Whites by Norman Rush Read Free Book Online Page A

at last.
    Endless days I worked to clean that plot and all the verge as well. I healed some trees, I know it. I scalded ants within their holes. I pulled down mistletoe from trees. Where termites pushed their nest mud high on tree sides, I scraped them to hell. I was a savior many fold. Guys passing in the road saw me watchful there and stepped onwards. Because you can go for asking jobs and just take some things. You can open cars. You can take shirts found hanging.
    That man was strong for Africans, I may say. Without fail at morning he would shower curses on the news reader of Springbok station from Johannesburg, as You are murderers, or cretins, at times. Refugee guys came there rather much for drinks and meals. He was helping them.
    By my terms of work, I must be always without the house. Mma Jarvis was ever painting scenes of life and must be in silence thus. So it was okay. I liked it best. I was progressing. Soon I would post a letter to my mother, I knew.
    But all too soon, what! I must be made to have a house key. They must go some days to Tuli Block on holiday. I said I rathermore have no key, yet they said I must. They praised me. I must only switch on lights at night, and water in somepots of plants. My heart was choked. If at all some goods or cameras could go missing, they would name one thief: Paul Ojang. Thrice I spoke against this. But I was forced to hold a key, in fact. Before I took that house key, Mma Jarvis gave me oftentimes the key for post, that I must bring. All such signs of trust were scaring to me.
    At my tasks withinside, I ran, to finish off and be spared. I said I must cope up. That house was pushed full. You discerned such things heaped, as, fish traps, beer sieves, thousand baskets, thumb harps, Basarwa aprons and pouches, some spears, stools, cameras, wood serpents and
tokoloshi
, books just tossed. I looked straight to my task.
    So but when they returned back from Tuli Block and all was well, they said I must hold that key for all time. But when thrice I refused, he agreed to say okay. He said he likes me. He wished greatly he could one day arising find all government officers gone at one blow and fine boys in their place, rather. He said You shall be perm sec one day, I know it.
    I was prospering, if I may say. Because he said I can make a market garden if it pleases me. So every day I was selling freely amongst cookmaids such things as marrows, tamaties, radish, and lettuces. As well, he vowed he will never surcharge me as to water. I was rich, a bit. He gave me seeds he had from others.
    Soon one day he said I must aid in
omnium gatherum
, great function for honoring some heroes. These too were refugees, but heroes set free from prison in South Africa. I must stand close and listen to such guys passing through Botswana. He praised those guys the most by far. First I must dig a
braai-pit
and clean about the plot as if Jesus will be at tea, he said. He must hire lights in all colors.
    But at that function I served out goat meat and
wors
countless hours, longing to be freed. At last I could go. But then I must make errands for the woman, to find some costlysteel-made platters demanded by the caterers and lost. When I came to eat, it was at best bread rolls and beetroot salad, and some guava seeds left in fluids. Turmoil! Overdrinking on beer and Autumn Harvest! That place was thronged full. I saw many guys from university, two perm secs, Europeans, refugees, Angolans, two Chinese men, Swazis. I went to hear at last.
    It was hot, with motor fans switched on. It was too full in that parlor. On the outside, guys pressed to our flyscreens, in time commanding anyone to switch off some fans to help them hear Sinuka well enough. It was half-twelve.
    All those South Africans stood as one, nearby the hero Sinuka, guarding and watchful always. Great unceasing arguments! Those guys were sharp, finding out very many falsehoods spoken there. I liked them.
    Now at once Sinuka was repeating on one theme.