The Contract

Eleven and Twelve Signatures

After a couple of hours, I’m already in Africa. My phone’s battery is very low, so I needed to find a payphone to call to the Philippines. I walked carrying my knapsack; it’s kind of a big one like a bag of a soldier. It’s not that heavy though, so it’s not a problem. The real problem is, it’s so hot that the water in my body is so drained. I decided to go to a grocery store and buy water.

                I found a payphone nearby, when I picked up the phone, something strange happened.

“ARE YOU DARK OR VERY LIGHT?” said the lady on the phone. I’m now watching two persons talking through the phone. It’s like a dream though. “ARE YOU DARK? OR VERY LIGHT?” she repeated. You’re hurting someone here lady? And he’s black, so what?

“You mean-- like plain or milk chocolate?” The lady didn’t answer. “West African sepia”, said the guy again.” WHAT’S THAT? DON’T KNOW WHAT THAT IS”.

“Like brunette”, he said. “THAT’S DARK, ISN’T IT?.Ahh seriously, does this lady know how to respect people? Why does she need to specifically know if the person is black or white?        “Not altogether. Facially I’m brunette, but madam you should see the rest of me. Palm of my hand, soles of my feet, is a peroxide blond.” The guy is being sarcastic now. “Friction caused—foolishly, madam—by sitting down, has turned my bottom, raven black…” The lady was about to hang up… “One moment madam! Madam, wouldn’t you rather see for yourself?” he pleaded.

But the lady hangs up. The heavy breathing of the guy sounded like failure. I didn’t know why the lady was asking if the guy is black or white. What’s the difference, I mean except for the color, they are both humans. Are the blacks dangerous or something? Racial discrimination…Uhmm, poor guy, it’s not his fault he is born as a black person. Why do the whites have to make them feel like they don’t belong in this world? But the guy earlier was unbelievable. He did not got angry of how the lady talked to him, he even tried to outwit the lady. That guy is strong, critics did not drive him mad, and he remained calm to the very end of the conversation. 

I walked down the street and found myself tired in a park. I went to sit in a bench, when I noticed that there were so many people gathering around the other bench.

“GET OFF THIS BENCH, SWINE!”

There was no answer.

“I SAID GET UP, CAN’T YOU HEAR ME YOU BLACK SWINE!”

Still there was no answer.

I stood up and looked who the guy was yelling at. And there I saw another black person who is being treated like an alien by these people.

“I will call a policeman, rather than to kick a Hot not like you! You can’t even open your black jaw when a white man speaks to you.”

The black guy still didn’t talk, he stayed sitting there as if he doesn’t care what a big fuss he has made. People are collecting now.

“Look at the black ape! That’s the worst of giving these Kaffirs too much rope.”

If I were the guy, I would kick the ass of this white guy.

The policeman came; he is now towering over him. “Hey, get up there! Can’t you read?

Silence

 “What’s your name and address?”

Still the guy remained silent and still.

“You have no right to talk to this man in that manner” said the lady from the crowd.

“Mind your own business! I’ll ask help when I need it. It is people like you who make these Kaffirs think they are as good as the white people!” He turned to the guy “Get up, you!”

“I insist that you treat him with proper respect”

The policeman, who has now turned red, was at loss for words.

“Kick up the Hot not if he won’t get up” shouted a spectator.

Rudely a white man laid hands on the guy. “Get up you bloody bastard.”

There is more than one man, now pulling at him, he hit wildly, and another fist landed at his face. The officer put handcuffs in his wrists and cleared a way out through the crowd. The guy struggled, and another blow landed on him. Suddenly, he relaxed and smiled.

“Come on swine” said the policeman forcing him through the crowd.

“Certainly” said the guy for the first time and he stared at the policeman with arrogance.

I saw achievement in the guy’s eyes. But why would he do that. He sat in a bench for the whites, he let them laid their hands on him, and at the end he smiled, like ha had done something good.

To fight a hundred battles and win a hundred is not supreme excellence; what would be more supreme is breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting. That’s it..the guy earlier made the white men angry because he did not talk back, he just remained calm. That’s why he smiled. The whites think that they are better than the blacks, but he made them lose temper by just sitting there. He showed that he can control his emotion, and he is brave to show the white people that he too, has the right to live normally and do whatever he wants to do.

I stood there until the crowd is gone. A young girl came to me and said “Mr Rive and Mr.Soyinka want you to have this” I was shocked when I open the two letters that the girl gave to me. It has a signature on it.