6 Almost a year to the day Dominique had arrived at Spirit Moon, there was a knock on the cabin door late one afternoon Nzinga was cooking, Dominique had been lying on the sofa staring emptily at the clouds moving in the sky it was Amma standing before her, delighted to see her fucking hell, Dominique shouted, it was so good to see her, they collided in a hug I was so worried about you, Dom, one postcard when you arrived and that was it, you never answered my letters what letters? Dominique was about to say when Nzinga appeared behind her and asked why she'd invited this person to stay? she hadn't, Dominique answered, cringing, isn't it great Amma's here? Nzinga said nothing, returned to the kitchen, resumed cooking undeterred by Nzinga's rudeness, Amma marched into the main area of the open plan living room cum kitchen and inspected it as if expecting to see corpses hanging from the beams by meat hooks she flung her knapsack on the floor, threw herself on to the sofa, I'm parched, Dom, gimme a tonic water with ice and you can throw vodka in it as well, you know the drill Dominique had to explain the house was an alcohol-free zone, as she poured Amma water from the filtered jug since when, Amma asked (with her face) Nzinga created an atmosphere glutinous with tension as she silently prepared a thick, garlicky bean and mushroom stew which she served with wholemeal bread on the wooden dining table – a bench either side Nzinga looked down at her food as she ate, Dominique could tell Amma found the meal unpalatably bland, she'd asked for salt, there was none
by now Dominique was almost used to a salt and spice-free diet, the initial cravings had gone, her appetite had adjusted its expectations she asked her friend about everyone back home, eager to know the goss, careful not to show any affection for those she'd left behind, or regret at leaving them Amma volleyed back a few questions about life at Spirit Moon Dominique told her they work on the building site five days week, sometimes six, spend evenings back here, often exhausted, Nzinga cooks up a storm in the evenings, early nights usually, weekends they go shopping and for walks, they have a vegetable garden which needs tending, read books – by women, it goes without saying, preferably feminist, sometimes they see a film in town, walk out if it's offensive she wanted to add – it's a bit like you and I in our early theatre days, Amma, except we never left a show that offended us without heckling, she didn't say this, Nzinga would feel undermined, Dominique would be accused of elevating her bolshie history of heckling with Amma over their relatively passive cinema walk-outs Dominique answered Amma's questions, no, they didn't mix with the other women in the community, preferring not to get involved, and yes, life was quiet, how they liked it, it was perfect, that's what it was, perfect as she spoke, Dominique was embarrassed by how pathetic and puritanical her life sounded, how devoid it was of the happenings of back home, the never-ending dramas of relationships and the women's scene, the highs and lows of running a theatre company, the city itself, the politics, the demonstrations against Maggie Thatcher, protests against Clause 28, marches to Reclaim the Night, weekends spent at Greenham Common, their outlaw friends who were involved in 'lost' cheque-book scams, who lined their shopping bags with silver foil to avoid alarm detection in department stores, who jumped over ticket barriers at tube stations and jumped traffic lights as a rule it felt so long ago, so far away the year spent with Nzinga had been without regular updates to Amma, who would have questioned and challenged her on everything she was her sounding board, her truthsayer, her Number One supporter Nzinga only looked up when she'd finished eating, gonna hit the sack, she took the pottery bowl to the metal sink and before she reached it, hurled
it in with such force, it smashed and shards flew out she brushed past Amma as she stormed across the floor to the bedroom, Sojourner, you coming? who's Sojourner? Amma asked as Dominique leapt up Dominique didn't answer as she left the room it was seven p.m. the next morning Dominique found a chance to sit with her friend on the steps outside while Nzinga was in the shower she takes ten minutes, Dominique said, glancing nervously behind her, it's a ritual she won't forgo, even with you here Amma suggested they take a walk away from the madhouse, Dominique said the stoop would have to do otherwise Nzinga would get suspicious suspicious of what?