The son has emerged to take on the world with all the necessary equipment, weapons – two arms, two hands, ten prehensile fingers, two legs, feet and toes (verify ten), the genitals which were already evident in the foetal scan, a shapely head and open eyes of profound indeterminate colour that are already reacting with the capacity of sight. The sperm of the radiant progenitor-survivor has achieved no distorting or crippling of the creation.
Destruction takes on many states of existence; on this one the predatory stare has gone out. Must invite Thapelo and Derek again for a couple of beers where there's new life confirmed.
Thapelo is first with exuberant confirmation of other news that had given off smoke signals to the waiting three, through their eavesdropping connections. Minister of Environmental Affairs, van Schalkwyk, has set aside (abandoned? a for real no-no? maybe) a decision made a year before this month of birth to construct the Pondoland Wild Coast toll road. And the Minister of Minerals and Energy, she's announced that the pebble-bed nuclear reactor is halted. 'Pending further environmental assessment'; yes – oh of course.
But what about the sand dunes, the titanium, the ilmenite for the pretty girls' makeup, my brothers!
Final licence of destruction must never be admitted, granted. That's the creed. Work to be done. Yona ke yona. This is it. Phambili. There's a half-triumphal burst of laughter to be shared.
Wet the baby's head! Derek toasts.
Glossary
ayeye – An expression teasing someone for his faults
braai – A barbecue
bundu – The bush; nowhere
cho! – A greeting calling attention to something
eish – An expression of reluctance
jabula – Be happy
khan'da – Operate; scheme
lalela – Listen
makhosi – Tribal chiefs; traditional leaders
n'swebu – Marvellous
phambili – Come on; go for it
sangoma – Traditional healer
shaya-shaya – A deliberately false statement
tsotsi – Street gangster
tuka – A long time ago
voetsek – Get out; push off
vuka – Wake up
wola – Hi
woza – Rise
yebo – A greeting, or affirmation
yona ke yona – This is it
About the Author
Nadine Gordimer, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1991, is the author of thirteen novels, nine volumes of stories, and three nonfiction collections. She lives in Johannesburg, South Africa.