Themba - The Suit By Can

The lover flees through the window, leaving behind his expensive, tailor-made brown suit.

Instead of beating his wife or throwing the lover’s clothes away, Philemon devises a uniquely sadistic punishment. He forces Matilda to treat that suit as a living guest. She must set a place for it at the dinner table. She must talk to it. She must take it for walks. She must pour tea for it. the suit by can themba

For weeks, this silent, stuffed piece of fabric sits at the center of their home—a ghost of betrayal that Philemon refuses to exorcise. What makes The Suit so masterful is Themba’s use of the mundane. The suit isn’t violent. It doesn’t scream or bleed. It just sits there. But that silent presence drives Matilda from a vibrant, singing woman into a shuffling, broken shell. The lover flees through the window, leaving behind

Themba writes about the shebeens, the jazz, and the close-knit neighbors. But the shadow of the impending forced removals looms large. Just as Philemon tries to control his wife by controlling the space of his home, the Apartheid government tried to control black bodies by bulldozing their homes. The personal tyranny of Philemon mirrors the political tyranny of the state. The story builds to a tragic crescendo. Matilda finally begs Philemon to end the charade. Relenting, he throws the suit out the window. She must set a place for it at the dinner table

Relieved, Matilda dresses up beautifully to go to a jazz concert with her husband—a desperate attempt to reclaim their love. But the damage is done. At the concert, she collapses and dies.

If you haven’t read it, find a copy today. Pour a cup of tea. But maybe don’t set an extra place at the table.