She was no different from the many boys at school who take chances by adding an item of clothing for the same reasons. The shoes, jacket and socks made the girl’s uniform more fashionable they added touches of individuality. She did not mean to interrupt him: she was being so short with him because she knew that the longer this exchange took, the more likely it would be that meneer would force her to go and change. ‘You must not wear those secret socks again-’ ‘And that jacket as well!’ Over her crisp-white school shirt she had a black fleece jacket on to protect against the morning chill. A pair of white secret socks peeked out from the girl’s black Vans sneakers. ‘You know you are not supposed to wear those shoes and those socks,’ the superintendent was saying to her, as he sprayed hand-sanitiser on her cupped hands. The school colours are maroon, white and gold, but she had decided to spice up her school uniform with different-coloured clothing. The hostel superintendent was berating her for the way she looked. As I rounded the corner, I found that the source of this was a fourteen-year-old girl in grade nine, who I had taught the previous year. However, this morning the line was not moving as quickly as it usually does.

One morning, a few weeks ago, I was heading out to school and found the usual queue of learners. Following the national lockdown as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, our learners were phased back to school (and to the hostel) according to their grades.Įvery morning, as the learners file out to go to school, they are screened at the door. I happen to live in the hostel of the high school where I teach, in the Karoo. ‘Wow! Oh my days! That can sum up my book! Wow!’ -Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi’s reaction when author Tayari Jones read Morrison’s quote in relation to her book. Writers are like that: like water, I remember where I was before I was straightened out.’ -Toni Morrison, ‘The Site of Memory’ All water has a perfect memory and is forever trying to get back to where it was. “Floods” is the word they use, but in fact it is not flooding it is remembering. Occasionally the river floods these places. ‘You know, they straightened out the Mississippi River in places, to make room for houses and liveable acreage.

Jennifer nansubuga makumbi