Apartheid Quickie

Scene: A bus stop in Apartheid South Africa. A bus pulls up and the queue (all white) climb aboard. A black man runs up the steps and inside.

Driver: (Thick Afrikaans accent) SORRY BOY, WHITES ONLY ON THIS BUS.

(The man gets off. The bus drives off. He stands with a sad look on his face and begins to walk off).

Scene: A park. It is bright and sunny. The same man takes a lunch box and sits down on the grass. As he begins unpacking his lunch he looks up and sees a white policeman standing over him.

Policeman: (Thick accent) SORRY BOY, NO BLACKS ON THE GRASS: WHITES ONLY.

(The man’s smile fades; he packs up his lunch and walks off. The policeman watches him go).

Scene: An ice cream kiosk in the same park. It is still sunny. The same man walks up to the counter and waits behind two white girls as they are served. They turn and leave. The man holds up a bank note and, still smiling, opens his mouth to speak. As he does so the woman assistant speaks.

Assistant: SORRY BOY. (Same thick accent. She points to a notice in the kiosk window which says NO BLACKS, NO COLOUREDS, WHITES ONLY. She smiles nastily. The man’s smile fades, and he walks off).

Scene: The same park, an open air swimming pool. A middle aged white man is the only user. He is wearing a towelling robe and is somewhat overweight. He walks up to the pool, takes off his robe, and dives in. He swims a few strokes then treads water. A look of horror appears on his face.

Man in pool: (Aloud) AAAHHH! AAAHHH!

(The black man walks by glum-faced).

Man in pool: (Shouting to black man) AAAHHH! YOU, BOY, HELP, I’VE GOT CRAMP. THROW ME A LINE!

(The black man throws a glance to the side of the pool; the camera flashes on a life ring. Then he looks back to the man in the water and smiles wickedly).

Black man: SORRY BOSS, DIS POOL IS FOR WHITES ONLY. (He walks off still smiling).

(The man in the pool yells twice more, splutters, then goes under).

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