A Dry White Season Page #7

The boy throws his arms around his dad's neck.

JOHAN:

Oh, Papa!

Susan appears at the door with a cup of coffee. She's

had a bath --her hair is wet --and she's in her

housecoat.

Ben and Johan don't notice her approach.

She watches sympathetically for a moment, then...

SUSAN:

Coffee! Come on, Johan. Time for

bed.

Johan pulls back from his father's arms.

BEN:

Yes, son. Go and get some sleep.

The boy nods and leaves.

As Susan rests the cup of coffee on the desk before Ben.

She notices the Rand Daily Mail.

SUSAN:

I'm proud of you, Ben... what

you've done for that family. But

darling, you shouldn't take these

things to heart so much. What

more can you do about it?

BEN:

I don't know. I'm just tired, I

suppose.

SUSAN:

(stroking his hair

gently)

Come, come to bed.

Her housecoat has fallen open. He lifts his face to hers

and kisses her.

BEN:

I will, in a minute. I'll just put

the thoughts of Standar Six away.

They mustn't be lost to posterity.

(CONTINUED)

33.

CONTINUED:

She chuckles, satisfied, leaving him.

He picks up his cup and drinks. He thinks again for a

moment. Then he removes a photocopied letter from an

envelope and reads:

OFFICE VOICE (V.O.)

'... Seeking the whereabouts of a

certain Jonathan Ngubene, regret to

inform you we have no record of

anyone of that name...'

INT. CLASSROOM -DAY

Afrikaan boys in uniform hunching over their desks

writing... On the blackboard: the date and history test:

What year did the first white man arrive in South

Africa?

When was the Battle of Blood River?

Who was the Zulu chief who was defeated at the battle

of Isanadlawana?

Who was the president of the first Afrikander

Republic?

Give the route of the Voortrekkers from the cape?

Ben walks through the aisles and from time to time opportunities

to glance at the window at Gordon's motionless

tractor sitting in the field.

He turns back and notices a boy focusing on the ceiling.

His pen in his mouth, trying desperately to find the

answers. Ben has a smile, then crosses to him, bends down

and strikes a similar pose.

The class breaks up into laughter.

BEN:

(slapping the student's

back)

All right, time up! Hand in your

test.

Moans from the students.

EXT. DAN PIENAAR SCHOOL -VERANDA -DAY

Ben appears on the other side of the veranda. He is in

Cloete's company --the little big man... grey hair...

65 years old. The headmaster.

They stop in before Ben's colleague, Vivier, passing,

shakes hands with him. A woman arrives and waits. Cloete

says something to Ben, then laughs.

(CONTINUED)

34.

CONTINUED:

Ben smiles and Cloete goes into the office.

The woman approaches Ben... talks to him... they both turn

back to see...

... Emily standing there, a soaking headscarf tied native-

style around her head.

Ben thanks the woman and crosses the yard.

BEN:

What's happened, Emily?

EMILY:

(calmly)

I'm sorry, Baas... but it's

Gordon.

EXT. DAN PIENAAR SCHOOL -DAY

... Stanley is waiting in his car. His sunglasses on his

nose...

... The SCHOOL BELL RINGS to give the end of the tea interval.

Ben walks out with Emily to Stanley's car. Stanley

gets out, they stare at each other. Finally Stanley

breaks the silence.

STANLEY:

(putting out his hand)

How's it? I'm Stanley! I heard

about you!

Ben feels a little uncomfortable.

EMILY:

This is Stanley Makhaya... He

helps us all the time.

Stanley opens the door to Emily.

BEN:

Don't worry too much, Emily, I'm

sure Gordon will be home in a few

days.

Stanley slaps the door with a big laugh. He gets into the

car and drives away.

CLOSE ON BEN:

perplexed.

35.

INT. INTERROGATION ROOM -JOHN VORSTER SQUARE -DAY

Gordon stands facing the wall, his arm raised. He has

wetted his trousers.

Captain Stolz is pacing behind him. Lieutenant Venter,

sitting on the edge of the desk, is smoking.

STOLZ:

Come on, Kaffir, talk!

GORDON:

Please, I've done nothing. All I

tried to do was to find...

Stolz interrupts him with a blow to his face. As Gordon

drops his hands, the officer shouts to him.

LIEUTENANT VENTER

Up with those bloody arms!

STOLZ:

We don't like gramophone records

here! Now who has been giving

you informations?

Gordon doesn't answer.

The Lieutenant walks slowly to him, calmly removes his

fag-end of cigarette from his lips and stubs it on

Gordon's neck.

LIEUTENANT VENTER

(very calmly)

Why don't you answer the Captain,

han?

He walks back to his place.

Captain Stolz opens the door and shouts:

STOLZ:

Johannes! The bag!

Gordon has a look of terror.

Immediately a black security policeman walks in with a

bag.

STOLZ:

All right.

Johannes goes to wet the bag in a bucket in a corner.

Lieutenant Venter grabs Gordon, throws him onto a chair

and handcuffs his hands behind the chair.

(CONTINUED)

36.

CONTINUED:

Stolz is supervising.

The Lieutenant places the wet bag over Gordon's head and

ties it.

Gordon starts groaning and wriggling.

CUT TO:

INT. POLICE HEADQUARTERS (JOHN VORSTER SQUARE) -DAY

Under the gaze of a uniformed POLICEMAN in a bulletproof

glass cage, Ben fills in a slip, then hands it to the

Policeman, who then makes a phone call.

Whilst waiting, Ben notices a video surveillance camera.

Just then, a 20-year-old African girl, Afro-style hair,

is brought in held on both sides by two white policemen.

She is taken into a lift.

Ben watches them enter the lift and follows the progress

of lift to the 10th floor.

The Policeman stamps the slip and gives it to Ben.

POLICEMAN:

Somebody will meet you on second

floor.

Ben enters a lift.

INT. INTERROGATION ROOM (JOHN VORSTER SQUARE) -DAY

Gordon's still sitting on the chair, slumped --Johannes

removes the handcuffs as the Lieutenant removes the wet

bag.

Gordon is breathing heavily and semi-conscious.

Suddenly Captain Stolz punches him heavily on the face.

Gordon drops on the floor with blood gushing from his nose

and mouth. Captain Stolz grabs him by his collar.

STOLZ:

(hysterically)

Come on you bloody black bastard.

Who has been telling you lies?

The PHONE RINGS. Stolz drops Gordon and walks to answer.

STOLZ:

(calmly)

I'll be down immediately, Colonel.

CUT TO:

37.

INT. VILJOEN'S OFFICE -DAY

Behind the large desk, Colonel VILJEON replaces the telephone

receiver; there is a KNOCK on the door --and a young

policeman ushers in Ben. Colonel Viljoen stands and extends

a hand.

VILJOEN:

Come in, Mr. Du Toit, come in.

How do you do?

They shake. He's a large, friendly man, ruddy face, gray

crew cut.

BEN:

Nice to meet you, Colonel Viljoen.

VILJOEN:

I used to watch you play for the

Transvaal. You were one of the

great wing forwards.

BEN:

(grinning)

Long time ago.

There's a KNOCK on the door.

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