Home Still Love and Comfort

Home is home because it offers us things we don’t get outside, like love and comfort. Oops! Past tense. I should know. The primary school English teacher made us sing it: present, past and future tense, while she walked up and down with a cane.

The present reality is that love and comfort has relocated to the internet. That is why we don’t notice he hasn’t shaved and dyed his budding beard for three days, but know that Gorgeous Greg, an online fitness instructor is sporting a full beard this month. Love and comfort has relocated because issues have piled up. We are scared of disturbing people we live with. That’s why we send a text message, asking for permission to talk to the ‘better half ’ about things that concern the common roof. In fact, that half is a quarter now because of your Gorgeous Greg. He has his own online Sumptuous Susan.

Despite all that, home is still the only place where you exist, really exist. How? By your absence. Your family-mates hardly notice your presence because they are glued to their phones. They don’t notice you’ve cut your hair, or that you’ve been wearing Fani Willis ‘red’ the whole week. She is the Fulton County District Attorney, who wore red dresses every day during the trial camouflaged as an ‘evidentiary hearing.’

But how does my absence reinforce your claim that home is the only place that offers us love and comfort? Because, absence makes the heart grow fonder. That’s why some kids follow their mother to grandma’s place, even though she told them she’ll be gone for a few days. As for the father, he goes to speed dial.

“Lebo.”

“Yes mama.”

“Your husband is on the phone.”

Women in the room shake their heads. Men.

Nonqaba waka Msimang

Executive Blogger