Before Fezile and Qondi, before Thandeka and Sbusiso and way before Shaka and Mmabatho there was Tau and Karabo of Generations fame. This was the power couple of the noughties, the black couple goals of South African television. Only Romeo and Juliet pre-date the celebrated duo of Tau and Karabo. But that was then, and this is now, when Hector and Harriet are on two completely different sides. Or are they?
Harriet and Hector choose peace
After Hector and Thando Sebata (real names Rapulana Seiphemo and Jessica Nkosi respectively) led a dawn assault on the Khoza mansion, Hector and Harriet, two enemies, alone in the master bedroom, connected on an emotional level, the result of their shared loss. Harriet, who buried Kea this time last year, could relate to Hector’s loss of a child.
Thando, who had the Khozas seated at her mercy, in the battle damaged living room was horrified to hear Hector giving the order to leave without any further casualty.
Harriet and Hector later met to agree on keeping the peace, kagiso. But both family heads still had a lot of work to do. Because on the Sebata side, Thando was still plotting war and, at the Khoza mansion, Brutus only wanted to hear of one type of kagiso, and that is his nephew.
Opposition to peace treaty
Hector suffered abuse at the hands of his daughter Thando. Not only did she call him weak but she pulled her gun on him for letting down her murdered sister. But Hector insisted that a further death in the Khoza family would have tipped the well balanced scales. Both families had lost one daughter so it was a tie.
Harriet too faced opposition. While she was smoking the peace pipe with Hector at Noma’s, Brutus, Kagiso and Shaka descended on the Sebata home with guns out and bulletproof vests on. But Thando had anticipated their attack so there was a standoff. Hector and Harriet arrived on the scene. Hector drew his weapon and backed his daughter and her security guards while Harriet stood in the middle, appealing for peace. In the end, Harriet got through to Kagiso – the one she named after peace – who was first to lower his weapon. Shaka followed his brother’s example and Brutus grudgingly lowered his pistol too. The Khoza men left, leaving Harriet and Hector alone in the Sebata driveway. There was still a level of mistrust as Hector believed Harriet had summoned him to a peace meeting just to distract him while Brutus and company attacked.
Thando looks like she has accepted Hector’s decision. She even apologised to him and Sis Pat for her verbal tirade.
Goodness seeks safety
Harriet and Goodness were singing from the same hymn sheet. Both women want peace, Kagiso and actual peace. But Goodness believes that she can only find peace elsewhere. The Sebata armed assault was the second time that bullets had whizzed through the air with her child in the house. Goodness wanted an immediate return to the peace and birdsong of Port Alfred. But Kagiso still fears for his family’s safety and does not want to return to the Eastern Cape. Furthermore, he confessed to Harriet that Port Alfred wasn’t all he had expected. Apart from quarrelling with Goodness, Kagiso also said his pilot job “sucked.” Perhaps he misses the danger of drug dealing. Knowing that Kagiso did not want to go back to the Eastern Cape, Harriet secured a court order barring Goodness from taking Mvelo away. Harriet would be high on drugs, like a young Karabo Moroka, if she thinks Goodness will take this lying down.
Tau and Karabo reloaded
When Rapulana Seiphemo joined the cast of The Queen in season five, the Tau and Karabo jokes circulated on social media. But nobody expected this to be more than humour. It seemed way too obvious. Also, Connie Ferguson is known for avoiding romance scenes in her most recent shows, Rockville and The Queen. Harriet’s husband, Mzi Khoza was killed off in episode one and she later had a brief relationship with the deep voiced Zack Phiri (real name Mpumi Mpama) with whom there was no on-screen shenanigans. Harriet has been celibate for five seasons of The Queen and Hector barely touches Vuyiswa, which suggests that both Ferguson and Seiphemo don’t do intimate scenes. But things were about to change.
After the standoff at the Sebata home, Harriet again summoned Hector for another sit down. They shared a drink and recommitted themselves to preserving the peace between their families. During the meeting, Hector apologized for the pain he had caused – which was his admission of killing Kea. Harriet got up from her chair to see him off. But when the two locked eyes, Hector leaned in. Harriet did not recoil. He kissed her and she kissed him back. Seconds later, Harriet pulled away but it was evident that the kiss had affected her as much as it had affected me!
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It looked like there would be no Tau and Karabo but Hector and Harriet agreed to meet. It was clear from their racing breathing rate that this was no rendezvous to swap baking recipes. But Vuyiswa arrived home – damn you Sis Vee – leaving Harriet waiting for a man who would never come.
Bring on Tau and Karabo
I like where this is going, but not because I, and the rest of the so-called Sarafina generation, am still stuck on Tau and Karabo but because it was a little unrealistic that Harriet should go for five years without a love interest. She is after all an attractive woman who, in reality, would have many admirers. Every Queen needs a King. Thank goodness the storyliners have created this unexpected trajectory for the Harriet character.
Till next week, my pen is capped
Connect with the writer on Twitter @RewindMzansi