A girl remembers how her mother preferred Zulu African servants because of their diligence and loyalty. She especially prefers the males because they do not get pregnant and did not “engage in unnecessary chatter.”  Among the servants, the girl and her sister liked John Mazaboko the most. He would tell them stories and taught them how to ride a bike. After the girl’s father died, their mother became very quiet and fired all of their servants, except for John.  The girl and her sister are sent to a boarding school and begin to see John only during holidays.  After many years, she comes home after marrying and living overseas with her husband. Her sister tells her that she is going to marry a surgeon. She says the man is an Afrikaner and that their mother disapproves of the match. Nonetheless, they have their wedding and their mother gives John to her sister. Fast-forwarding to another memory, the girl recalls a time when her sister tells her that she has trouble with her husband. He was short-tempered and she caught him embracing another man during a family dinner party. Her sister also discovers that her husband has been sexually abusing their son and his friend, and begs her sister to go to the lawyer because her husband follows her everywhere.  During another visit, the girl learns that her sister’s relationship with her husband had turned violent. Her sister leaves for Rome and Istanbul and has an affair with a Turkish man. Her husband finds out and tries to commit suicide. Her sister takes him to a hospital and after he recovers, and he continues to beat their children.  One day her sister was found struggling against her husband in their bedroom and calls John to help. To her dismay however, her husband orders John to pin her down, so he cant beat her and John listens.