Whitethorn by Bryce Courtenay Page B

a hint of admiration in his voice.
    â€˜You should have reported it to me at once, you hear!’ Meneer Prinsloo said angrily. ‘We can’t have crimes like this happening around the place. I am going to have to call the police. This is a very serious crime.’
    They were all silent for a moment, then Frikkie Botha said, ‘I only want you to do me one favour before you call Sergeant Jan van Niekerk, who is a good friend of mine.’
    â€˜What? What favour?’
    â€˜Let me have a go at him in the boxing ring. What Fonnie did was an honourable thing, even if he should have reported the incident to you. Now what I want to do is finish the business, let that kaffir come in the ring with somebody his own size for a change, hey?’ Which just goes to show how far people will go to cover up things. Frikkie Botha knew the truth but he must have been thinking, if it ever came out, him boxing Mattress would prove to people that he didn’t know it. That the boxing was a regte Boer’s righteous anger and his own personal revenge for what Mattress had done to one of his boys. After all, like I said before, it would only be the word of a kaffir and a rooinek against his and who was going to believe them anyway?
    Meneer Prinsloo shook his head slowly. ‘I dunno, man, I think we should just have him arrested right away. “Revenge is mine, sayeth the Lord.” ’
    â€˜ Ja , but when he’s arrested the story is going to get out, you can’t hide a thing like this even if you try your hardest. People are going to hear about it, it’s best brought out in the open. If they think we just called the police,’ he looked at Pissy, ‘and just let one of our children suffer, they’d think we don’t care about our kids on The Boys Farm.’
    Meneer Prinsloo frowned and still looked doubtful.
    â€˜I think it is a good idea, Meneer Prinsloo. Kobus has suffered terribly and for the rest of his life he’s got a scar,’ Mevrou said.
    â€˜You know, I still got one problem,’ Meneer Prinsloo said. ‘A kaffir is a kaffir and when a kaffir does something like this he will run away.’
    â€˜He is a Zulu,’ Frikkie Botha said hastily, as if this explained everything. ‘If he was a Shangaan he would run, but a Zulu . . .’ He didn’t finish the sentence.
    â€˜You know they do it all the time, even to their women,’ Mevrou interrupted.
    â€˜Do what?’ Meneer Prinsloo asked.
    â€˜They use the back instead of the front so the woman doesn’t get pregnant,’ Mevrou explained.
    â€˜ Sis , man, that’s a kaffir for you!’ Frikkie said, happy for the confirmation.
    â€˜Also, in the mines in Johannesburg there’s no women in the single men’s compound so they do it to each other,’ Mevrou said. Then, by way of explanation, she added, ‘My cousin works in the mines, and he says they don’t think it’s shameful only because there are no women around. They don’t think like us.’ She suddenly remembered the presence of Pissy and Fonnie. ‘You two not allowed to hear this, you hear?’ she instructed.
    â€˜You think this kaffir was first in the mines?’ Meneer Prinsloo asked.
    â€˜Maybe, but he won’t tell you if you ask. They don’t like you to know because some of them break their contract and run away and then they wanted by the police,’ Frikkie said. He seemed to be thinking for a moment, then suddenly exclaimed, ‘ Magtig ! Why didn’t I think about it before! He’s a Zulu, this isn’t Zulu country, it’s too far north, this is Shangaan country. A Zulu who is here is hiding for sure. These are not his people, he doesn’t speak their language. I think when we take a good look at his pass we in for a big surprise, man.’ He looked up at the superintendent, appealing to him. ‘Just let me have one go at him, Meneer?’ he begged.