Sarah Ngobese was the neighbourhood’s highest selling biscuit and cake seller until Mam’ Halan opened her own establishment. Sarah lost all of her buyers, even her loyal customers passed her house and went next door to buy Mam’ Halan’s cakes and biscuits. 

The two lady sellers, who were also neighbours, never greeted each other again. Sarah would stand behind her gate with a sad face as she watches people go next door and leave with plastics of the same cakes and biscuits she’s also selling. Sometimes Sarah would witness a lonh snake of queue to Mam’ Halan’s house, and she’d remind them that she too is selling biscuits and cakes – the first one to do so – but none of the people bothered to look at her. 

So due to the confusion and curiosity (also anger) Sarah sent her granddaughter, Dikeledi to go buy a packet of biscuits next door. When the little girl arrived with the biscuits, Sarah immediately took a bite. She hadn’t even swallowed yet; she was still chewing, but she already knew in her mouth and mind that Mam’ Halan’s biscuits tasted better than hers. She sent Dikeledi back to buy a packet of cakes this time. The little girl came back with them. Sarah took a bite and again, she was convinced that Halan’s cakes tasted better. In fact they were way better than the biscuits. In this case, the tongue never lies. 

Mam’ Halan’s cakes and biscuits were very good but Sarah never admitted that. What is it that Halan puts in her baking? A secret recipe? 

Days went by, Sarah’s own cakes and biscuits remained in the buckets. Some of them became stale. She ate some of them with her family. She decreased the price to be half of that of Mam’ Halan’s but still…no buyers. No profit. People walked past the R14 [scratched] R7 BISCUITS/CAKES sign on her wall to enter the next house. Sarah couldn’t take it anymore. One day, Sarah went to confront Mam’ Halan. 

She barged inside the house without knocking. She found Halan in her living room. There were masses of cheese, flour, yeasts, eggs and bowls, and all the other utensils and ingredients for baking. Two pipes were plugged in the nipples of Halan’s super large breasts. She looked at Sarah with eyes of flame. The pipes were pumping out milk to the gallons of bottles next to Halan. “What the hell are you doing here?” She shouted. 

Sarah looked down at her flat chest of saggy breasts and almost cried. Mam’ Halan threw something at her, then she ran away out of the house.