This question is asking two different things, and without knowing exactly which scene the question is asking about, this answer will be partly based on conjecture. I believe that it is asking about events that occur in chapter 50, when Mark has a very important interaction with Stan Smith and his wife. Mark ends up telling Stan and his wife a lot about his life, and they are quite sympathetic. He even tells them of his dreams to attend and play tennis for an American college. The Smiths eventually leave, and readers are told that Mark felt encouraged that his luck was about to change because of this interaction. The book is an autobiography, so Mathabane doesn't veil his feelings from readers. He tells readers how he felt about the interaction. We also are told that he felt saddened by the interaction as well. By the end of the chapter, readers can see that good things are happening for Mark because of meeting Stan. Stan has taken him under his wing, and Stan has even agreed to pay for Mark's entrance into a couple of tennis tournaments. Other times that Mark's life was drastically affected by a single decision or interaction include when Mark's mother forced him to attend school. Another example would be when Mark decided to play in the tennis tournament despite the boycott.