Beauty's Gift Summary

Beauty's Gift Summary

We open at the wake of one of the friends from the friend pact called the FFF, or Five Firm Friends, where the remaining four friends struggle to accept the dying wish of the final friend named Beauty. Beauty's departing word was simply "Ukhule!" meaning "Live long!" This challenge poses a threat to the four friends, because Beauty died from HIV which she contracted from her own husband. The threat of HIV in their community is real, and some of the four friends have good reason to suspect that their husbands are already unfaithful.

With that premise in mind, the women each deliberate over the challenge to confront their husbands and demand that they test themselves for HIV. The women are named Cordelia, Amanda, Doris and Edith.

Cordelia warns the women of the dangers of men and their wayward tendencies. She confronts her husband Vuyo and demands he be tested, but instead he attacks her and leaves her.

Amanda's situation is also tense. Her decision was to make her husband use condoms unless and until he decides to be tested. This time, it isn't him who leaves her, but rather, she determines in the aftermath of the confrontation that she herself must leave. She resolves to abscond from the marriage.

For Doris and her fiancé Selby, the test shouldn't be a big deal, since it's a prerequisite for their bond application. But even without the added strain of confrontation, Doris still notices Selby's paranoia around the issue, leading her to believe he was worried about the test results.

Edith doesn't have the same luck. When she realizes that she is trapped in an abusive relationship, her husband Luvo rapes her.

In the aftermath of these catastrophic, eye-opening dramas, the four women realize that they are trapped in a culture designed to keep them endangered, and if they are serious about survival, the odds are severely stacked against them. They hope to see their children grow up.

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