A Dry White Season Page #10

joints and the back of his knees. The door opens.

Gordon has a look of terror on his face.

CAPTAIN STOLZ (O.S.)

Sorry I'm late.

Captain Stolz enters carrying a thickish file under his

arms, goes straight to the desk and sits down.

CAPTAIN STOLZ:

Johnannes, the table.

Johannes moves the table in line with the desk.

Lieutenant Venter and Johannes lift the trussed Gordon

and the ends of the rod between the desk and table.

(CONTINUED)

51.

CONTINUED:

LIEUTENANT VENTER

You're a heavy shitface. Too much

mealie porridge!

Captain Stolz holds Gordon by the head and swings him like

a pendulum.

STOLZ:

How do you feel today? Ready to

fly?

Very calmly Captain Stolz pulls out some papers from the

file.

STOLZ:

(pointing one sheet

of paper)

Yes, Mister Ngubene, we know about

this Wellington... and...

(pointing another

affidavit)

... We know about him... and him

... Now, we want the names of the

others. And today you're going

to tell us.

The WOMAN in the next room SHOUTING louder than before -that

one is a real and tough activist -

STOLZ:

(to himself)

Bloody woman.

(to Johannes)

Water!

As Johannes is fetching the bucket of water. Venter goes

to the cupboard and stays there.

LIEUTENANT VENTER

'Samson' is ready, Captain, shall

I switch him on?

Johannes empties the bucket over Gordon. Stolz attaches

the terminal to Gordon's earlobes.

STOLZ:

(to Venter)

Okay. Gert!

Gordon is given a short burst of electric shock.

GORDON:

(reacts)

Hai!

(CONTINUED)

52.

CONTINUED:

STOLZ:

That was a small taste of 'Samson.'

We have a whole day...

A knock at the door.

STOLZ:

... Kom!

A black policeman in uniform. JOHNSON SEROKE, enters

with a letter in his hand.

STOLZ:

What do you want?

SEROKE:

A letter for you, Captain.

Stolz goes to take the letter and turns to place it on

his desk. He notices Seroke still standing.

STOLZ:

What are you bloody-well waiting

for?

SEROKE:

No reply, Captain?

STOLZ:

Get out of here.

Seroke leaves.

STOLZ:

(to Gordon)

Now about these affidavits who

told you to collect them? The

A.N.C.? Who recruited you?

Gordon mumbles something.

STOLZ:

What?

He bends forward to hear, and Gordon's swollen, puffy

eyes hold his gaze.

GORDON:

I don't know anything about the

A.N.C.

STOLZ:

You've had your chance. Now

you're going to sh*t.

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

53.

CONTINUED:

STOLZ (CONT'D)

(to lieutenant in

Afrikaans)

Reg gert. (Okay, Gert)

Gordon suddenly shakes violently and shouts repeatedly.

GORDON:

Hai! Hai! Hai!

INT. DUTCH REFORM CHURCH -MORNING

Dominee Bester is preaching from the pulpit.

BESTER:

God created the whole human race

so that they could occupy the

entire earth. He decreed how

long each nation should flourish,

and what the boundaries of each

territory should be. Our task is

to preserve that creative diversity.

Behind him, in his deacon's black tails, Ben listens with

clasped hands. On the opposite side, another man is listening,

standing in the love of his family, Cloete.

BESTER:

Brothers and sisters, like our

forebears, the Voortrekkers, who

trekked into the wilderness

preserve the Afrikanere way of

life given to them by God. Today,

we also live in times of great

danger. Let not fear overcome

you! Cling to the ways of justice

and truth preserved by our leaders.

So shall God be honored...

BEN'S POV

The faces of his friends scattered among the pews, Suzette

and Susan listening intently, Johan beside her visibly

bored, his eyes wandering to the Cloete's daughter at

the end of the pew.

BESTER:

... So shall the Afrikaner people

flourish.

The organ plays the opening notes to a hymn, the congregation

rises and sings.

54.

INT. BEN'S GARAGE -DAY

Ben's garage/workshop --the door is open. Ben and Johan

are together building a strong desk for Johan.

The RADIO offers MUSIC to keep them company. Susan is

confronting Ben.

SUSAN:

Why didn't you tell me you'd been

down to John Vorster Square?

BEN:

What difference would it have

made?

SUSAN:

I'm your wife, damn it!

She turns the RADIO DOWN, irritably.

BEN:

I didn't want to upset you.

SUSAN:

Upset me? It upsets me when you

share your bloody secrets with a

child!

Johan is embarrassed. Ben glances at him. Johan shrugs

and shakes his head "not me." Ben planes on.

SUSAN:

Ben! Ben! Look at me for God

sakes!

(turns to Johan)

Johan uit met jou!

Johan leaves.

BEN:

(posing down the

plane)

Now what?

SUSAN:

We have a good life. We may not

have everything we might have had

if...

BEN:

(interrupts)

... If I'd been more ambitious.

(CONTINUED)

55.

CONTINUED:

SUSAN:

(looking at him)

Ben, what's happening?

(pause)

Sometimes it seems to me I don't

know you.

Ben looks at her. Her tone is panic, urgent. She looks

afraid. He crosses over to her, takes her in his arms.

BEN:

What's happening --it's something

I've never had to face --deal

with --before.

SUSAN:

He's the gardener for God's sake,

not one of the family.

BEN:

Be patient with me... When Gordon

is free you'll have me all to

yourself again... promise.

SUSAN:

(nuzzling into his

chest)

Ben. We're growing old.

BEN:

Nonsense. One's as old as he

feels. I feel young and very

attractive. I can still do my

duty.

She smiles up at him, chuckles, and then they kiss.

Johan interrupts.

JOHAN:

Papa.

SUSAN:

(smiling indulgently at

Johan's interruption)

JOHAN:

Stanley's here, Papa.

Johan leaves.

SUSAN:

Oh, bloody hell!

(CONTINUED)

56.

CONTINUED:

Susan exclaims in angry frustration and flees.

Stanley appears at the garage door. He stands.

STANLEY:

Gordon's dead.

BEN:

What?

The news leaves Ben speechless. Stanley continues in

flat, emotionless tones.

STANLEY:

The bastards say he committed

suicide... hanged himself.

Ben, recovering from the shock.

BEN:

Suicide... is that what they told

Emily --poor woman...

STANLEY:

They didn't tell her. She heard

it on the radio like the rest of

us. I contacted Lewinson

immediately. He then rung the

police to ask why Emily wasn't

informed. Would you believe it,

they said they were sorry, and they

didn't know where to contact her.

Ben walks slowly out of the garage in deep thoughts -

Stanley follows him.

EXT. GARAGE -DAY

BEN:

(almost to himself)

God! I never thought Gordon could

commit suicide.

STANLEY:

Did you understand me? I said,

they said he committed suicide.

BEN:

How do we know?

STANLEY:

Gordon wasn't a coward.

(CONTINUED)

57.

CONTINUED:

BEN:

Yes, but...

STANLEY:

(interrupts aggressively)

What do you mean 'but'? What

about Timol who they said had

jumped from a top-floor window?

What about Ngudle? What about

Mosala? Joyi? Malele? They all

died in that John Vorster Square.

All suicide, eh?

Ben stares at him. There is something like a strange

silence between them. Ben is confused and Stanley is

staring at him. Ben breaks this embarrassing mood.

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