A Dry White Season Page #16

She swears in Xhosa.

DE VILLIERS:

Were you ever detained?

GRACE:

Yes sir, at John Vorster Square.

DE VILLIERS:

For how long?

GRACE:

Six months.

DE VILLIERS:

Can you tell us what happened to

you during that time?

GRACE:

I was interrogated by many special

policemen, but mainly Captain Stolz

and the one they call Venter. As

they were searching somebody I

know, they wanted me to tell them

where that person was hidden. As

I refuse to cooperate they beat me

with a sjambok. After some time

I fell and they kicked me in the

face and stomach.

ON Ben obviously shocked.

(CONTINUED)

87.

CONTINUED:

GRACE:

I spot blood and they try to make

me lick it. Then Captain Stolz

threw a wet towel and started

twisting it around my neck...

(she illustrates)

... until I lost consciousness.

They did this several time and

the last one Captain Stolz said

'come on meid, speak up, or do

you want to die like Gordon

Ngubene?' A few days later I was

released.

ON Melanie taking notes.

DE VILLIERS:

Thank you, Miss Grace. That's

all, Your Worship.

LOUW:

(rising and looking

at Grace for some

seconds)

You made that up. Say you made it

up.

GRACE:

It's the truth. I have nothing

more to say.

Louw sits down.

MAGISTRATE:

We shall adjourn until tomorrow

morning. I'll hear the arguments

and give the verdict.

The crowd stands and starts to leave the courtroom.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. COURTROOM -MORNING (SECOND DAY)

A silent black crowd; Emily, Margaret, Stanley anxiously

awaiting the verdict. Today the public gallery is more

crowded than before.

MAGISTRATE:

I wish to thank both advocates for

conducting this case without

rancour and in the best traditions

of the South African legal

profession.

(CONTINUED)

88.

CONTINUED:

ON Ben's face. ON Dan Lewinson's face. ON Viljoen and

Stolz's faces.

MAGISTRATE:

I have listened to all the

evidence and the arguments. To

begin with I have to say that

there was no conclusive evidence

offered to prove beyond doubt that

members of the Security Police had

been guilty of assault or any

irregular conduct on the deceased.

There were indications that

Ngubene was aggressive and on more

than one occasion had to be

restrained with force. There was

sufficient evidence to conclude

that death had been caused by a

trauma following pressure applied

to the neck, consistent with

hanging. Consequently, I find

that Gordon Ngubene committed

suicide by hanging himself and

that on available evidence his

death cannot be attributed to any

act or omission or amounting to

a criminal offense on the part of

any person.

CUT TO:

Viljoen and Stolz smiling, shaking hands with Advocate

Louw in congratulations.

CUT TO:

INT. FOYER OF COURTROOM -DAY

The predominantly black crowd obviously dissatisfied with

the verdict, discussing it as it moves slowly towards the

main entrance.

In the crowd Stanley, Margaret and Emily controlled,

dignified but obviously pained.

CUT TO:

BEN:

totally depressed, walking up to Emily.

(CONTINUED)

89.

CONTINUED:

STANLEY:

(to Ben over noise

of the discussion)

Don't worry, man. There's another

day!

Ben leans towards Emily.

BEN:

I'm sorry, Emily.

Several press photographers are taking pictures ostensibly

of Emily the widow.

Stanley gently guides Emily out of the building.

Ben, who is following, is besieged by the insistent

reporters, shouting:

REPORTERS:

'Mister Du Toit, how do you know

Mrs. Ngubene?' 'Mister Du Toit, can

you answer, is it true, he was a

terrorist?'

Ben tries to get through.

REPORTERS:

Mister Du Toit, what do you think

of the verdict? Do you believe

the police?

Melanie appears, grabs Ben and pushes him away through

them.

REPORTER:

Hang on, Melanie, I'm coming with

you.

MELANIE:

(shouts back)

F*** off.

The press is still pursuing them.

As Ben and Melanie reach Melanie's car:

BEN:

My car is over there.

MELANIE:

(opening the car)

Never mind your car. Let's get

away from these vultures.

(CONTINUED)

90.

CONTINUED:

They get into the car and as they drive away, Melanie

introduces herself.

MELANIE:

By the way, I'm Melanie Bruwer.

BEN:

Obviously of the Rand Daily Mail.

I read your article about

Jonathan.

MELANIE:

Ten out of ten, Mr. Du Toit. I

know about you too.

BEN:

(uncomfortable)

You do?

Melanie smiles.

MELANIE:

We have a mutual friend. One

Stanley.

BEN:

I remember. The mortuary in

Soweto...

(pause)

... The ambiguous Stanley.

MELANIE:

Stanley? No. Just careful. A

big black rough uncut diamond.

Don't be fooled by his happy-golucky

attitude. There's much more

to him.

BEN:

He couldn't have given you a

glowing report of me.

(suddenly aggressive)

I'm sorry, but where are we going?

MELANIE:

I thought a cooling drink at my

house.

BEN:

(on the defensive)

Mrs. Bruwer, I'm not...

(CONTINUED)

91.

CONTINUED:

MELANIE:

(interrupts)

I promise you. I'm not after an

interview or anything like that.

She smiles.

BEN:

I really must go home.

MELANIE:

Please, Mr. Du Toit, and you'll

meet my darling father.

She smiles again. A disarming smile.

EXT. MELANIE'S HOME -DAY

Melanie drives into the yard. The house is an old

Colonial style house amidst flowers, bushes and trees, a

controlled wild garden.

A figure is bent over a beehive. A large brimmed old hat

with a net hides his head and features.

Melanie stops the car in the driveway.

MELANIE:

(pointing from the

car)

There he is by the eucalyptus

tree, on the left. That's old

Bruwer.

They get out of the car and walk towards him.

BEN:

How long have you lived here?

MELANIE:

Oh, about twenty-one years. I

love this house.

BRUWER:

(without looking up)

Is that you, Melanie?

MELANIE:

Of course, Dad. I want you to

meet a friend.

BRUWER:

Does anyone have a friend

nowadays?

(CONTINUED)

92.

CONTINUED:

He straightens up and throws the net over his head and

studies Ben. MR. BRUWER is seventy years old; an

interesting face with a goatee beard.

MELANIE:

Mr. Du toit, Dad.

BRUWER:

Do you like bees?

BEN:

(smiling)

I have nothing against them.

MELANIE:

(to Ben)

Be careful, I can see philosophy

coming.

BRUWER:

You shut up.

(to Ben)

Let me tell you about bees, and

for that matter ants: a bee has

a completely altruistic sense of

purpose --based on the common

good. A course from which he

cannot be deflected. Greed,

ambition, they mean nothing to

him. He lives solely to serve

his fellow bee.

MELANIE:

What about individuality, Dad?

BRUWER:

There's the rub, my girl. There's

the rub. One of these days I'll

ask the bees. I'm sure they have

the answer. Now, you two run

along!

He replaces his net and continues with the hive.

MELANIE:

A drink, Dad?

BRUWER:

I've been peeing too much this

morning.

(CONTINUED)

93.

CONTINUED:

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