Sunday's Best

Sparing her from beetroot stains before the traditional seven-colours lunch is Mogau Seshoene’s poignant example of the breadth of her father’s love

- Mogau Seshoene

Every Sunday of my life has revolved around “seven colours”, what we affectionately call Sunday lunch. We not only dress up for church, but we also dress up our plates, and all the colours come out – the yellow of butternut, the purple of beetroot, the orange-red of chakalaka, the green of creamed spinach, the brown of fried chicken and the white of rice. That’s one good-looking plate! The highlight of the day and something to look forward to as we try to stay awake during the two-hour sermon.

When we were children my sister, Mosa, and I would get up at the crack of dawn to get started on that afternoon’s lunch with my mom. My dad, Pastor Seshoene, was always awake before all of us and we would find him seated at the dining-room table, putting the last touches to the sermon he would deliver at Mankweng Baptist Church while we peeled the butternut, chopped the vegetables, and kneaded the dombolo before bathing and dressing for church in our Sunday outfits.