The Colour Of Love

Thandie and Paul are in love but their parents’ beliefs have forced them to keep their relationship a secret.

THANDIE met Paul at university and they hit it off right away. What started as a beautiful friendship soon blossomed into a fairy-tale romance.

But it was not all plain sailing for the happy couple because the toughest battle they faced was their respective families.

Thandie came from a very strict, traditional Zulu family and she was terrified to tell them she was in love with a white boy. She knew her father was never going to accept their relationship, as he was struggling to forgive white people for all the injustices of the past.

Paul had an understanding mother but his father was very conservative and had difficulty accepting the changes in the country. He ruled his farm workers and his family like a dictator – things were always done his way.

For almost two years, the couple managed to keep their love hidden from their families – their friends were sworn to secrecy.

But at some point they realised their relationship was becoming more serious and it wasn’t going to be possible to conceal it for much longer.

On a sunny October day Thandie drove to KwaZulu-Natal determined to reveal all to her family and convince them Paul was a wonderful person. At the same time, Paul promised he’d speak to his mom and dad.

The entire extended family was waiting to welcome her home and, as a token of his love for his daughter, her dad had slaughtered a sheep. Everyone was in a jovial mood and Thandie faced a barrage of questions about life on campus. She waited anxiously but patiently until all the guests had gone home before confronting her dad.

“Baba, there’s something I need to tell you,” she announced with a deep breath.

“What is it, my child?”

“Mama and Baba, I’ve met someone at university and we love each other very much. We’ve been seeing each other for the past two years and we want to spend our lives together.”