We fight / we love

My son Khanya has this nursery school friend named Trevor. Trevor's dad (a rather grumpy guy) doesn't like Khanya because Khanya happened to give Trevor a temporary tattoo of tooth marks last year during a fight. Khanya walked away with a few scratches too.

Anyway… Trevor happens to be the friend Khanya speaks about prominently. Yesterday something incredible happened. I took Khanya for walk to the local park and he spotted Trevor from a distance. With the greatest joy on his face, he ran towards Trevor (and his dad), calling out Trevor's name with his arms stretched wide. Both boys embraced, in the sweetest moment I've ever seen.

I haven’t mentioned that Trevor is white. The reaction of the boys to each other wasn't a sweet moment because of rainbow nation vibes. It was a sweet moment because IT JUST WAS. It is human nature to fight and it is human nature to hate, as much as it is human nature to love.

We fight even though we really love each other. A lot of times we co-exist because we need each other. And sometimes we embrace coz we want each other.... and even procreate.

It was the sweetest moment watching Khanya and Trevor embrace because in Khanya and Trevor's eyes it was the most natural thing to do.

Our great-grand parents would have never thought there'd be a time when it was okay to have a conversation with someone outside your racial 'line', nevermind embrace in public.

It's not a rainbow nation moment. It just is.

*The title of this blog was borrowed from one of my favourite Q Tip songs featuring Raphael Saaadiq http://vimeo.com/30988772