Apartheid Rendezvous 🔞

1. Coffee in my face.

"Our dilemma is that we hate change and love it at the same time what we really want is for things to remain the same but get better." ~ Sydney Harris.

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THE REASON FOR WHICH SOMETHING EXISTS...purpose. Everything and Everyone seems to know their purpose except myself. I don't know why i am here but all I can do is just continue living. Life is quite funny, you are put on this earth to walk around and do whatever until you die...then what ?

My life is a routine, i work for Mnr. Johan de Ruiter as his house maid. He is not the easiest person to deal with, he finds the littlest thing to shout about, he is filthy rich but very stingy, all in all Mnr/Mr. De Ruiter is a very hard man to please. Mr. De Ruiter is cynical and judgemental of others especially blacks. He is a lonely self centred old man. In all the two years I have worked for Mr. De Ruiter he has only smiled once, i think. It wasn't even a smile well it could qualify as a frown smile. One of the oldest housekeepers Sis Nandi told me that he was raised in a crowded home with six siblings back in Netherlands then he came to South Africa and bought multiple land that was forcefully taken away from black settlers. Mr. De Ruiter is a loner in conclusion, he lives in secluded private neighbourhood which is only for the whites who are high income earners. Enough about Moody Mr. De Ruiter...

If I'm not working I go home to my family which is currently just me and my older brother since my father disappears all the time. I love my brothers Samkelo, ever since my mom died six years ago, nothing had ever been the same. My father turned to alcohol and I wasn't even sure if he still had his job as a miner. I was born and bread in Soweto abbreviation for Southern Western Townships where all black people where moved when apartheid systems was legalised. The white live in places such as Sandton, Rosebank, Winchester hills, Roordport, Linmeyer, Oakdene...the list is endless. Notice how black people are all cramped up in one place while the whites have so many options.

There is no freedom in South Africa, there is no equality, black people get killed everyday. Black people are imprisoned without trial, Black people don't get proper education ; we are only taught enough mathematics so that we can qualify to work in their shops. We are forced to learn and praat Afrikaans and forget our languages. Do I wish I was white ? Sometimes. Why ? They have it all good.

"Felo, day dreaming are we ?" Mr Ruiter snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Ek is Jammer Meneer." I jumped continuing to dust the huge fire place.

"I have special guest coming tonight so prepare something good and lekker." He said he's voice not filled with Vernon.

Is this really Mr. De Ruiter...

"Don't just stare at me like a confused cockroach, get back to work." He yelled.

And his back !

Atleast he was in a good mood for five good seconds. These must be important guests, Mr. De Ruiter doesn't have much friends and even if he does he never invites them over. He is quite the loner although he will never admit it.

On my way to the kitchen i bumped into Thembi, she was the third maid in the De Ruiter mansion. She was two years older than me but I guess you could call her a friend from all the gossiping she tells me.

"De Ruiter is in a good mood huh ?" She smirked.

"Yes, I'm shocked." I said truthfully.

"I heard he's best friend is visiting with his son." She whispered.

"I never know what to belive when it comes to you Thembi." I continued making my way to the kitchen.

"This time I'm not lying." She said with haste.

"THEMBI, BRING MY COFFEE THIS MINUTE. DON'T MAKE IT TOO HOT NOR TOO COLD !!!" Mr. DE Ruiter yelled well you get used to the yelling because he does that more than he smiles.

"Please Felo please please." Thembi pleaded.

"But I did it the last time and only for it to be thrown in my face as hot as it was." I didn't even want to remember, luckily the coffee wasn't  that hot as Ruiter prefers more cold milk than hot water in his coffee or tea.

"I'm sorry but-"

"No I'm not." I said walking away. There was the mansion at the front and a small cottage for workers to stay in at the back. It wasn't as luxurious as the main house but it was better than the living conditions in Soweto. I worked a full work then on weekend I would be allowed to go home because I was black I needed to walk around with a Dom-Pass (a passport for non-whites). It was sincerely ridiculous how we had to carry passports like foreigners in our own land.

"Eita." Aldo greeted me. He was a coloured and very funny at times. He worked as at garden boy and ran some errands for Ruiter.

"Why you not come by me ?" He said in a strong Afrikaans tone. He had a gold tooth and wore a bucket hat almost every single day. I had never seen him without a hat only when he talked to Ruiter that's the only time he removed his hat.

"I'm busy,  Aldo." I waved at him making my way to the cottage, he winked and continued cutting the grass in his blue work suit. Thembi hated Aldo, so that was quite entertaining around here.

My life was basically a routine like I said. I'm not excited for anything new because this is me. I will probably work here forever, get married to a Zulu man and have five children then continue living in poverty. With apartheid system in South Africa  there will never be a way out for non-whites out of poverty...unlikely.

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