A Dry White Season Page #17

MELANIE:

(as they walk toward

the house)

That's my Daddy.

Melanie and Ben enter the house.

INT. MELANIE'S LIVING ROOM -DAY

The Bruwer living room is a profusion of piles of papers,

of books on shelves, on tables, on the floor, paintings

--records, African sculptures.

On the floor tangled lengths of flex leading from a

record player to two voluminous speakers.

A settee, a chess set. The furniture is old and well-

used, dominated by a large leather club chair --two

big cats sleeping on it. It's civilized pandemonium.

MELANIE:

(gesturing to the

room)

Now you see in what environment I

was spawned.

Ben looks at the shelves and smiles.

MELANIE:

Please sit down, on that chair.

(pointing to club

chair)

That's Dad's. Drink?

BEN:

Please. A...

MELANIE:

(interrupts, mischievous)

A brandy?

BEN:

(looking at her

surprised, then

smiling)

No thanks, a beer will be fine.

Melanie goes into the kitchen leaving Ben. He cannot

forget what he heard and what he saw in the court!

She returns barefooted, with two beer mugs, and hands one

to Ben.

(CONTINUED)

94.

CONTINUED:

MELANIE:

The mugs are the few things that

Dad brought from Germany. He

studied philosophy in Tubingen

and Berlin before the last war.

BEN:

I thought they were German?

Melanie sits, her legs propped up on the settee, hugging

her knees.

MELANIE:

Mr. Du Toit, tell...

BEN:

(interrupts)

Please, call me Ben.

MELANIE:

All right, Ben, tell me, why are

you so depressed? You really

expect a different verdict?

BEN:

(disgruntled)

Why do you ask? Can you understand

it?

MELANIE:

Of course I understand it. What

could they have. I'm not cynical.

I'm only trying to be realistic.

BEN:

Tell me, Miss Bruwer...

MELANIE:

Ben and Melanie, that's fair.

BEN:

Tell me, do you believe in the

notion of justice?

MELANIE:

(lighting a cigarette)

I'll never stop believing. But in

this country I've learned it's

pointless to look for it in

certain situations.

BEN:

What use is a system if justice

does not apply to all situations?

(CONTINUED)

95.

CONTINUED:

MELANIE:

Exactly. And you cannot fight

for justice unless you know

injustice very well. You've got

to know your enemy first.

BEN:

That's a tall order: 'know

injustice... know the enemy.'

it seems I have a long haul

ahead of me.

MELANIE:

Not at all, Ben. You have already

taken the first steps.

(pause)

Welcome to South Africa!

She smiles.

INT. BEN'S BEDROOM -NIGHT

Susan is sitting at the dressing table. She is applying

cleansing cream to her face. She is relaxed. Ben is

getting ready for bed.

SUSAN:

Did you enjoy the 'bobotie?' When

I heard the verdict on the news I

knew you'd be upset.

(softer)

I wanted to make you something

special.

BEN:

(thoughtful)

Thank you, darling.

A pause. Susan starts to remove the cream.

SUSAN:

I'm glad it's all over. You take

things to heart too much.

Ben comes and stands behind Susan --looking at her through

the mirror.

BEN:

(trying to keep control

of himself)

They killed Gordon --first they

kill Jonathan, and then him. How

can they get away with it?

(CONTINUED)

96.

CONTINUED:

SUSAN:

(soothingly)

Now come on, Ben. Gordon's death

upset me, too. But the Magistrate

had all the facts. He must know

what he's doing, he's had years of

experience. The case has run its

course, and nobody can do anything

more about it! It's all over and

done with.

BEN:

(looking at her)

I'm not so sure about that, Susan!

Susan swivels around and faces Ben.

SUSAN:

I'm damned well sure! It's over,

Ben! You better get that into

your head.

Ben just stares at her with seething anger. She stands up

and starts being hysterical.

SUSAN:

A teacher, always a bloody teacher.

You never moved yourself for us.

But for the blacks, oh yes. Whose

side are you on, Ben? And I'm sick

and tired of those natives coming

here. Why don't you bloody well

go and live in Soweto?

Ben strides out of the room.

SUSAN:

(following and shouting)

Now where are you going?

BEN:

(without looking)

Soweto!

Then shuts the door behind him.

Susan stands stupefied. There's the sound of the SPARE

ROOM DOOR.

INT. SPARE ROOM -NIGHT

Ben is standing in the middle of the room, in the dark.

On the wall behind him is a young Suzette's picture.

(CONTINUED)

97.

CONTINUED:

After a few seconds, Ben moves slowly to the bed and sits

on it still in deep thought.

SLOW MOVE TO a:

CLOSEUP ON BEN:

And:

FADE OUT.

FADE IN:

INT. NEWSPAPER AND CONFECTIONARY SHOP -MORNING

It's a Saturday morning.

A shopping center in a white suburb. Ben goes into a

newspaper shop.

There are two children buying sweets and a woman leaving.

The PROPRIETOR is an Afrikaner in his middle age.

BEN:

More meneer Van de Merwe.

(Morning Mister Van de Merwe.)

PROPRIETOR:

(in offhand manner)

More meneer du Toit.

BEN:

Our boys gave the Eastern province

a thrashing.

PROPRIETOR:

Yes.

Ben realizes that the man is not his usual conversational

self.

BEN:

Is anything wrong?

PROPRIETOR:

No.

Ben goes to pick up an Afrikaans newspaper and the Rand

Daily Mail.

BEN:

(walking up to counter)

And a packet of tobacco and pipe

cleaners.

The man gets them and takes a note from Ben and gives him

his change. By then a man is waiting.

(CONTINUED)

98.

CONTINUED:

BEN:

See you tomorrow.

As he walks out the other man turns around to watch him.

EXT. STREET -MORNING

Ben walks out of the shop. The newspaper under his arm.

A group of three middle-aged women turn to look at him.

Ben didn't see them. A little further on, he meets Mrs.

Coetzee. He tries to greet her but she walks straight by.

Further on, he notices two men obviously talking about

him. Then a couple of boys on bikes snigger as they

pass him. He begins to wonder what's it all about, and

spontaneously checks his clothes.

EXT. BEN'S HOUSE -VERANDA -MORNING

Susan and Suzette sit there. Suzette's holding a newspaper

--the Ossewa --Susan's thoughtful, her face is red

and discomposed --obviously she had cried. The PHONE

RINGS but they deliberately ignore it.

Ben appears with the newspapers under his arm, sees

Suzette's sports car and hurries to join them.

Suzette doesn't even give him a chance to kiss her.

SUZETTE:

(jumping up and showing

the cover of Ossewa)

Now, Papa, this is going too

far! How could you?

BEN:

(surprised)

How's that, Suzette?

Ben takes the newspaper and looks at the cover. A picture

of himself and Emily outside the courtroom. The two faces

are close together with the notes:

"EMILY NGUBENE, wife of native who

died in detention, comforted by a

friend of family, Mr. BEN DU TOIT."

And in parenthesis "see page two."

He throws the Ossewa on a chair and checks into the Rand

Daily Mail. Inside there is a long article with Emily's

picture, titled "the Face of Grief."

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