Free Burger's Daughter by Nadine Gordimer Page B

building, and in the yard at the back where the police van stood, tin sheds with barred windows. The prisoners were barefoot black men in loose shorts whom anyone could see cutting the grass with lengths of sharpened iron outside the municipal offices.
    Daniel the bar waiter who served on the stoep sat on an up-ended beer crate on the pavement when there was nobody drinking. He wore a red monkey-jacket with black grosgrain lapels that smelled strongly of sweat as he moved his arms, a bow-tie, a red-and-black forage cap, and peeling black patent shoes whose shine cracked over the strange protrusions on his feet—like Selena and Elsie, he walked to work across the dusty veld from the location every day. Rosa hopped about on the pavement, coming and going before him while they talked. She described Johannesburg, which he had never seen.—When you going back, me I’m coming there too. I’m going work for your house. Your daddy.—She told him no, Lily Letsile worked for her mother and father. He told her he had five children and would send one of the boys to work in her garden.—How old ?—
    â€”Oh he’s coming big. I think is nearly thirteen years now.—
    â€”He’ll have to go to school, not work in the garden. Children don’t work. But he’s too big to go to school with Baasie and my school’s only for girls.—
    Daniel laughed and laughed, as if she were very funny.
    Suddenly she told him:—My mother and father are in jail.—
    Daniel lowered and waggled his head, gave out grunting yelps, and screwed up one eye to pin reproach on her.—Don’t say like that about your parents. Always your parents look after you nice, send you nice school, make everything for you. Don’t say those thing.—
    The white barman had black sideburns, a bright skin, and wore a belt with a lion’s head buckle. Once he took it off and chased Tony and the cousin out of the bar when they were making a nuisance of themselves, but it was only in play. Daniel told Rosa that Baas Schutte used his belt if he found any of the waiters stealing drink; this was the sort of gossip that passed away hours, on the pavement.
    â€”Did you see ?—She did not quite believe anyone would hit a grown-up, although she knew some people smacked their children.
    â€”There in the yard! He was holding and that boy he couldn’t run away! He’s too strong, Baas Schutte!—Daniel was laughing again.
    â€”Which waiter?—She knew them all; they brought her her food, padding heavily in and out the swing doors from the diningroom to the kitchen with its blast of smells and noise, they gambled with bottle tops or flung themselves down to smoke in the sun outside the kitchen.
    â€”Jack ? Was it Jack ?—She had heard Auntie Velma having an argument with Jack about dried-up mustard in the little metal pots that stood on the tables.
    â€”Jack? Jack he’s not waiter for bar! How Baas Schutte can trouble for Jack ? That one he’s gone away. He won’t work here no more in town. He’s go away there to his home. He’s too frightened for Baas Schutte!—Daniel clapped his hands on his tin tray.
    Harry Schutte often took her along for the ride beside him when he drove off in the van that had the name of the hotel and ‘Off-Sales’ painted on it. Jumping down at the cartage contractor’s, the hardware store, the estate and insurance agent’s where his girl-friend worked, he seemed to forget Rosa, but would always bring her an ice-cream or a liquorice pipe. The girl-friend leaned on the van window and flirted with him through the child.—Shame, when’s your mommy coming back from overseas ? Don’t you want to come and stay by me so long ? I’ve got a nice house. Haven’t I, Harry? I’ve got two puppies...you ask Harry—
    Five weeks after she and her brother had been sent away Rosa sat on Daniel’s box while he was