The Afrikaner Read online

  THE AFRIKANER

  A NOVEL

  ESSENTIAL PROSE SERIES 161

  Guernica Editions Inc. acknowledges the support of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council. The Ontario Arts Council is an agency of the Government of Ontario.

  We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada.

  Arianna Dagnino

  THE AFRIKANER

  A NOVEL

  TORONTO • BUFFALO • LANCASTER (U.K.)

  2019

  Copyright © 2019, Arianna Dagnino and Guernica Editions Inc.

  All rights reserved. The use of any part of this publication, reproduced, transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise stored in a retrieval system, without the prior consent of the publisher is an infringement of the copyright law.

  Michael Mirolla, editor

  David Moratto, cover and interior design

  Cover image: Painting titled Ultimo orizzonte by Romano Dagnino

  Cover photo: Stefano Gulmanelli.

  Guernica Editions Inc.

  1569 Heritage Way, Oakville, (ON), Canada L6M 2Z7

  2250 Military Road, Tonawanda, N.Y. 14150-6000 U.S.A.

  www.guernicaeditions.com

  Distributors:

  University of Toronto Press Distribution,

  5201 Dufferin Street, Toronto (ON), Canada M3H 5T8

  Gazelle Book Services, White Cross Mills

  High Town, Lancaster LA1 4XS U.K.

  First edition.

  Printed in Canada.

  Legal Deposit — First Quarter

  Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2018956337

  Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

  Dagnino, Arianna, 1963-, author

  The Afrikaner / Arianna Dagnino.

  (Essential prose series ; 161)

  Issued in print and electronic formats.

  ISBN 978-1-77183-357-8 (softcover).--ISBN 978-1-77183-358-5 (EPUB).--

  ISBN 978-1-77183-359-2 (Kindle)

  I. Title. II. Series: Essential prose series ; 161

  PS8607.A279A74 2019C813’.6C2018-905027-6C2018-905028-4

  To “the rains down in Africa”

  and to my children, Morgana and Leonardo

  On ne voit bien qu’avec le cœur;

  L’essentiel est invisible pour les yeux.

  It is only with the heart that one can see rightly;

  What is essential is invisible to the eye.

  —ANTOINE DE SAINT-EXUPÉRY

  It is often in the most hidden of places

  that we find the richest and most interesting stories.

  —ANONYMOUS

  If I had done this, if I had said that,

  in the end you are always more tormented

  by what you didn’t do than what you did,

  actions already performed can always be rationalized in time, the neglected deed might have changed the world.

  —DAMON GALGUT

  CONTENTS

  GLOSSARY

  PROLOGUE

  1AN ENCOUNTER IN THE KAROO

  2DEATH

  3CANDLES IN THE NIGHT

  4THE FINISTÈRE

  5FAMILY SECRETS

  6THE BLACK PARTNER PARTNER

  7THE CURSE

  8UNDER THE BIG OAK TREE

  9AUNT ADÈLE

  10THE DECISION DECISION

  11RASTA SAM

  12ON THE ROAD

  13KALAHARI

  14THE CAMP

  15WITH NARRO’S PERMISS ION

  16THE INHERITANCE

  17BREATH OF THE MOON

  18A SHATTERED LIFE

  19THE CLASH

  20KOMA’S PROMISE

  21BACK HOME

  22THE GREEN DRESS

  23THE THIEF OF STORIES

  24SO NGS OF THE SIRENS

  25A DINNER INVITATION

  26NIGHT OF THE TRANCE

  27SO RROW

  28DISENCHANTMENT

  29THE MISSION

  30BENDING IN THE WIND

  31THE ANCESTOR FROM LANGEBAAN

  32ZANZIBAR

  33A BALCONY OVER THE WORLD

  34ON THE PIER

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  GLOSSARY

  Afrikaans (Afrikaans): The language descended from Dutch spoken by the Afrikaner in South Africa and Namibia. Earlier on, it was also known as “kitchen Dutch.” The emergence of Afrikaans as a language in the former Dutch colony of Cape Town in South Africa started as early as 1685. In 1925, it was recognized as an official language and was closely tied to apartheid. Afrikaans, like all other 10 national languages of South Africa, is now protected by the Constitution. About 7.2 million people speak Afrikaans as a native language, and a further 8-15 million speak it as a second language.

  Afrikaner (Afrikaans): A descendant of early settlers from northern Europe (mainly Calvinists from the Netherlands and, in much smaller percentages, religious refugees from France and Germany) who established themselves in the Western Cape area between 1652 and 1795, when the region was under the influence of the Dutch East India Company. See also, Boer.

  Ag! (Afrikaans): ‘Ah!,’ ‘Oh!,’ ‘Oh no!’

  Aia (Afrikaans): Nanny, ayah.

  Amagqira (Xhosa): Female shamanic healer.

  Asseblief (Afrikaans): ‘Please.’

  Baas (Afrikaans): Master, boss. Often used by Black or Coloured people when addressing Whites in positions of authority under apartheid.

  Bakkie (South African English, slang): A pick-up truck, a 4×4 with no rear hood.

  Baster (Afrikaans): An ethnic minority of Namibia; its members are the mixed-race descendants of early Dutch settlers and Khoikhoi women.

  Biltong (Afrikaans): Dried, salted and cured meat in strips.

  Bittereinders (Afrikaans): ‘The irreconcilables.’ Supporters of the Boer cause who wished to continue the fight during the commando phase of the Second Boer War (1899-1902) even though they knew their end was near.

  Bobotie (Afrikaans): Traditional Cape-Malay dish; a mix of curried ground meat, spice and fruit.

  Boer (Afrikaans): A ‘farmer’ of Dutch, German or Huguenot descent. Today, descendants of the Boers are commonly referred to as Afrikaners.

  Boerewors (Afrikaans): A popular, traditional sausage; usually a coarsely-ground mixture of beef and pork seasoned with various spices.

  Braai (Afrikaans): Barbecue.

  Coloured (English): Coloureds are people of mixed lineage with origins from Europe, Asia (in particular Malay slaves from Dutch colonies in the East Indies), and various Khoisan and Bantu tribes of Southern Africa.

  Dagga (Afrikaans): Slang name for cannabis, marijuana, weed.

  Dankie (Afrikaans): ‘Thank you.’

  Dorp (Afrikaans): Village.

  Duiker (Afrikaans): Small antelope native to Sub-Saharan Africa. Scientific name: Sylvicapra grimmia.

  eGoli (Sotho): ‘The place of gold’; the local name by which Johannesburg was known during the gold rush that led to the establishment of the city in 1886.

  Fokkin (Afrikaans): ‘Fucking.’

  Gemmerkoekies (Afrikaans): Ginger cookies.

  Gemsbok (Afrikaans): Oryx. Scientific name: Oryx gazella. A kind of antelope with long sable horns.

  Goed (Afrikaans): ‘Well,’ ‘Good.’

  Goeiemôre (Afrikaans): ‘Good morning.’

  Goeienaand (Afrikaans): ‘Good evening.’

  Goeienag (Afrikaans): ‘Good night.’

  Hadedah (South African English): A grayish brown African ibis.

  Hensoppers (Afrikaans): ‘Quitters’; lit., ‘hands uppers.’ Derogatory term by which Afrikaners would refer to those among them who, during the Second Ang
lo Boer War (1899-1902), surrendered or defected to the English usually doing so by raising their hands.

  Highveld (English, from Afrikaans hooge veld): The inland plateau of southern Africa, lying mostly between 1200m and 1800m above sea-level.

  Ja (Afrikaans): ‘Yes.’

  Ju/’Hoansi: A Bushmen tribe belonging to the !Kung group; its members inhabit the Nyae Nyae region (previously also known as Bushmanland), in north-eastern Namibia.

  Kaffir (Afrikaans): ‘Nigger’ (derogative). The term comes from the Arabic kafir, unbeliever.

  Karos (Khoikhoi and Afrikaans): Animal skin used as a saddlebag, blanket or garment.

  Khoisan (English): The name Khoisan is a blend of Khoikhoi and San, two groups who share similar cultures and languages. The Khoikhoi (also known as Hottentots), pastoralists, and the San (or Bushmen), hunter-gatherers, were the first inhabitants of the region south of the Zambezi River.

  Klim uit! (Afrikaans): ‘Get out!’

  Kokerboom (Afrikaans): Quiver tree. A succulent plant indigenous to southern Africa. Scientific name: Aloe dichotoma. It’s called kokerboom because the Khoisan would use their trunks to make quivers to hold their arrows.

  Kom (Afrikaans): ‘Come.’

  Koppie (Afrikaans): A small hill in a generally flat area.

  Kraal (Afrikaans): A traditional African village. Also, an enclosure for cattle or other livestock.

  !Kung: Bushmen of Northern Namibia who share the same language and customs. They are part of the San people who live mostly on the Western edge of the Kalahari Desert. The exclamation point in the !Kung’s name indicates that the “k” is pronounced with a click sound. Click sounds are distinctive of Khoisan languages.

  Laager (Afrikaans): Encampment. Traditionally, a camp or encampment formed by a circle of wagons lashed or chained together for defensive purposes; particularly an encampment of emigrant Boers (see, Trekboers).

  Loop (Afrikaans): ‘Go!’ ‘Walk!’ ‘Go ahead!’

  Mies (Afrikaans): Miss; a white woman, especially an employer.

  Mejuffrou (Afrikaans): Miss.

  Nagmaal (Afrikaans): Communion. In the Dutch Reformed churches, the sacrament of Holy Communion; the communion service; the occasion, usually four times a year, during which this service is held.

  Nee (Afrikaans): ‘No.’

  N/om: According to Bushmen’s lore, the energy source that gives life to the universe and to all its creatures.

  Noré (!Kung): The area traditionally inhabited by a Bushmen clan.

  Nou goed (Afrikaans): ‘It’s ok,’ ‘Well well.’

  Olifante (Afrikaans): Elephants.

  Oom (Afrikaans): Uncle. Used as a respectful or affectionate form of address for an elderly man, not necessarily referring to a blood relation.

  Ouma (Afrikaans): Grandma, old mum. Denoting a parent’s mother, or, informally, any other elderly woman.

  Ousus (Afrikaans): ‘Little sister.’ A term of affection.

  Ovambo (Pshiwambo): Ethnic group belonging to the Bantu peoples. The Ovambos are the largest ethnic group of Namibia.

  Padkos (Afrikaans): Food for the journey, provisions.

  Panga (Zulu and Kiswahili): Machete.

  Plaas (Afrikaans): Farm.

  Potjiekos (Afrikaans): A traditional Boer dish; a stew cooked in a three-legged cast-iron pot over an open fire.

  Predikant (Afrikaans): A minister of a Dutch Reformed church.

  Qat: Native plant to the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula whose leaves are traditionally chewed as a social custom. Its stimulant effects are analogous to the coca leaves in South America.

  Rooibos (Afrikaans): ‘Red bush’; a broom-like member of the Fabaceae family of plants growing in South Africa’s fynbos. Its leaves are used to make a caffeine free herbal tea.

  Rooi gevaar (Afrikaans): ‘The red peril.’ Communism. The perceived threat of international communism to the Afrikaner community of South Africa. The political tactic of encouraging an unreasonable fear of communism.

  San: See, Khoisan.

  Sangoma (Zulu): Shaman. Name given to Xhosa and Zulu traditional diviners.

  Shangaan (English): A member of people of Zulu and Tsonga origin.

  Shebeen (from the Irish síbín): Unlicensed drinking establishment usually located in townships during apartheid.

  Sjambok (Afrikaans): A long, stiff whip, formally cut from rhinoceros or hippo hide.

  Sotho: One of the eleven official ethnic groups of South Africa.

  Stoep (Afrikaans): Traditional terrace or veranda in Cape Dutch-style farmsteads.

  Swart gevaar (Afrikaans): ‘Black danger.’ A perceived threat posed by black people to whites.

  Totsiens (Afrikaans): ‘Till we meet again,’ ‘See you.’ An informal expression used on parting.

  Trekboere (Afrikaans): Wandering farmers.

  Tsamma (Nama): A bitter wild melon, of the species Citrullus lanatus, native to the Kalahari Desert.

  Tsonga (English): Bantu ethnic group of southern Africa.

  Tsotsitaal (South African English, slang): A mixed language mainly spoken in the townships of Gauteng province, such as Soweto. From Tsotsi (in the Nguni languages it means ‘criminal’ but also ‘street smart’) and Taal (‘language’ in Afrikaans).

  Tswana: Ethnic group belonging to the Bantu people.

  Uitlander (Afrikaans): Foreigner.

  Veld (Afrikaans): Open grassland or scrubland interspersed with trees.

  Volk (Afrikaans): People, members of a particular group.

  Waarom? (Afrikaans): ‘Why?’

  Welkom (Afrikaans): ‘Welcome.’

  Xhosa: A major sub-division of the Nguni group, comprising those peoples traditionally living in what is now the Eastern Cape Province.

  Yebo (Zulu): ‘Yes.’

  Zol (South African English, slang): A hand-rolled marijuana cigarette.

  Zulu (English): Bantu ethnic group of southern Africa and the largest ethnic group of South Africa.

  PROLOGUE

  “KLIM UIT!”

  The guy in the hood shouts the order in Afrikaans. Then he sees my blank stare and repeats it in English.

  “Get out of the caaar!! Move!!”

  The sparse street lamps shed a disquieting light, islands of incandescence exposing the city’s nakedness. On this night, just like many others, the city centre is deserted. There’s not a soul to be seen except for the three shadows now descending on me out of a world of darkness. I should have known it was coming: One can’t gamble with destiny for too long. Besides, “this is Jo’burg,” as everyone here is keen to remind me, “one of the most dangerous cities in the world.”

  My fault: absent-minded as usual, driving at night and stopping at the red light. They warned me about that too. Acquaintances, workmates, even people I had just met at the bar or a party would repeat it time and again, like a mantra to ward off bad luck — more for themselves than out of real concern for me. “In downtown, at night, red lights mean nothing. Slow down, but don’t ever stop. And always keep your eye on the rear-view mirror to see who’s coming.”

  What a way to go out! Four lines on page two of the Star among the daily victims of hijackings: “Dario Oldani, a young Italian researcher in South Africa for the past two years, was killed on the corner of Commissioner and Rissik Streets in the Central Business District. His car, a white Golf GTX, was stolen.”

  Somehow, I find myself out of the car with my arms thrust out in front of me on the hood. Someone is frisking me, rapidly and professionally.

  “I’m a foreigner,” I try explaining. “I’m not South African.”

  “Does it make you a better White?” the guy removing the wallet from my trouser pocket says.

  “Asshole!” another voice, muffled by a balaclava, shouts.

  With my head firmly pushed downwards, all I can see are the bottom halves of my aggressors’ coats and the Reeboks on their feet. Things are happening fast. Yet, I see them unfold as if in slow motion, each detail bursting full-blown in
my head.

  Suddenly, in the midst of the commotion, police sirens pierce the night.

  “Go! Go!” shouts one of the three hooded figures, already behind the wheel.

  The one who was frisking me jerks me back from the car. I stagger, then stumble on the pavement and fall to the ground with my face in the garbage, among the remains of a day spent on the street by ordinary people. All those faceless men and women peeling bananas, wrapping peanuts in old newspaper, smoking cheap cigarettes, peeing against the wall, sleeping on stone steps. I hear the screech of tires from somewhere not far off. The cavalry is closing in. Now I’ll wake up and think of this as just a bad dream. I will no longer have my car, but who cares: I’ll be alive, surveying the vast, intensely blue sky of another day on the Highveld.

  By now the three men are in the car. I’m pulling himself up, with an effort. In the fall, I must have twisted my ankle. I lean against the wall, half-bent in pain. I raise my eyes and, instinctively, turn towards the car already speeding away. The dim light of the street lamp reveals an arm coming out of the back window. The hand holds a gun, pointed at me. It fires.

  1

  AN ENCOUNTER IN THE KAROO

  NOTHINGNESS. SHE HAS been driving for hours on end across this nothingness. When she pulls to the side of the road and turns off the engine, the sun has already begun its red descent into the horizon. She steps out into the dry heat. The stony expanse of the Karoo stretches out for kilometres on end — illusory and timeless, like a de Chirico landscape. The stillness is broken only by the hushed breathing of the radiator. She walks away from the vehicle, oblivious to the scratches on her legs as she makes her way through the thorny bushes and the sharp yellow grass. She goes deep into her imaginary canvas, then stops. The sound of her footsteps fades out. There remains only silence. Deep, primordial silence. That’s all she is aching for.

  “Goeiemôre, Zoe.”

  She flinches. She has been sitting on her solitary rock for quite a while now, watching the sky veer into blood orange, and hasn’t heard any footsteps. The initial fright turns quickly into disbelief: that voice! Could it really be him?