Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Dedication
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- Foreword
- Introduction
- Glossary and translation
- Images from production
- Ulwembu: the play script
- Prologue: Our story
- Scene 1 Behind the police station
- Scene 2 The police station, captain's office
- Scene 3 The school yard
- Scene 4 Portia's house
- Scene 5 Behind Emmanuel's sphaza shop
- Scene 6 Behind Emmanuel's sphaza shop
- Scene 7 The police station
- Scene 8 Emmanuel's sphaza shop
- Scene 9 Outside Emmanuel's sphaza shop
- Scene 10 Outside Emmanuel's sphaza shop
- Scene 11 Portia's house
- Scene 12 Bongani's house
- Scene 13 Outside Emmanuel's sphaza shop
- Scene 14 Outside Emmanuel's sphaza shop
- Scene 15 Bongani's house
- Scene 16 Outside Emmanuel's sphaza shop
- Scene 17 Sipho's room
- Scene 18 Emmanuel's sphaza shop
- Scene 19 Captain's office
- Scene 20 Behind the police station
- Scene 21 Bongani's house
- Scene 22 Portia's house
- Scene 23 Captain's office
- Scene 24 Emmanuel's sphaza shop
- Scene 25 On the street
- Epilogue: Our story
- Notes
- The Authors
Scene 15 - Bongani's house
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 29 May 2019
- Frontmatter
- Dedication
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- Foreword
- Introduction
- Glossary and translation
- Images from production
- Ulwembu: the play script
- Prologue: Our story
- Scene 1 Behind the police station
- Scene 2 The police station, captain's office
- Scene 3 The school yard
- Scene 4 Portia's house
- Scene 5 Behind Emmanuel's sphaza shop
- Scene 6 Behind Emmanuel's sphaza shop
- Scene 7 The police station
- Scene 8 Emmanuel's sphaza shop
- Scene 9 Outside Emmanuel's sphaza shop
- Scene 10 Outside Emmanuel's sphaza shop
- Scene 11 Portia's house
- Scene 12 Bongani's house
- Scene 13 Outside Emmanuel's sphaza shop
- Scene 14 Outside Emmanuel's sphaza shop
- Scene 15 Bongani's house
- Scene 16 Outside Emmanuel's sphaza shop
- Scene 17 Sipho's room
- Scene 18 Emmanuel's sphaza shop
- Scene 19 Captain's office
- Scene 20 Behind the police station
- Scene 21 Bongani's house
- Scene 22 Portia's house
- Scene 23 Captain's office
- Scene 24 Emmanuel's sphaza shop
- Scene 25 On the street
- Epilogue: Our story
- Notes
- The Authors
Summary
ANDILE and SIPHO are standing nervously before BONGANI, who is inspecting the ring, holding it up to the light.
ANDILE: It's gold, nê. The real deal.
BONGANI: Why should I trust you?
ANDILE: You can't fake that shit, bra.
BONGANI taps the ring against his teeth.
BONGANI [to SIPHO]: It's real?
SIPHO: My mother gave it to me.
BONGANI laughs.
BONGANI [slipping the ring on his finger]: The wedding ring of Lieutenant Mthembu.
SIPHO [confused]: You know her?
BONGANI: Everyone knows ‘the good lieutenant’. [Sarcastically.] You could say we're old friends. [He looks at the ring.] What am I supposed to do with this? [He turns to ANDILE and kneels.] Are you asking for my hand in marriage? Bongani laughs loudly, the others join in nervously.
ANDILE: We want to put it down as insurance until we can pay it off.
BONGANI [acknowledging SIPHO]: You know I don't like to leave guests in my house standing around. [To ANDILE.] Get him a chair.
ANDILE [anxious and scratching]: Ai, Bongani, we don't have time for chit-chat. We need to get the goof and hit the street.
BONGANI [firmly]: I said pull up a chair!
ANDILE gets SIPHO a chair and BONGANI gestures politely for him to sit.
BONGANI: Sipho, is that right?
SIPHO nods nervously.
BONGANI: You must understand, Sipho, I have to be very careful of letting anyone of Andile's iphara friends work for me.
SIPHO: I'm not like his other friends, Malume.
BONGANI: Please, call me Bongani. [Pause.] What you need to understand, Sipho, is I'm just a small part of a very big business. So when you ipharas at the bottom start smoking the goods instead of selling it like you're supposed to … that harms me. You understand?
SIPHO: I understand.
BONGANI: That harms my business … my family … my safety. Do you follow?
SIPHO: [nodding]: I follow.
BONGANI: My family always comes first, you hear?
SIPHO: Yes.
BONGANI: When someone threatens my children's future it makes me very angry. [Pause.] So you reckon you two can sell four sgodos worth by the end of the weekend?
BONGANI cuts the drug, separating it into two halves.
SIPHO: We can, Malume.
BONGANI [correcting him]: Bongani.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- UlwembuEmpatheatre and the Big Brotherhood, pp. 40 - 42Publisher: Wits University PressPrint publication year: 2018