Free Daddy Long Legs by Vernon W. Baumann Page B

have to look good. The FIFA World Cup is coming up in less than two years. All eyes are gonna be on us.’
    ‘Yes, sir. I understand.’ Human bowed his head in acquiescence. ‘Will the interview be conducted here at Wachthuis ?’
    ‘Yes. Ilse will let you know when they arrive. Keep your cell phone at hand.’
    Human nodded. ‘Yes, sir.’ He stared at the shiny scalp of the division head as he continued scribbling feverishly.
    The top cop stopped and looked at Human with puzzlement. ‘That’s all, detective.’
    ‘Yes, sir,’ Human said, rising from the chair. ‘Thank you.’ He was halfway out the door when Govinda called him back.
    ‘You’re doing good work, detective. Well done.’
    ‘Thank you, sir.’
    After confirming with tannie Ilse, Wayne headed for his own office at the other end of the sixth floor. Saintes van Wyk, Human’s partner, was sitting behind his desk. The Coloured detective jumped up and walked towards Human with outstretched arms. ‘ My ma se kind ,’ he said jovially, using a Coloured term of endearment (my mother’s child) and embraced him. ‘Well done, my bru , well done.’ He punched the detective softly on the jaw. ‘Sorry I couldn’t make the trial. You know this place.’
    ‘It’s fine, man. It didn’t even take an hour.’
    ‘Good, good.’ Van Wyk laughed as he slapped Human’s arm. The easy-going, extroverted nature of van Wyk was a perfect complement to Human’s own reserved personality. They had been working together for almost three years now and had achieved an intuitive bond that allowed the two investigators a seamless and easy working relationship. It was only one of the many reasons for the success of their partnership. ‘Hey, are we still on for Friday? Davida’s making her famous Bobotie .’
    Wayne Human nodded. ‘Sounds good.’
    ‘Hey man, what about tonight? The ous (guys) are meeting for a few drinks afterwards. You coming?’
    Human didn’t meet the detective’s gaze. ‘I ... I don’t think so, Saints. I got something planned with Magda.’
    ‘Really?’ Van Wyk stared at Human with disbelief. ‘ Really ? Something planned with Magda? Come on, ma se kind , we both know Magda never goes anywhere. I’m surprised she even agreed about the Friday dinner.’ Van Wyk was, of course, right. Human’s wife never went anywhere. Ever. And yes. It had been a titanic effort to convince her about the dinner at the Van Wyks.
    Detective van Wyk sat on the edge of Human’s desk. ‘Hey.’ He slapped Human’s shoulder when he didn’t respond. ‘Hey, my larnie , (a term meaning ‘fancy’, usually denoting white people) look at me.’ Human met his friend’s worried gaze. ‘You know it would make things a helluva lot easier if you just hung out with the guys every now and then.’
    ‘What’s the use,’ Human said bitterly. ‘I’m not like them, Saints. I don’t drink ... I ... I don’t like talking kak (shit) all the time, you know.’ Human sighed. ‘I’m just here to do my job, that’s all.’ Saintes van Wyk was, of course, right. And Human knew it. But with the exception of maybe one or two, he had given up trying to ingratiate himself with the numerous white detectives in their unit. And he was paying the price every day.
    The relocation to Pretoria had been a difficult one. For both Human and his wife. Although Pretoria was a mere 60km away from the industrial heart of South Africa, socially the two cities could not have been further apart. At least for introverted detective who had grown up in the south of Johannesburg. For one thing, Pretoria was predominantly Afrikaans, Johannesburg mainly English. But it was a lot deeper than that. There was a certain rugged machismo to the nation’s administrative capital that grated the quiet detective. In a unit whose white component was almost exclusively Afrikaans, Human stood out like a sore thumb ... doused in mercurochrome and wrapped in a pink bandage. Tall, thin and wearing spectacles,