Knitting needles

Ma'Sarah and Ma'Regina started a process yesterday that I assured them would fail; teaching me how to knit. "You can't just sit and do nothing." Ma'Sarah told me.
"I like doing nothing," I replied in defense, "and anyway it's hard work trying to follow your conversation. I have to listen hard."
Ma'Sarah raised her eyebrows. "Here," she passed me her knitting, "knit."
I looked at her blankly but grabbed the needles somewhere near their tops. Ma'Regina, sitting next to me, took the ends of the needles and guided them confidently in and through and around the wool. "No Ma, slow down you're going too fast I can't see what you're doing!"
Ma'Regina chuckled and kept going. I turned to Ma'Sarah for support, "Ma I can't see what I'm doing so I can't learn." Ma'Sarah joined in the chuckling but persuaded Ma'Regina to slow down so I could watch how our hands were moving. Ma'Regina pulled and directed the needles slowly and deliberately now, " 'yabona*?"
"Ewe Ma, yes Ma, I see."

As we continue our tandem knitting efforts, the Ma's start explaining about the garden situation they've got going on. A group from the city (local government) came to visit last week, and wanted them to fill in a form so that they could receive equipment and soil and seedlings. "But we can't just go filling in forms you know," Ma'Sarah started.
"Yes," Ma'MP continued, "because we are under EWC* and we can't sign for other things even if we want to."
"So what did you tell the people from the city?" I asked.
"No we told them they had to speak to management, that they must make an agreement you know."
"Ya no I know, I see. but did they understand?"
A few head shakes. "I don't know. You see they wanted us to fill in the form and we said yes we want your support but we can't fill in the form." Ma'MP sighed. "I hope they speak to management."

I hope they speak to management too. The Ma's want the city's support, they want the resources they offer, but the politics of their relationship with EWC dictate that they can't ask for it, nor can they accept it. It has to be asked for and accepted on their behalf...

"Huh-aaaah!" Ma'Sarah interrupts my thoughts. "You are taking too long." She takes her needles back from Ma'Regina and me. She turns to me, "Next week you bring your own needles and wool ok?"
"Ma," I start telling her that knitting really is not part of my capability-set but she doesn't let me finish.
"Ok?" she asks again.
"Yes Ma, ok." I agree. I'm going to have to go and dig in my mom's sewing cupboard this weekend, but the politics of my relationships with my Ma's dictate that I can't refuse their insistence to teach me, I must accept their offers of help. I smile as I write this because I don't mind those politics, not one bit.

* Uyabona: You see?
* The NGO whose land they use and whose (sometimes limited and erratic) support they rely on