Family Values

Parents' kitchen. They have just returned from Mauritius at 6am that morning. Father is at the table drinking wine. I am sitting opposite him with a glass of water. Mother is at the sink, as always. They are jet lagged.

Me: Mam, will you come and sit down. I have something to tell you and papa?

Mother shoots a look in our direction, carries on at kitchen sink.

Me: Mam, please come and sit down. It's important.

Mother looks again then crosses kitchen to wipe her hands on a dishcloth, moving the butter dish just a little bit this way, just a little bit that. Most unlike her.

Me: Ma-am!

Mother: J'arrives, J'arrives!

She sits down, dresses plastic flowered tablecloth with her hands.

I inhale, deeply.

Me: Foca wanted to come but I thought it better if I told you myself.

Father: Are you getting married?

Me: On no papa, (nervous laugh, almost relieved), no. We haven't known each other long enough for that. No, I'm having a baby.

Father: (circles base of wine glass with thumb and forefinger, leans back into his chair). What have young people got against marriage these days?

Colour drains from mother's face

Stigmums

I find, in this society, we are judged by what we do for a living, not for who we are as a person. There are exceptions. I am a stigmum: A single mother on benefits, a mother kept by the state. A stigma, a stigmamma, a stigmum.

This is what I do

I acknowledge, I ask, I account

I budget, I bid, I breathe, I bleed

I cook, I clean, I cry, I care

I dance, I discipline, I dream

I educate, I empathise, I eat, I endure

I fraternise, I file, I forgo, I forget

I grumble, I giggle, I grind

I hug, I hoover, I hate, I hope

I indulge, I iron

I jest, I juggle

I kiss

I launder, I laugh, I live, I love

I mollycoddle, I make up, I mind, I manage

I nag, I nurse, I nod

I opine, I obey, I organise

I play, I pray, I pretend

I quarrel

I rant, I read

I sing, I shop, I scream, I soothe

I talk, I teach, I tidy

I understand

I verify, I vegetate

I wrestle, I write, I wish, wish, wish.....

x.i

yawn

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz