An Amended Extract from Jenita (novel)

Art classes were an oasis in the political dust storm for Jenita. Sunil spoke to her a lot more now, and she was less nervous in his presence. They were painting portraits as their next project. Jenita had asked Sunil permission to paint his portrait, and since he had agreed, she used an enlarged photograph of his to copy from.

'Very life-like, I must say, Jenita!' he said with a smile.

'Didn't I tell you, a character must breathe when you look at a painting, and if you reach out and touch it, you should feel the warmth of the skin?' she teased.

Suddenly, the chanting of a multitude of students thundered in the corridor.

'AMANDLA!'

'NGAWETHU!' came the booming reply.

'Boycotts have reached here sooner than I thought!' Sunil said.

'Ja!' Jenita said. The sound of the protests died away as the students headed for the next faculty.

Jenita resumed painting. She would leave the eyes for last. Eyes full of life, that danced like little lakes. She washed her brushes quickly as the others had left already. Students burst into the room, wildly dashing for cover under the desks. Pursuing feet could be heard close behind. Riot police!

'Jenita!' Sunil grabbed her hand and pulled her into the stockroom and shut the door. They could hear the screams of those who were still in the corridors as the riot police beat them with sjamboks and batons. Jenita felt sick as she relived the episode of a riot policeman hitting a pregnant student over the head.

'You okay?' Sunil went over to her. She nodded weakly. 'Here, put my jacket around you,' he offered. 'Tear gas! Tear gas!' students shouted and fled, panic-stricken.

'Sunil!' Jenita cried, grabbing his arm.

'It's okay! It's okay!' Sunil said, trying to comfort her. He felt her fingers dig into his arm as she closed her eyes in terror. 'The riot police are just thugs who've been trained to be brutal and inhuman!' she said angrily.

'They're smoking the students out of the lecture halls to beat them up!'

'Ja, they're not justified, because it was a peaceful demonstration,' Jenita said.

Love and God bless

Roshni Reddy