Black Butterflies Page #3

- Jack.

- Uys tells me you've been scarce.

When are you coming back?

Another month, at least.

- Is Helen still with you?

- Uh, so are the boys.

She's the one you married;

I'm just the one you sleep with. Is that it?

- I love you, Ingrid.

- If you loved me, you'd be with me, you prick.

- Thought you wanted to talk to me?

- Uh, yes.

Give me a lift home.

We can talk in the car.

When's the last time you had

sex with a woman?

- I'm married.

- Marriage and sex don't go together.

Or is your wife your mistress?

Whose are these?

I don't know.

Uys, I've been away for three months.

I come home and find a strange pair

of shoes in my cupboard.

Surely you should know

who they belong to.

Perhaps they belong

to Eugene Maritz.

Jack!

When did you come back?

Is there anything else

I should know about?

I love you, Jack.

You are a liar, Ingrid.

- There's something you should know.

- What?

You going tell me you f***ed Uys as well?

- You've cut my heart, Jack.

- You don't have a heart.

"All that breaks

falls or dies away,

like the ejaculation of seed,

has no other significance

than betrayal,

because everything shaped,

completed, or begun,

like life begotten in the womb,

has no other fulfillment than the tomb."

- How's work, Pa?

- Busy.

I see the government has banned the

mixed-race audiences to...

...all sports meetings,

concerts, theaters...

We haven't banned anything.

They just have to obtain

a permit beforehand.

Uys Kriger has applied for

a mixed-race permit for his production...

...of king lear,

and it was turned down.

- By you, Pa.

- Yah

because his translation

gave the play a political slant.

What isn't political in this country?

I would hope having dinner

isn't political.

Oh.

You didn't pay the bill.

looks like you had more important

things to spend your money on.

Come on, honey. Mommy's going

to pick you up for a proper meal.

- Give her to me.

- No. No.

- Give her to me.

- No.

Oh, god.

Ingrid, you cut yourself.

Enough, okay?

You have to get out of here,

okay?

Tonight.

You have to go.

I can't take it anymore, Ingrid.

I'm sorry, but i can't.

You think I don't understand?

I can barely live with myself.

"My days seek out after

the carriage of your body.

My days seek the

lineaments of your name.

always before me in the

paths of my eyes.

My only fear is an awareness that

will change your blood into water,

that will change your name

into a number,

...and deny your eyes a like...like...

...memory."

Anna.

Hi, Simone.

Nkosi says he's written to you twice

but you haven't replied.

He thinks the security police

are intercepting you mail.

He sent me this letter, and he wants

me to deliver it to his brother.

Do you know where he lives?

Nyanga.

Would you take me there?

Excuse me.

We're looking for someone.

You're sure this is the place?

Thank you.

Hello, we're looking for

Siyabonga.

We're friends of Nkosi.

Police were here two days ago

and take him away.

I'm sorry to hear that.

What's going on?

It's a passport protest.

We have a child sick

I'm taking her to hospital!

Get back.

Get back.

Get back.

Get back.

The child is not dead.

The child is not dead.

The child is not dead.

- The iceman.

- I want to speak to Jack.

Please don't deny me.

Yes?

Jack, I can't get that child

out of my head.

Every time I look at Simone,

I see him.

I'm going crazy, Jack. I know it.

I'm going crazy. Please come over.

- Ingrid, I'm busy right now. sorry.

- But I need to talk to you.

Jack.

Jack.

- Number, please.

Maritz residence.

Hello, is Eugene there?

Eugene?

For you.

Hello?

If you leave now, you'd be

in Cape Town for breakfast.

I don't think it would be wise

to run that article.

The censorship board might ban it.

I bet your wife doesn't f*** you

half as good as I do.

- Do you mind?

- No, of course not.

Thank you.

There are no black children here.

What's that you say?

I've only just noticed that there's

no black children here.

Oh, no, no, no, no.

They keep them locked up in location

They don't have a pass, you see.

Location.

- I can't open my door.

- That's because I changed the lock.

You can't keep living here

for free.

Let's go.

Yes, ma'am.

We need a place,

just for the night.

Please.

Where are we going, mum?

We put an extra bed

in the guest room for Simone.

I'd rather stay

in my old room, Pa.

We'll be fine there.

Yeah, Ingrid, you must do

what you have to do.

"Screams the smell of freedom

and heather,

the march of the generations

who scream, 'AFRICA.'

Streets of his armed pride.

Without a pass."

Police station at Philippi.

Present at all meetings and legislation.

Nor at Nyanga

nor at Orlando.

Yeah.

Can I come in?

- I'm in middle of something.

- Please,

will you read my new poem, Pa?

It would really mean a lot to me

if I could hear you read it.

All right.

"The child is not dead.

The child raises his fists

against his mother,

who screams 'AFRICA.'

Go on.

Screams the smell of freedom

and heather in the locations

of the heart under siege.

The child raises his fists

against his father,

in the march of the generations

who scream 'AFRICA,'

screams the smell of justice in blood

on the streets of his armed pride.

The child is not...

...dead

neither at Langa nor Nyanga

nor at Sharpeville

nor at the police station in Philippi,

where he lies with a bullet in his head."

Please, Pa, go on.

You're nearly there.

You're nearly there.

I can't finish this.

What do you think of it

so far?

Don't worry, Pa.

I've got it all inside here.

The worms stir against my mother...

wind of the roses,

wind of the mud...

echo gives no answer...

follow my lonely fingers,

follow my absent image...

I am the rector of no mind...

the lonesomest fingers in the world...

the cornerstones of my heart

bring about nothing...

whispering of a ghost...

she doesn't know I'm scared...

don't let them chop down my tree.

Jack Cope.

It's me.

- Who is this?

- Shh!

Not so loud, not so loud.

Jack, listen to me.

I'm being held prisoner.

You have to come and get me.

I'm at my father's.

Meet me at the Cape, please.

- Ingrid....

- He's poisoning me, Jack.

He's poisoning me and Simone.

This is the last time I'll ask you

for anything, I swear.

Do this one thing for me, please.

Drive.

I don't have any money.

Sorry.

I'll pay you back.

Bye.

Thank you.

Ingrid was admitted to Valkenberg

mental asylum last night.

That's where her mother died.

I'll call when I'm done.

I...I can't leave you alone

with her.

They're like the police.

They count all the knives

and forks after we eat.

They took my poems.

All of them.

Don't worry;

I've got them all up here.

Like smoke and ochre.

I've been thinking about

our baby, Jack.

Wondering if it was a girl or a boy.

I can't stop thinking about it.

What are you talking about?

Our blood child lying in the gutter...

Trembling.

I wanted to tell you, but

I couldn't find the words.

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