The village stationer was unusually busy this week, and reported a spike in demand for crayons, coloured pencils and water colours.
This had nothing to do with the start of a new school year, but a rather a sudden urge among the Mahogany Ridge regulars to get in touch with their creative sides -- especially after large amounts of tom had been doled out for paintings of the ANC leadership at a fundraising auction at the party's recent centenary gala event in Durban.
And not one of them with their bits hanging out either. Suck on that, Brett Murray.
True, many of the regulars first had to be convinced that what they were hearing was not a practical joke, that someone really did fork out R1.4-million for a painting featuring President Jacob Zuma, ANC deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa, treasurer-general Zweli Mkhize, chairperson Baleka Mbete, secretary-general Gwede Mantashe and, standing on a box (otherwise just the top of her head would be in the picture), deputy secretary-general Jessie Duarte. A similar painting, featuring the same six heavyweights, was knocked down for R1.3-million.
But ignore, if only for the moment, the outrageous prices. This was after all a fundraiser; at such times one really is overcome by a giddy recklessness, what with the buzzy narcissism and the philanthropic jizz squiffing through the pipes, and market-related propriety, shall we say, does tend to be left at home.
Consider instead the worrying notion that these paintings may actually be put out on display somewhere. I have not seen them, and have no idea what they look like, but there is no denying that they both feature a formidable assemblage of persons. Imagine all those eyes following you around the room. You'd want to hide the family silver if you were brave enough to hang one of them in your front parlour.