SFX: A distant church bell rings and after a few tolls, stops. There is a knock offmic, which is immediately followed by the sound of the door opening. Voices of excited little children.

FIRST CHILD: We have come to play with Thandi.

CYNTHIA: She can't come out now.

SECOND CHILD: Why can't she come out now?

CYNTHIA: GO and play out in the street. She will come and play with you when she finishes washing the dishes.

SECOND CHILD: AWU, it's cold outside. We want to wait for her here.

CYNTHIA: NO! GO out. It is the law that you can't be here.

FIRST CHILD: Why did you make that law?

CYNTHIA: I did not make that law.

SECOND CHILD: Who made that law?

CYNTHIA: The government…

SECOND CHILD: But this is your house!

CYNTHIA: Of course this is my house.

FIRST CHILD: Then why did the government make the law?

CYNTHIA: I … I don't know.

SECOND CHILD: Why don't you know?

CYNTHIA: NOW listen, I don't have time to answer your questions. Please go.

[Pause, then she shouts]

Out! Out, I say! And don't come back!

SFX: Children running away. The door bangs after them.

My God! They couldn't understand. I hated doing that.

I hated it!

[She lets out a long sigh]

Anyway let me go back to my crocheting.

[Speaking in baby language]

Now which nice baby is going to get these little bootees?

[She chuckles to herself]

I remember, I was telling you of Bra Zet.

I used to go to his dingy room. If you have been to Alexandra Township you have seen the kind of house I am talking about - long dark corridor with rooms opening upon it. Huge families living in each room. Dirty little children with dry tears down the cheeks, peeking at each other as unsteady footsteps are heard coming along. Babies crying. Mothers screaming at them to shut up. The stench of beer and urine. That's the kind of passageway I used to walk twice a week, sometimes slipping on baby shit or drunken man's vomit, as I fearfully moved on to counsel him. His small room was at the end of the tunnel, and it was always dark, with yellowing newspapers plastered on the only window.