A World Apart Page #4

I didn't know that.

"Did you know...

"that zip fasteners were first used

in the 19th century?"

See, Mommy, it's something for you to read.

Thank you.

Molly, darling, how's school?

How's Yvonne?

We're not really friends anymore.

Gerald grabbed her

and dragged her through the street.

It's doesn't matter anymore.

I know. It's difficult.

But you'll make new friends.

It's horrible. I hate the school.

I don't know what's going to happen.

Don't cry. Not here.

Not in front of them, all right?

Seventy-three, seventy-six, seventy-eight...

eighty. eighty-two...

eighty-four, eighty-six, eighty-eight.

Two, four, six, eight.

Pack your things, Mrs. Roth.

We're releasing you.

- Let me see the release order.

- The duty sergeant has it.

Roth.

Your release papers.

Can I use the telephone?

There's a public phone

on the street outside.

You can leave your suitcase here.

I'll take it with me.

Diana Roth? We're arresting you.

Clause 17 of the General Law Amendment

Act of 1963. Ninety days.

Hi.

You Okay?

I haven't spoken to your sisters, you know.

But you are old enough...

and you understand.

At least, I think you do.

You have to prepare yourself

not to be disappointed.

It's a very good thing

they haven't charged her.

But they may keep her in prison

for a very long time.

But we're by ourselves.

Elsie's children have been on their own

all their life.

I know. But I'm not talking about them.

Yeah, but you always have to. Do you see?

- How can you live here and do nothing?

- A lot of people do.

Yeah, and what do you think of them?

We also have to live with ourselves,

you know?

Not just for now, but for later, as well.

Do you understand?

Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't.

What's the difference?

Who did you see most at these meetings?

Adrian Lee.

Petrus Nkosi.

Yusaf Patel.

Where did these meetings take place?

In my house, in my motorcar...

in the home of Ivan Stanley.

Go on.

It's a funny thing, isn't it?

That every name you've given us is

the name of someone who's left the country.

We know every meeting you attended...

we saw you come, we saw you go.

You were the only woman there.

Yet you pretend you know nothing

of what happened...

that nothing happened was worth knowing.

We have enough evidence to charge you

right now, over and over again.

But we happen to have respect for women

in this country.

Yeah.

I'm going to give you one more chance.

We'll continue tomorrow.

We've dealt with you communists before.

And we've learnt...

that you've got to be

pushed up against the wall and squeezed.

Pushed and squeezed

and squashed into a corner.

Then you change. Then you talk.

She's too comfortable here.

- We should move her downstairs.

- Get out.

I will not make another statement.

Look, I'm sorry. I'm truly sorry

that you're doing this to yourself.

And I don't know

whether I'll be seeing you anymore.

What can I say?

Good luck.

You really should eat, you know.

It makes no sense.

You're the one that's going to suffer.

I hope you're satisfied.

We're releasing you.

But we're placing you under

a 24-hour house arrest.

Any visitors will have to get

our permission first.

And anyone who publishes your writing...

or quotes you directly or indirectly

will be in violation of the law. All right?

You're lucky we found you in time.

Did you think we wouldn't?

What's wrong with you? What did they do?

I'm just very tired, darling.

I've been sick.

Mommy was in the ambulance.

Did they torture you?

Don't ask all these questions.

Your mother's tired.

They tortured Solomon.

Elsie says they put wires all over his body

and then gave him electric shocks.

Come on. Let's leave Mommy to sleep.

Come on, darling. Off we go.

Come, lovey. Come.

- Hello.

-ls Elsie there?

Why?

Look, call her for us.

There's a problem. Please.

Your cousin's outside.

Something's happened.

Mom, you'd better come.

Something's happened.

They've killed him. Solomon, my brother.

They've killed him.

Why don't you just go away

and leave us alone?

"My Gus.

"This is a strange place for this message...

"but it's the only way I can say goodbye.

"We never planned for these times, did we?

"I can't imagine life outside of here.

"I apologize for my cowardice.

"I have not given in."

Jude, please, may you pass me that cake?

- This one?

- Yes.

- Save room for what's coming.

- Come on, Molly.

Don't you want something?

Come on, darling. Eat up.

Nice?

You've got lots of presents, Miriam.

- Shall I take them out?

- Are you going to open that now?

You did it so well.

- Do you like it?

- What are you going to call it?

Don't know. Snoopy.

That's very original.

- But, Mommy, how did you get it?

- Magic.

Another present.

Mommy, that's one of the cards

that I gave to my friends.

- That's nice. Thank you, Granny.

- Oh, it was a pleasure.

Happy birthday, Miriam.

Happy birthday to you

Happy Birthday dear Miriam

We're just checking, Mrs. Roth.

You keep a 24-hour watch on this house.

How could I leave?

We'll take a look around.

Will you cut the cake?

Blow out the candles, darling.

- She's mad. Crazy.

- She's a child.

She's not a child. She's an animal.

- Get out of my house.

- Be careful.

Be careful what you say, Mrs. Roth.

I'm not going to say it again.

Come on.

You stay here.

Can't you understand? You mustn't let them

see how they affect you.

It only makes it worse.

Why are you angry with me,

after what you tried to do?

What did I try to do?

- You know.

- No, I don't know. What did I do?

You tried to kill yourself.

I read what you wrote.

You should be ashamed of yourself.

I trusted you.

That was a secret place.

I asked you to respect that.

Stop talking about that stupid drawer.

You tried to leave us.

You don't care about us.

You should never even have had us!

Stay here. We have to talk.

I don't want to stay!

I don't want to talk to you!

I have to talk to you.

Listen to me. Please, listen to me.

I was breaking apart.

What good would I have been to you

in pieces?

I was afraid. I was afraid I would have put

other people in danger.

What people?

Our friends, people like Harold.

Your friends. Your friends, your work,

that's all you care about.

All right. My friends. My work. Yes.

But what we care about

is the whole country.

What about me?

You live here, you eat here.

I'm down the passage.

- But what about Elsie's children?

- I'm not Elsie's child. I'm your child!

Listen to me!

Elsie can't live with her children. Why?

Because she's Black.

At Sharpeville, people were shot down,

shot in the back, shot running away.

Solomon has been murdered

because he was Black.

I know that! Stop treating me like a child!

All right. You're right.

You do know. I know you know.

But I also know how much you'd understand

if you only let yourself.

You never tell me anything.

I don't know what's going on.

We can't even talk amongst ourselves.

It's not safe.

I don't even know where Daddy is.

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