As she walked down the avenue she felt good – even a little happy. ‘How foolish can one get! Why should I feel this way over a piece of cake?’ she thought. The trees looked even greener than the day before. The birdsongs sounded louder and sweeter. She stopped to open her pay-packet to see how much Madam had taken for the figurine. Counting the money, she discovered that her carelessness had cost her ten rand. She swore to herself!

She decided that she must hurry home now, back to the gunshots and all the chaos. The avenue seemed longer today, or was it perhaps her tiredness? She stopped for a short rest, sitting on an old tree stump. A squirrel ran past her with an acorn in its mouth. As she admired the little creature which scrambled up a huge tree to feed its family, she remembered her family had eaten only mealie meal that morning. She would have to go to the shops on her way through Claremont. The loss of the ten rand for the figurine had set her back financially, but they would manage somehow. She must also buy the daily newspapers for Amos as he was an avid reader. And some fruit and a chocolate for each one! ‘But what will I do with Fassie’s bar? I will have to keep it until his return,’ she said to herself and then, without expecting any answer, ‘I wonder where my son is hiding now?’

Suddenly she felt sad as she pictured Amos alone all day, wobbling around on crutches in the small dark council house.

Miriam remembered that he had always bought her fruit and a chocolate bar on his pay-day. She got up from the old tree stump and continued down the road. At the bottom of the hill she turned back and could still see the big house in the distance. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and took one last look at Paradise Road.