"Cape Town, South Africa, 1952" "Bastards!" "Good day, Amina." "Sergeant." "Good day, Jacob." "Sergeant Stewart." "So, she finally got the place opened?" "Nice business to have." "I imagine it is." "These new laws are making life bloody hard for the police." "They're not making it a picnic for the rest of us either." "My colleague's waiting in the car." "He has a problem with this sort of thing." "You know it's an offence for blacks to eat in the same place as whites." "There are no whites here." "Present company excluded." "As non-blacks then." "This is an Indian area." "Maybe coloureds, but no blacks." "Passports." "You know they have passes." "I want to see them." "Now!" "This is only a travel permit." "Yes, sir." "Where's your pass?" "But I don't have a pass, sir." "I'm coloured, not black." "Yeah, you look like a Kaffir to me." "Her father was Dutch, like mine." "You understand, Jacob, it's going to be difficult..." "Stewart, what are you talking to these people for?" "Calm down." "You keep serving blacks and we'll kill the lot of them." "Ma'am, it would be safer for you to leave now." "You don't have to pay for the..." "I haven't finished my coffee yet, Mr...?" "Williams." "Jacob Williams." "I'm Madeline Smith." "You run the post office." "Well, you come in it. 10 a.m. every Tuesday and Friday." "You're Amina's business partner, aren't you?" "Ah, well, no, I just work for Amina." "Oh, I'm sorry." "I forgot." "Partnership would be illegal, wouldn't it?" "Thank you, for shielding me from the police." "Would you excuse me?" "What is it?" "My grandmother." "We'll get a new glass, a new frame." "Are you OK?" "And you?" "I'm not so old that I can't dive for cover." "Not to mention flirt with the customers." "Milk..." "Come in here and get ready for school, both of you!" "Thank God we are moving out in a couple of months... before the next one comes." "Say goodbye to papa." "OK, Sam, Yasmine, upstairs!" "Go!" "Brush your teeth, get your books!" "Off!" "He said yes." "We can go." "Where?" "Out for lunch!" "To the "Location Café"." "I can't believe our husbands are letting us out of here." "Come on, Miriam." "Get dressed!" "Good morning!" "I'm so sorry." "Amina, I'm sorry." "Thank you, Doris." "Please, leave it." "They have staff to do that." "Good morning, ladies." " Good morning." " Good morning." "Our special today is lamb bredie and I have some nice fresh "koeksisters"." "What are "koeksisters"?" "It's a South African delicacy." "A fried doughnut with syrup and coconut." "Here, try one!" "See if you like it." "It's delicious." "Good." "I'll send some over and I promise I'll try not to drop them this time." "She thinks a lot of herself." "Maybe she should." "She owns a business and she's one of us." "No, she's not." "Where do you see any of our girls looking like that?" "Like what?" "Are you blind?" "!" "Like a man." "Maybe it's easier to work in trousers." "Daddy, is it far?" "I told you, Delhof's in the country." "You'll like it there." "Will we have a house there like our old one?" "We'll get a much bigger  better than the old one." "With a big shop underneath." "Who'll work in it?" "I will." "And your mother." "And we'll have a boy to help us." "And we'll have a night watchman to guard the place at night." "Shall we leave?" "We'll need to work hard, that's all." "She would've been proud of you." "Hello, Bhai." "Mrs Benjamin is making some tea." "She says you should go and help her." "How hard is it to make tea?" "Here." "It will give you some energy." "Are you OK?" "Shall I call her?" "No." "No, I'm OK." "Going already?" "Yes, I need to go to the shop." "Don't worry about it." "Your sister-in-law's there." "Here, love." "You have a nice cup of tea." "Thank you, Mrs Benjamin." "He's not one for a chat, is he?" "No, he's not." "There's nobody here." "I don't know who you think is going to come flooding in to buy groceries at this time of day." "Or any time." "Where's the boy?" "Robert?" "He's making deliveries." "He'll be back." "Later?" "What are you doing?" "Has it been so long that you don't even remember?" "I suppose she doesn't like you to touch her when she's pregnant." "You come to Cape Town once a week..." "Come and see me." "Sit down." "So what do you do after school?" "Homework." "Good..." "Good." "Do it then." "I don't have any homework." "Why not?" "She's only five." "She doesn't get homework until big school." "Hello, mister Husband." "Or should I say: mister Father?" "Is it a boy?" "What a question!" "You have a beautiful baby girl." "My son!" "I have traveled so long to see you." "All these Africans!" "That's the problem with this country:" "too many black people." "You should come home my son, it is a better life." "How will Amina find a good husband here?" "There are plenty of families when she's ready." "Of course she's ready!" "Where is she anyway?" "She's work" "She couldn't come." "Working?" "Did you say she's working?" "Where is she working?" "Cape Town." "The girl needs to be brought back to a decent way of living." "Why is she working?" "What is she doing?" "She must mix more." "I know a family." "The Alis." "Do you know them?" " Yes." " Invite them for dinner, on Sunday." "Your son never lets us invite anyone." "Amina will never come." "It is Amina's duty to be where we tell her." "She will come." "Amina, you're late." "They're here already." "Hurry up inside." "Who's here?" "Where are you going?" "Inside?" "Like this?" "Like this." "Mum, this is who I am." "What else do you want me to wear?" "I'll help you serve the food." "I don't see why people say that our girls are too modern." "They may want to go out for a while and find out things for themselves." "But I think our girls always find it best to stay at home in the end." "Doesn't Amina work anymore then?" "Only now and then." " But what about the caf" " Why isn't anybody eating?" "Things have been so busy at the garage lately." "I don't have time to stop for one minute." "Sometimes I wish Amina was helping me again." "And how many children would you like, Amina?" "Oh, I don't know..." "I suppose two or three would be nice." "Do you want only boys?" "What would make you think I'd want boys at all?" "What a rubbish!" "Everybody wants a boy." "Everybody!" "Well, I'm not everybody." "And I wouldn't care if I had a boy or a girl as long as the child was healthy and happy." "Nothing else really matters, does it?" "I think she's right." "I think it's time for desert." "We're going to Cape Town on the weekend." "All of us?" "Do you remember when this came?" "Two weeks ago." "It's from my sister, Rehmat." "The one in Paris?" "Who told you that?" "Farah." "She's coming with her husband." "I'm going to go to sleep." "You watch the shop." "Farah, come and help me here!" "They'll be here any minute now." "And you know how particular Omar is." "Not as much as he likes to think." "They're here!" "I'm cooking!" "Well, where is she?" "She's gone to the hotel to meet James." "That's a stupid thing to do." "Are they trying to get caught?" "They shouldn't even be here." " He's father's dying." " So what?" "!" "He'll be dead in a week and they'll be in jail." "Do they think the police care?" "Which hotel is he staying at?" "At "The Royal"." "If you can believe it." "I don't know who they think they are." "And this is my other sister-in-law." "This is Miriam." "Hello." "It took me a while to get used to it." "Paris must be such a nightmare to get used to." "I meant that it wasn't home, at first, for either of us." "But then I realised that there were no gossiping neighbours, no list of rules, no need to stay home if I wanted to work." "We were very sorry to hear about your father's illness." "He gave us his blessing, finally." "I suppose death can give you a different perspective on what's important." "And now eating here with all of you and at the time that seemed impossible." "Aren't you afraid?" "Of what could happen if you get caught?" "My husband is an idealist." "We have no time for idealists these days." "We have to be practical." "Get what we can whenever we can." "You know, my husband and you, you could be twins." "We are twins." "Why couldn't you tell me?" "Men never tell you anything." "Miriam, why don't we get my brother to take us to the "Location Café"?" "I used to sneak out and go over there all the time on my school breaks." "I should stay and help." "Bhabhi, you go, I'll take care of the children." "Farah can make us tea." "Is that the Harjan girl?" "She's young and she owns this place, huh?" "With a partner." "Imagine at her age to be the partner of a business and a good business too!" "Sunday is always her busiest day." "I think she's done well for one of our girls." "So do I." "She's not totally one of our girls." "Have you ever seen one of our girls with such... with such curly hair?" "Are you saying that she's part black?" "That's her grandmother, Begum." "The child is Amina's mother." "There was a big scandal." "She messed around with the Africans." "Should I pretend to be horrified?" "You know, plenty of white people, including some of his family, would sit there one day, just like you, all self-righteous, and accuse my children of being half-Indian." "That's not the same thing." "It's exactly the same thing." "How can you live here, Omar?" "How can you bear to be in this place?" "South Africa is my home." "You wanted ten pence worth... here you are..." "I'd like to serve someone over here, please." "WHITES NON-WHITES ONLY ONLY" "I love South Africa." "What do you love about it?" "The freedom, the space." "It's not like India." "No, it's not." "It's much worse." "And God help anyone who tries to fight it." "I fight it." "And I think you probably did too." "I fought so hard" "I had to leave with bruises on my face." "Do you still like "koeksisters"?" "Yes, I do." "And have you had any since that were better?" "Never." "Good." "I'll send some over." "They're frying now." "Amina, this gentleman here is looking for someone to help build him a garden." "You want it or know someone who would?" "I want a vegetable garden, behind my house, back with a shop." "I can do it." "I want a big space." "I need enough to sell not just to eat." "If you want me to do it, I can." "Can you come early?" "How about seven?" "Hello." "That's the patch I'd like you to do." "Mummy, why is she wearing trousers?" "Because she works outside." "Don't forget their lunch." "Thank you, Robert." "Robert, give the young lady some chapatis and some tea when she starts working and there's fig jam in the fridge, yeah?" "Come." "Good morning." "Hello." "Say hello to the lady." "Hello, Ma'am." "Come on!" "Bye!" "I..." "I brought you some food." "Thank you." "It smells delicious." "I wish I could cook so well." "But you work in a café." "All Jacob's recipes." "Well, then you should learn." "So my mother tells me." "Your mother's right." "What will you do when you get married?" "I don't know, I suppose I'll have to find someone who can cook." "Have you eaten?" "Why don't you join me?" "I have to mind the shop." "I just want to know you better." "I'm just a housewife and a mother." "And doesn't a housewife have thoughts and feelings and wishes, just like everyone else?" "You were the first person to smile at me at the café in eight days." "I counted." "What's this?" "Poetry." "I can't take it." "Don't you like reading?" "I love reading." "I mean I used to..." "I used to read a lot..." "Please, keep it then." "Stay for dinner." "I should get going." "No, you can't drive at night." "I'll be fine." "No." "Maybe in town, but here..." "The roads are just tracks." "Stay." "If you're going to stay, you should come inside." "Your husband's not back yet?" "He works late in Cape Town." "Usually he stays at his sister-in-... brother's place." "The daal was delicious." "Do you want some more?" "No, I would like to clean up though." "There's hot water in the bathroom." "Come." "What are you doing?" "I couldn't sleep." "Me neither." "Let me get you some tea." "I'll make the tea, Miriam." "Miriam is always getting the tea for everyone." "Tell me..." "Has anyone ever looked after you?" "When did you come to South Africa?" "Seven years ago, after I got married." "Me too!" "Our first evening off of a boat from India and we walk straight into the Indian congress protest." "There were sticks and guns and policemen." "I was terrified." "I was there." "Protesting The Ghetto Bill." "I thought we could overthrow the government in two weeks." "Is there anything that you don't do?" "I have to give people something to talk about." "Do you ever think about getting married and having children instead?" "Yeah, it's that word "instead" I don't like." "Why can't a woman do both if she wants to?" "It's not usual." "No." "But neither am I, and neither are you." "Where did you learn to think like this?" "My grandmother..." "My mother's mother..." "The picture in the café?" "She lived here once before she was sent back to India." "You must have heard someone's version of the story." "There's always gossip..." "Tell me the story." "The real story, if you don't mind." "I'd like to tell you." "I think you'd understand why my grandmother was so important to me." "What happened to her?" "She was 19, with one child already." "And shame and dishonour of being raped, she tried to hide it." "But she became pregnant." "As soon as the baby was born, my mother, they realised it wasn't her husband's." "What did they do to her?" "They put her on a train to Durban, to get a boat to Bombay." "Hold him out so I can kiss him." "Please..." "Please..." "No!" "No!" "Stop!" "Stop the train!" "No!" "No!" "Stop!" "No!" "I can't imagine losing a child like that." "It broke her." "She didn't have one choice to make her whole life." "And for as long as I can remember she always warned be about the dangers of being oppressed in a marriage." "Is that why you haven't gotten married?" "That's not the only reason." "Miriam?" "Yes?" "Nothing." "You should go, the baby needs you." "Sam?" "Yasmine!" "Auntie Amina was showing us the garden." "Are you ready for school?" "Did you eat?" "Auntie Amina gave us some breakfast." "Here we go." "OK." "I've never imagined I'd be so domesticated." "I've never imagined anything else." "OK, kids." "You ready for school?" "Come on." "Have a good day!" "Can I make you some breakfast?" "Perhaps later." "I'm going to start work." "I hope I didn't worry you with all my strange ideas and stories last night." "No, you made me think and that's supposed to be a good thing, isn't it?" "That depends on who you ask." "What are you doing?" "Reading." "I can see that." "Reading what?" "Poetry." "Poetry." "At this time of night?" "I'm tired." "I was busy in Cape Town today." "With her?" "What did you say?" "Nothing." ""Love bade me welcome, yet my soul drew back," "Guilty of dust and sin." "But quick-ey'd Love, observing me grow slack" "From my first entrance in," "Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning" "If I lack'd anything." ""A guest," I answered, "worthy to be here";" "Love said, "You shall be he."" "Afternoon." "We need to ask you some questions." "My husband is not here, he just left." "Yeah, we must've just missed him." "Robert, get these gentlemen a drink." "It's a good shop you have here." "Thank you." "Is your sister-in-law here?" "My brother-in-law and his wife stay in town." "We're looking for Rehmat Winston." "And we know she's staying with you." "They're not here." "So you know where they are." "Listen." "You'll be in a pile of shit if you help them." "What have they done?" "Have you heard of the Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act of 1949?" "It's there for a reason." "To stop this depravity." "It's against nature what these people are doing." "Home from school." "No, you can't." "Yes, we can." "They may be witholding valuable information." "No!" "No!" "Please!" "Have you ever been to a police station, young lady?" "Where are we going?" "Stop!" "We'll bring them back later." "Or tomorrow, whenever we get time." "No, I'll tell you where they are!" "Too late!" "So?" "Where are they?" "Where are they?" "In Cape Town." "At my brother-in-law's." "You know, if you're lying," "I'll beat you, and your children, and your baby!" "I need help." "The police are after us." "We can't." "Amina, you have to." "We can't help you." "I'm sorry." "Please, please, sit." "I understand." "It's just..." "I don't know what to do." "If we helped you in front of the customers, someone would break when the police start threatening." "Are you sure?" "Thank you for this, I..." "You were supposed to tell us." "In front of my husband?" "Was I supposed to tell it while she could hear me, hiding upstairs?" "What kind of state police don't even search the house?" "Where are they now?" "Some nice clothes..." "French labels." "We'll find them." "You'll be the next, for helping them." "I'm not stupid." "But there is someone around here who is." "And it won't be the first time she's in trouble with the two of you." "Stop that bloody noise!" "Jacob." "Sergeant?" "We're looking for an Indian woman." "Indians is all we get in here." "But you're welcome to have a look around." "Where's Amina?" "She's having a nap." "She'll be taking over from me shortly." "I'm not as young as I used to be." "I know she's here." "Who?" "Open this up!" "Go, go, go!" "Open it!" "What's all that?" "Stock for the café." "That's why I keep it locked." "Those Kaffirs would steal anything." "Tell me where she is!" "I really don't know who you're talking about." "You and I both know that I've had some women in here, but this time even I..." "Stinkin' queer!" "Hey, yours is the only place in town where Kaffir workers eat alongside Indians." "You get away with it." "Yes." "I could've closed you down anytime, couldn't I?" "Yes." "So?" "Was she here?" "No." "Where is she?" "I really don't know." "I'm sorry." "Who's that?" "If it's the police, then I'll deal with them this time." "Someone's here." "My goddamn truck." "What happened?" "My lights have gone." "Hit a bloody Kaffir walking in the yard, right in my way." "Thought it was just one side he caught, but both my lights have gone." "We might have one of those." "Miriam!" "Thanks." "Ah, that's the right one." "How is he?" "Who?" "The Kaffir." "How is he?" "Dead, I hope." "Just look at it." "Both lights." "That should fit." "You reckon?" "Yes." "Try it." "Come on!" "Light it!" "Are you OK?" "I'm fine." "Where are you?" "I can help." "Let me help you." "I don't need your help!" "I don't need your help." "Where were you?" "I thought I left the washing out." "Your place is here with me." "Not with those Kaffirs." "Oh!" "You found them!" "Books, madam." "You forgot them?" "Yes, until somebody reminded me." "Robert, take this." "Take it to the post office." "Here you are." "Good morning, Jacob." "Good morning, Madeline." "Warm out today, isn't it?" "You can say that again." "Hey, boy." "Get me some water!" "Go on!" "You understand English, do you?" "There's a jug over there." "Listen, I'm the employee here and" "I'll get you the water if you are incapable of getting it yourself." "What's the matter with you, lady?" "That will be six pence for the stamps." "All of us here are losing our dignity as human beings in this place, aren't we?" "Some of us more quickly than others." "Oh, no." "Don't you believe that for a second." "It's men like him who lose the most." "Perhaps..." "I've got a parcel here for you." "Or rather for the young Miss Harjan." "Here." "There's no other post." "There's no return address." "No." "Perhaps it's from a secret paramour." "I'd better get back." "I'll see you soon." "Jacob!" "Be sure that you do." "This came for you today." "Thank you." "It's..." "It's not my mother's handwriting." ""All the wild summer was in her gaze"" "She's not gonna work all the time!" "This is still so difficult, because he's too young." "What are you doing?" "It's the Alis." "They've come to give their reply." "Even my mother must realise it's going to be no." "Won't you have some tea?" "Send that girl to me at once!" "Who?" "Amina?" "Of course." "She needs discipline now." "Send me the doctor." "I'm dying." "She'll be fine." "Ma', just..." "Just take her some tea." "But she's dying." "She's been claiming an imminent death for 30 years." "Please, just..." "Take her some tea." "Ma'!" "Dinner is ready!" "Ma', your tea must be ice cold." "I don't have time to go driving around the countryside for some old woman we didn't even know." "That family don't mix with any of us." "Yet, when it suits them, they expect all of us to just come running." "They don't expect it." "I don't owe those people anything!" "Yes, you do." "Amina Harjan saved your sister." "After Farah betrayed her." "Auntie, is Amina here?" "I'd like to offer my condolences." " She's in the next room." " OK." "Please see if she will join us." "I'm reading your book." "I'd forgotten I even had them un-, until..." "I didn't know you knew my parents." "I don't." "We came to see you." "The murderess?" "Apparently my work and my trousers caused the heart attack." "I can't tell whether you approve of my clothes or not." "They're nice." "It's a nice outfit." "I mean that you look nice in it." "So you prefer me in traditional clothes?" "No..." "You look very nice in this." "But you don't look like youself." "I don't feel like myself!" "But I have to please a person who," "God rest her soul, is not even able to see me." "It sounds silly when you put it like that." "It is silly." "But no one else seems to think so." "Does it matter what people think?" "Doesn't it?" "Why did you get married?" "Did you fall in love and know you wanted to be with him for the rest of your life?" "No." "He saw me a few times and... proposed and... my family accepted." "And that's what you want to hear, isn't it?" "That it never occured to me to question it." "It occurs to me to question it." "I know." "What happened to your face?" "Nothing." "Your mother wants to see you downstairs." "My husband wants to see you too." "To thank you." "For what?" "For Rehmat." "Anyone would've done the same." "I didn't." "Did they hurt you?" "The police?" "They were taking my children away." "Then you did the right thing." "Come." "I want to change back into my own clothes." "Why should you take that risk?" "Because I hate apartheid." "Because I hate aggressive policemen." "I wish I could be more like you." "Be careful what you wish for Miriam." "Jacob?" "I have an idea." "You haven't had a bad one yet." "What is it?" "Indian food." "All sorts of things:" "samosas, biryanis..." "OK..." "But you know our girls don't know the first thing about making a proper Indian curry." "So who's gonna do the cooking?" "Don't worry." "I've already thought of that." "Where you just passing through?" "No offence to you..." "there down... but I..." "It's OK but I don't think anybody just passes through." "I came to see you." "Will you have some tea?" "A cold drink?" "I want to talk to you." "About the café." "We're thinking about something new." "Indian food." "Maybe a few days a week." "It's a good idea." "I want you to cook for the café." "Me?" "You haven't even had my cooking." "I ate here, remember?" "Potato curry and daal." "Besides, I couldn't do it." "Why not?" "Because I have to take care of the shop." "We'd pay you well." "My children." "OK, then we'll make it one morning a week to start with." "My husband wouldn't like it." "I'm offering the job to you, not your husband." "You surprise me." "I thought you had a fearless streak." "How would you know whether I have a fearless streak or not?" "Wasn't it you who went out in the middle of the night to help an African who was hit by a car?" "How could you know?" "There were only two people:" "myself and my husband." "Three." "I know this government would like us to think that they're savages, but Africans can speak as well as we can." "Has it been busy?" "No." "I came to see if Miriam would cook for the cafe." "What did you say?" "I said that I have to mind the shop and the children." "My wife doesn't need to work." "Look, I'm sorry it's not a question of need..." "No!" "My wife doesn't know how to drive." "I've told her time and again to take lessons, but she doesn't want to." "If only she had..." "Oh, but I teach driving myself." "Miriam, if you want me to come for a couple of hours a week," "I'd be happy to come teach you." "Thank you." "Yes, I'd like that." "My husband has been telling me I should learn how to drive for some time now." "Good, then it's settled." "I'll see you next week." "Why did you do that?" "You know eggs are expensive." "You have a long day in Cape Town." "I may be staying the night." "You're early..." "Very early." "What happened?" "The market's closed." "Closed?" "Why closed?" "Day of action by the blacks." "Bloody blacks." "Farah?" "Farah?" "Bhai, everything OK?" "My God!" "Bhai..." "Were you just going to surprise us like this?" "How good to see you!" "How did you know Sadru was back?" "I..." "I've finished early today..." "So I thought I'd stop in to say hello." "I also finished early today..." "The demonstration..." "Family OK?" "Are you ready for me?" "Who else is going to teach me how to drive?" "OK, let's start with the pedals first." "This is the gas pedal ... the accelerator," " and this is the..." " brake." " Right, and this is the..." " clutch." "Do you know how to drive?" "No." "Why would I ask for lessons if I knew how to drive?" "I don't know." "Maybe you wanted to see me." "I don't know how to drive." "But my husband showed me all the pedals once when he tried to teach me how to learn." "There's only three, so it's not difficult." "Do you know the gears too?" "No." "I'll show you." "Is madam inside?" "No, she's in the driving lesson, sir." "There you are." "See?" "Did he see us?" "No." "We were having a driving lesson." "I'm not finished yet." "Get out of the truck." "Miriam, we'll finish another time." "How was your day?" "What?" "How was your day?" "Not good." "Sorry to hear that." "But things could get better." "I want to talk to you." "Where's Robert?" "Inside probably." "I was angry with him earlier." "Why are you angry with all of us?" "I should be angry with you." "It's finished." "I won't be seeing her anymore." "Why did you do it, Omar?" "I don't know." "There's mummy!" "I'll race you!" "You hurt me." "Mummy, mummy!" "Come, come, come!" "Go, go, go, go, go!" ""It won't be a stylish marriage, We can't afford a carriage..."" "I've asked Madeline to have dinner with me." "She accepted." "Do you know what you're doing?" "I believe I do, yes." "Where will you take her for dinner?" "I'm not fit to take her anywhere, am I?" "Only good enough to serve her a plate of food but not to sit and eat with her." "You could bring her here." "I'll think of something." "I have lived my entire life in this place by their rules." "I do not want to end my life alone because of them." "I know." "I know but lately I've been wondering whether it's worth going after certain people.... ...no matter how strongly you feel about them." "You more than anyone has taught me that it is worth it." "Don't start changing now, Amina." "Hello." "Hello, Robert." "Miss." "Are you ready?" "Robert?" "Take care of the shop please." "You didn't come to give me a driving lesson, did you?" "Why did you come?" "I can't." "I'm married." "And you're a woman." "Those are not good reasons." "They are my reasons and they matter to me." "Don't you care for me?" "Of course I care for you." "Amina, please..." "Miriam." "What am I doing to you?" "What am I doing to you?" "Every time I look at you" "I want you to stay forever." "Will you do something for me?" "Close your eyes." "You can trust me." "I'm not afraid of you." "Will you just imagine, just for now," "just for brief moments, that nothing exists except for you and me?" "You need to go to her." "No." "What happens now?" "Do these driving lessons just continue?" "Come away with me!" "I have three children, who I'll never leave." "I would never ask you to leave the children." "We could..." "We could move." "We could move away from him, Miriam, and I will look after you and the children." "Amina, please..." "Miriam, I know..." "I know that you think I don't know what I'm talking about, but I've lived this way, Miriam, I've lived my own way my whole life, and it can be done!" " Amina!" " It can be done, Miriam." "Amina..." "Not for me." "Ah, Jacob!" "Do you need a hand?" "If you wouldn't mind." "I'm struggling with this lock." "Here, let me do it." "Hello." "Hello?" "Police here, ma'am." "Post-mistress here, sir." "Are you alright?" "I was driving by and I saw the door ajar." "Oh, I'm fine, thank you." "Just locking up." "Sorry to trouble you." "No trouble." "Who's there?" "This is Jacob." "The section where you are standing is for whites only." "He was just helping me lock up." "He shouldn't be there." "Who is he anyway?" "He's my driver." "Why doesn't your driver keep the keys?" "Coz I prefer to keep them myself." "Yeah, I know what you mean..." "Better to be safe than sorry." "Quite..." "I thought I told you not to disturb me?" "!" "Yes, but that was when you were six years old, no?" "Dad..." "I'm sorry, I thought that..." "You come!" "I thought that you were Doris or one of the girls." "Just me." "Can I get you something to eat?" "Some tea?" "No, no, I'm fine." "No, we just... we haven't heard from you for 3 weeks and your... so your mother's worried and I just came to check... to see you're OK." "I'm fine." "Good." "Things have been... um..." "It's hard to explain." "No need." "You see, people like to make sure your mother and" "I know everything that is happening with you." "They wouldn't like us to miss out." "Only this time people are..." "Amina, people are talking about her, not just you." "They know her as well." "They have no right." "It's only because she's friends with me that they make any assumptions." "Don't people have anything better to do?" "No, they don't." "That's why I try to avoid them." "Jacob," "I'm so terribly sorry about what happened." "I'm ashamed to say that I was afraid of that young policeman, and what he might do to you if he suspected..." "It's alright." "Probably they'd thrown me in jail if they'd guessed." "Jacob, come inside." "I'll make us some supper." "I can't." "I hope you understand." "Yes, I understand." "I am sorry." " I-I-I want to drive you home." " No." "Goodbye, Madeline." "Goodbye, Jacob." "Goodbye." "So, you're running away?" "No, I just need some time, I just need some time away to think, dad." "Do you need money?" "No." "Thank you." "You shouldn't go." "How will she know where to find you?" "What a day!" "Did you have your driving lesson today?" "No." "Good." "That's over then." "No." "I have to learn how to drive if I'm going to work." "You work here." "And I will still work here." "And I will work at the cafe for two mornings a week." "You don't need to work." "I do." "It's just for two mornings, just let me learn how to drive." "You will not be my wife and work!" "Do you wanna divorce me?" "What about the children?" "What is it, Omar?" "Tell me what you're thinking." "Mummy!" "It's OK." "It's alright, my love." "Everything's OK." "Go back to sleep." "It's alright." "I don't like it." "If I don't like it, that should be enough." "It's not enough." "It never has been." "I just didn't know what to tell you until now." "No!" "You'll have to find a better way of speaking to me." "Not again!" "I may still need some lessons." "You drove all the way from Delhof?" "Do you still have that vacancy?" "Two days a week?" "If it works out, even more..." "Come on then." "I'm Miriam."