Leeus met Ietsels (Fanie Viljoen) Chapter 1 Summary
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WHAT HAPPENED, IN 50 WORDS:
"Buyisiwe 'Buyi' has a school fight with Jonathan, exacerbating his sense of alienation in London due to his Zulu background. He reflects on the fight and racial tension at home, alone in his mother's apartment, anticipating more trouble."
FULL SUMMARY:
In this chapter, Buyisiwe "Buyi" gets embroiled in a physical altercation with a student named Jonathan at their school. Despite Jonathan's defiant attitude after being knocked down, the fight is broken up by a teacher's arrival. Buyi is aware that trouble is brewing, a feeling he hasn't been able to shake for weeks and has been making him anxious. The narrative shifts to Buyi entering the London Underground at the end of the school day. Despite living his whole life in London and despite the familiarity of the surroundings – the crowded trains, classrooms, and the newsstand on the street corner – Buyi feels like a stranger. None more so reflected in his reflective name which seems alien among the prevalent English names. He feels distant, not just from the people around, but also from the environment he is a part of. This is evidenced by his fascination with his surroundings and a persistent wondering about people's perceptions of his presence. Buyi rushes home through a rain shower before entering his warm and safe apartment, located above a bakery. Ignoring the loud contestations erupting in the building, he notices his mother has not yet returned home. Alone in the flat, he drinks milk straight from the carton, warms up leftover pizza, and lounges in front of the television. However, his mind is stuck on the fight with Jonathan and the racial slurs he had hurled at him, calling him 'Zulu'. These thoughts are also mingled with a hurried conversation he had with his mother that morning, an indication that further trouble awaits him at home. Therefore, in this chapter, the themes of alienation, brewing trouble, and racial tensions set the stage for further exploration of Buyi's life in London and his struggles as he navigates his adolescence in a foreign environment.
WHAT HAPPENED, IN 50 WORDS:
"In hoofstuk 1 het Buyi 'n stryery by skool gehad met Jonathan; 'n leerkring was getuie wat trouble voorspel. Hy voel vreemd, vervreemd in sy eie stad, Londen. Thuis alleen, dink hy aan die dag se gebeurtenisse, sy ma se geheim en skool se dreigende straf - hy voel onrusstig."
FULL SUMMARY:
Daar is bloed op die vuiste van Buyi en op Jonathan se gesig na 'n stryery by die skool. Hoewel hy Jonathan verslaan het, is daar 'n onderwyser wat die stryd gesien het en Buyi voel 'n gevoel van naderende moeilikheid. Buyi verlaat die skool en begin deur die strate van Londen wandel, asem in die onruim koue van die stad. Hy voel buite plek, vreemd - selfs in die stad waar hy sy hele lewe gewoon het. Sy volle naam, Buyisiwe, voel nie soos syne nie - dit voel soos 'n naam vir 'n ander persoon, nie hy nie. Tydens sy wandeling begin dit reën en hy is genoodsaak om vinniger te loop. Hy bereik sy woonstel, waar niemand tuis is nie, en maak homself tuis; hy kyk televisie en maak 'n pizza vir homself. Maar selfs terwyl hy dit doen, dwaal sy gedagtes af na die gebeure van die dag, insluitende die negatiewe interaksie wat hy gehad het met Jonathan en die siniese, afstandelike houding van sy klasmaats. Hy dink ook terug aan 'n gesprek wat hy vroeër die dag met sy ma gehad het. Sy het hom vertel dat daar iets was wat hulle moes bespreek, maar het nie gesê wat nie. Die gevoel van onsekerheid en dreiging vul hom met vrees en ongemak. Hy kan nie help nie, hy voel 'n gevoel van moeilike tye wat voorlê. Buyi het reeds 'n benoue, ongemaklike gevoel oor sy plek in die wêreld. En nou, met sy ma se geheimsinnige gesprek en die straf wat onvermydelik by die skool wag, voel hy die spanning en onsekerheid ronddraai in sy maag. Die moeilikheid wat hy voel aan die broei, is nie iets wat hy maklik kan ontwyk nie.