Has anyone made out the words to the bird’s song? From the last watch of the night to the night driving out the day, what do the birds say? Is it a familiar song they sing? Or maybe a tale they bring? Is it a retelling to the next generation of the things that have been?
Do they tell of when they could nest among all the trees along the Jukskei? Or of which flowering trees announce the start of the summer rains? Do they tell the stories of waves of conquest by the humans below? And how each band of crusaders have divorced their rhythms from the melodies of the birdsong?
Tau was now irritated.
They had achieved the South African dream. Well, the black South African elite dream at least. They had the university degrees. The middle-to-upper management corporate career track. The Instagram marriage, and complementary baby photo shoot. Stats on Strava. And now, a house with a swimming pool. It even had a veranda, with outdoor furniture for the summer dinners they’re barely going to have. All which came with a cost.
“You’ve been cleaning the pool for the last hour Tau. You’re supposed to have been finished by now”, Martha said as she walked out the veranda door.
“I’ve been trying to. But then the wind blows and these stupid pink flowers fall from this damn tree”, Tau tried to explain.
“People are coming at 5! It’s the first time anyone has come to our house. Please, don’t embarrass us”. Martha rushed back inside to busy herself with the cleaning she doesn’t normally do.
It’s a familiar pattern in a recently-moved-in Northern Suburbs home. The humans fight for territory in the minds of their neighbours. They colour their feathers and brighten up their homes, to get ready to dual in the pageantry of perception. It’s a winner takes all honour competition. At least until the next bout. Which has gone from months to minutes online.
It's 3pm and he has to go and fetch Thabo, his son, from his club soccer games. He puts the pool tools down and enters back into the house to fetch his keys.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Martha asks.
“Thabo’s game is finishing. I need to go and fetch him.” Tau replies.
“But there’s still so much to do! We don’t have time for you to go galivanting around town”.
“Who’s idea was it that a 9 year old should be playing club soccer every Saturday, because all his friends are doing it?” Tau’s restraint was now running out of patience.
“Heeyi. Don’t come to me with that attitude. I’m the one who takes them to school and fetches them from practice all week while you leave early and work late.” Martha now put the broom against the wall and place her hands on the side of her waist. “I’ve been asking you to clean this pool since Sunday last week, and it’s always ‘no my boss said this, no my KPI that, no my project this’. Who sets the rhythm of your life?”.
It really wasn’t the time to be disrespected like this. Tau got the keys, got into the car and drove to the soccer grounds.
“Dad, why couldn’t you come to my game like all the other parents did?”, Thabo said after he got into the car. “Even Mike’s parents were there and they’re normally the ones who are busy.”
“Today everyone’s coming for me” thought Mike to himself.
“When we get home, we need to help your mom with cleaning up. Start with your room. We have visitors and the kids will be playing in your room.” Tau explained to his son.
“Oh thanks. I scored 3 goals in case you were interested”, Thabo said as he looked out the back window. Tau ignored the comment and kept driving home.
It was 4:30 and the house was in a semi-decent state. Most of the pink flowers had been cleared from the pool. All Tau’s toys had been cleared away. Tiles had been mopped. Carpets had been vacuumed. And the snacks were laid out on tables along the edges of the veranda.
Martha had now been calmed down by the sense of control she had over the situation. She knew her words had been piercing, but there just wasn’t enough time to make it right. And then the gate intercom rang. “Who’s here so early?” Martha asked.
“It’s Jake.” Tau said. “I forgot to say, he said he’d be coming early because of somewhere else he has to be at 7”.
Martha didn’t like Jake’s wife. Ofentse, Jake’s wife didn’t like Martha. Jake and Tau had grown up together and were best of friends, forcing Martha and Ofentse to have to bear each other’s one-upmanship ever so often.
“Hiiii!!” said Ofentse in her high-pitched trying-to-be-nice voice. “Welcome guys, please come outside to the veranda”, said Tau, inviting them in.
“Oh, this place is so cute!” said Ofentse. Martha didn’t know what that meant. Tau didn’t either, and didn’t want now to be the time to find out. “It’s been such a hot day man. Thirty-two degrees at midday”, he said trying to diffuse whatever may or may not be.”
“Ya, but I’m surprised you guys chose a late afternoon outdoor supper”, Ofentse said.
“Whyyyyy?” Martha asked in a high-pitched-trying-to-be-nice voice.
“Sweety look up. The clouds are covering. It’s Joburg. 5pm thunderstorms.”
Crap.
Living in the sanctity of their flat had shielded them from nature. And now the black birds were flying in their flock to shelter, making what Martha perceived to be sounds of mockery. From a distance, the first lighting struck, followed by the sound of thunder.
“Tau, my love”, started Martha in her sweetest voice, forgiving herself of her worded arrows earlier. “Won’t you get Thabo and start moving some of these snacks inside then.”
Tau gave her a side-eye, and then went to fetch Thabo.
“Don’t you worry darling”, said Ofentse. “You’ll eventually get used to the way things work”.