A Dry White Season Page #18

Ben folds up the newspapers, and shakes his head. He

suddenly realizes why the people reacted like that outside.

(CONTINUED)

99.

CONTINUED:

SUZETTE:

You didn't stop to think of the family.

Poor mother, how can she face anyone?

And tomorrow is Sunday!

BEN:

Now listen...

Johan steps into the veranda.

JOHAN:

What's everybody yelling about?

SUZETTE:

You listen, Papa, just tell me, why?

Recognizing his father in the photo, Johan has picked up

the newspaper from the chair.

BEN:

Do you really think I specially

arranged for the photographers to

take that picture? And what's

more it's distorted.

SUZETTE:

What's distorted about it? Your

face is practically touching that

meid's face, like you were about

to kiss her.

BEN:

(disgruntled)

Suzette, pull yourself together!

SUZETTE:

Today the whole country has seen that

photograph. We, your children, are

going to suffer. At this very moment

Chris is negotiating with the Provincial

Council. Would you like to see them

cancel it? You have no feeling, Papa!

BEN:

(shocked)

Suzette!

She leaves in rage.

JOHAN:

(conciliating)

What's Papa done, anyway? If

something happened to him,

wouldn't you be upset?

(CONTINUED)

100.

CONTINUED:

SUSAN:

(standing up)

Not enough, Johan, to throw myself

into the garden boy's arms.

BEN:

That goes without saying.

JOHAN:

(trying to joke)

There must be easier ways of

getting your name in the paper.

Before she can stop herself, Susan slaps him across the

face, although not hard. Johan leaves without a word.

She clutches her hand, shocked at having it against him.

The PHONE starts to RING. Susan runs out sobbing.

Ben looks at her then walks into the living room to pick

up the phone.

INT. BEN'S LIVING ROOM -MORNING

BEN:

(into phone)

Who?... I don't know you and have

nothing to say to you... No thank

you for your advice!

He puts the phone down. The PHONE RINGS again. Ben picks

it up and waits.

BEN:

It's you, Viviers... I appreciate

it... of course... Not yet... Any

thank you. Tot siens.

He replaces the receiver and is about to light his pipe

when the PHONE RINGS again.

BEN:

Morning, Mr. Cloete... I'd like

to say...

(impatiently)

... Mr. Cloete, may I ask what on

earth has the picture to do with

politics?... I'm sorry Mr. Cloete,

I have to go.

He replaces the telephone and walks out of the house.

The PHONE KEEPS RINGING.

101.

EXT. BESTER'S FARM -COUNTRY -DAY

The farm is a typical transvaal farm covering thousands of

acres. In the distance there's a range of mountains.

Several cattle are grazing, herded by a poorly-clad African

and his son, aged 8 years.

Bester and Ben are leaning on the wooden fence of the

cattle kraal with calves penned in.

BESTER:

Everything was examined in depth

in court.

BEN:

Did you read the papers, Dominee?

Were you happy with what came to

light? And is it the Magistrate's

work to pretend that the facts

which came to light didn't exist?

BESTER:

Was it really facts, Ben?

Just then the African "HERDBOY" walks up to them taking

off his lattered greasy hat.

BESTER:

Ja? What is it Tom?

TOM (HERDBOY)

Does the Baas want me to bring the

bull now?

BESTER:

Later, Tom.

TOM (HERDBOY)

Dankie, Baas.

Tom hurries away.

BESTER:

I bought a bull last week.

BEN:

I know, Gordon. What they said about

him, that he was plotting against

the government --is a downright

lie. He was only doing what I

would have done as a father;

searching for his son.

BESTER:

No one but God can see what's in

our hearts.

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

102.

CONTINUED:

BESTER (CONT'D)

Isn't it presumptuous to pretend

we can speak for someone else?

BEN:

Have you no faith in your fellow

men, Dominee? Don't you love your

neighbor?

BESTER:

(confronting Ben)

Wait a minute, instead of

criticizing blindly, don't you

think we have reason to be proud

of the judiciary we have? suppose

this had been Russia; what do you

think would have happened then?

BEN:

What's the use of reaching a

court when a handful of people

have all the power to decide what

is going to be said in that court

and by whom? The one man they

allowed to speak for himself, that

young Archibald Chigorimbo, didn't

he immediately deny everything

they forced him to say in his

statement? And the girl who

spoke of her own torture?

CUSTOMER PAGE 99 MISSING

BEN:

That did not refer to our

situation in this South Africa.

Do you know what I believe in,

Dominee, that once in one's life,

just once, one should have enough

faith in something to risk

everything for it.

BESTER:

One can gain the world and still

lose one's soul. Tea must be

ready.

Bester and Ben walk towards the house still in

conversation.

103.

INT. DAN PIENAAR SCHOOL -MORNING

The staff is having coffee during morning break in the

staff room. The room has several easy chairs, a table with

the morning newspapers on it. The walls have pictures of

South African scenes.

There are several conversations in Afrikaans. This is the

first morning since the photograph.

Ben walks into the staff room. The conversations stop.

Everyone looks at him with hostility. The teachers all

place their cups on the table and quietly file out of

the room.

Ben pours himself a cup of coffee; as he takes his first

sip, Cloete looks in, sees him. He walks in.

CLOETE:

I hope you don't mind us talking

here.

BEN:

I don't mind, Mr. Cloete.

CLOETE:

I'll come to the point. You can't

imagine how shocked I was by that

scandalous photograph in the

Ossewa.

BEN:

The woman lost her husband, she

was shattered with grief.

CLOETE:

A Kaffir woman, Du Toit.

BEN:

(angrily)

I can't see that it makes any

difference.

CLOETE:

Have you gone color blind then?

And what about the apartheid laws?

Our first responsibility as

teachers is the reputation of the

school, the pupils entrusted to

us. We have to be an example to

them in and out of this school

yard.

Ben looks at him calmly.

(CONTINUED)

104.

CONTINUED:

CLOETE:

I thought I had warned you about

involving yourself with Kaffirs.

Obviously you didn't heed my

advice. That's all I have to say

for now.

Cloete walks out of the room.

Viviers hurries into the room, he is late for his

coffee.

VIVIERS:

'Morning, Oom Ben.

BEN:

(acknowledging

greeting)

Viviers.

VIVIERS:

(pouring coffee)

Private coffee with Cloete?

Ben picks up the copy of the Ossewa with the photograph

and shows it to Viviers.

EXT. MELANIE'S HOME -DAY

Ben stops the car in the Bruwer driveway. From the

driving seat he searches the garden for Bruwer.

He walks up to the front door and knocks, but there's no

reply. He goes 'round to the back and finds the old man

on his knees weeding his vegetable garden.

BEN:

Good afternoon, Professor.

BRUWER:

(looking up)

Melanie isn't home. You are...

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