Banele (09 days)    00:10:13

Banele | Silence, Anxiety, Parental exhaustion

Banele is asleep on the couch. Mom is exhausted, falling asleep while sitting watching Banele and vaguely responding to the girls. Talking to Thando and Zanele about the baby. He starts to niggle. Mom is heating the milk in a cup, waiting for him to show that he needs it. She feeds him, largely while he sleeps - no eye contact and her face is expressionless. She is competent, checking how much he’s drunk. She winds him. The girls notice things about him in the background - he’s stretching… Later, in the drinking, Banele is more awake and is clutching at the bottle - pulling it towards him and into his mouth. There is a moment of mom talking to him softly, and a moment of smile, some expressions of concern, but otherwise almost no contact between the two.

People you will meet:

Thando Oldest Sister

Zanele Youngest Sister