*SYMBIOSIS*

POWER

CHAPTER 3: POWER

Littlewood Residence
Salisbury, Rhodesia

Sarah: Time for dinner guys!

The team got out of their rooms and into the dinning room. The Littlewood mansion stood on five thousand square metres of land. It was huge with 5 bedrooms and 6 bathrooms. There was no maid because Sarah did not want them and because she was a stay at home mother.

Austin: Food smells delicious Mrs Littlewood.
Sarah: I just hope it tastes just a it smells.

They all sat.
Sarah: Cherise, may give us grace.
Cherise: Ok, let's close our eyes. Blessed be this food in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen!
Colin: Short and precise, ain't it?
John: Thank you Cherise.

They are their food and the story was brought to life.
Sarah: So, tell us. What is it that happened ay school?

Austin and Cherise looked at each other and back at Sarah.

Sarah: Cherise start.
Cherise: The people don't like me there. Vandiseka, they said my accent is funny. Then this old lady told me to pick up papers on the floor.
Sarah: Hmmm.
Cherise: Then she said something about us blacks being mischievous.

Sarah and John looked at each other.

John: And you Austin.
Austin: There's this boy who accused me of stealing a pen. Then he called my father a criminal. He said "like father like son." Imagine.
Sarah: Is that all?
Austin: Then I beat him up like the loser he is.
Sarah: What!
Austin: I had to. I wanted to send a message kuti asandi-provocker, I'm that just vocal.
John: Did you have to?
Austin: Going around accusing me of theft and insulting my father. Then this lady Watkins said I should go to her office tomorrow.
Sarah: You and the boy you beat up?
Austin: No, just me.
Sarah: John!
John: I know. I'm going there tomorrow.

The next morning everyone was early and they left for school.

St. George's
Salisbury, Rhodesia

Mr Littlewood accompanied Austin to Mrs Watkins' office.

Watkins: Mr Littlewood, come in.
They both enter.

Watkins: Boy, don't you have lessons?
John: No, he's with me.
Watkins: I don't understand.
John: This boy is my nephew. He says you asked him to come to your office.
Watkins: Did I? I don't remember saying that.
Austin: You did.
Watkins: Oh, he is the boy who was fighting with his classmates.
John: But you only asked him to come to the office. Watkins! I don't want to raise this up to the school board, you know how essential I am to this institution. I can get Wrathall himself to shut down this discriminatory facility which is masked by Catholicism. You call yourselves Jesuits.
Watkins: I'm sorry. I didn't know he was related to you.
John: He is. Him and his sister, Cherise.
Watkins: I didn't know.
John: If I ever hear...
Watkins: I know, I know.

Mr Littlewood shut the door behind him and left for work. Austin went to his baseroom.

0756hrs

"What happened?" Colin asked in his usual British accent. "Talk to me brother."

Austin: Your father handled it.
Colin: He did...
Austin: Like a boss. He is feared isn't he?
Colin: He is politically involved and knows the board.
Austin: Must be nice.

Colin laughs.
Colin: It must be.

Austin looks at Winston who was walking towards them.

Winston: Fellas!
Colin: Winston!
Austin: You here for another round?
Winston: No man. I'm here to say sorry . Found my pen later in my book.
Colin: You deserved that whopping mate.
Winston: Sorry fellas. No hard feelings.
Austin: No stress.

The Prison
Lusaka, Zambia

Ncube's cell

Ncube: Have you ever thought of leaving this place?
Sipho: What do you mean?
Ncube: To break out of this place.
Sipho: Thought about it the first week I got hear then I realized that it isn't a one man job.
Ncube: Yes. What if we plan our escape?
Sipho: What!
Ncube: Yes.
Sipho: Why would I want to risk it? I only have a year left.
Ncube: Being free in a year and being free in 6months; which is better?
Sipho: Just a six month difference.
Ncube: 6months is a lot of days.
Sipho: Yes, but I have no one to go to. I have no family.
Ncube: I see. I have a wife and kids.
Sipho: Yea, those ones on the photograph.
Ncube: Yes. Exactly.
Sipho: What a lovely family.
Ncube: Thanks. But otherwise, think about it.
Sipho: Okay, I will.

"Out of the cell." One of the prison guards shouted."Time for an anonymous raid."
The doors where opened and the two men got out so that their room could be ransacked.

"There's nothing in there." Sipho said.
"We will have to find out then." Replies the prison guard.

The siblings were dropped off at their place to stay with their mother for the weekend.

Ncube Residence
Salisbury, Rhodesia

John: I will be picking them up on Sunday at around 4 maybe.
Aisha: Okay! Thank you.

The kids go into their house for the first time in weeks.

Cherise: I missed this place.
Aisha: You missed the place and not me?
Cherise: And you of course.

Food is served and they go into the dining room.

Austin: So tell us mom, what have you been up to?
Aisha: I have been working. Never thought going to work would be this hard.
Cherise: Working is hard. And I am going to school so that I go to work. Gone are the days when women were just expected to clean the house and stay at home.
Austin: And make babies.
Cherise: Yea, that to.
Cherise rolls her eyes.

Cherise: Why don't you ask for work from Mr Littlewood?
Austin: Ah!
Cherise: What?
Aisha: I can't. He has done way too much already.
Austin: Yes, exactly.
Aisha: How was school?
Austin: It was okay except for the discrimination.
Cherise: Austin got into a fight.
Aisha: Did you win?
Austin: Of course, yes!
Aisha laughs.
Aisha: But that should be the last time i hear about something like this.
Austin: Okay. I don't think they will dare come near me.
Aisha: They wouldn't.