we'll be there, mr. ben'sir, jonathan come to help me. ben hadn't seen jonathan. he turns to him.
he's working hard, mr. ben'sir, and your money will not be wasted. emily and me will always thank you.
u ya phi?
that's not why i'm complaining, mister ben, sir. if he did wrong, i'd beat him myself. but he didn't.
he did nothing and they wouldn't listen. they wouldn't believe him.
he says he wasn't doing anything wrong, mister ben, sir. and i believe him, i know my son! it's an injustice!
what does he know about court? before he knew, it was all over.
we can get a lawyer to appeal.
you don't understand, mister ben, sir. i don't want him to have a police record.
it will be there for the rest of his life and make it difficult for him to get a job in the future.
i'm not worried about the wounds. they'll heal in time, mister ben, sir. it's the wounds here. i worry about. injustice.  it festers. johan comes back with a small bottle of medicine.
are you sure it was jonathan they took away? the girl glances at her father. he coaxes her to talk.
he is our son.  we must find him.
you're a lawyer, julius!
when the boy was flogged he didn't help. why should he help him now?
i don't know, mister ben, sir -- the police took him.
they arrested many. they even deny they've got him. he's disappeared.
mister ben, sir. if it was me, all right. and if it was emily, all right. we are not young. but he's out child. my time and your time, it's passing. but the time of our children is coming. and now if they kill our children -- if we let them -- what is it that we lived for?
that day, mr. ben, sir, when they whipped jonathan, you also said we can do nothing. but if we had.  if someone heard what we had to say this would not have happened.
how did he die, mister ben, sir?
that's what they say. but i got to know for certain. how can i have peace? i must know how my son died and where they buried him.
i don't care what they say. he is my child. god is my witness today: i cannot stop before i know what happened and where he lies. his body belongs to emily and me. and drives away -- chugging across the field.  leaving ben -- helpless -- behind him -- watching. from his:
did they do that to you?
i want to know what happened to jonathan.
i have to know how he died.
'on the second day of our detention at john vorster square we were taken to one of the top floors. we were ordered to undress and they started to beat us with fists and sjamboks. this for a long time.'
'on one day me and jonathan'
'.  we were asked questions for the whole day and night by capt. stolz and different policemen -- they never stopped. they tried to force us to say we were the leaders at our school, that we were working for the a.n.c. and got money from overseas. capt. stolz wanted to know the names of the students committee and where he can find toni mtimkulu -- everytime they asked question, they beat us. it was bad beating.'
'we told them we had done nothing and didn't know about all the things they are asking us; on two occasion they put a wet bag over my head and i -- couldn't breathe -- i thought i was going to die. one day i heard jonathan being beaten. he was screaming and crying, and then a noise like tables and chairs being knocked down, and capt. stolz shouting "you bastard, get up, do you hear me?" ngubene, don't pretend here, get up." then the next day i heard he had gone to hospital and i never saw him again.' there's a long silence. gordon closes his eyes and struggles with his grief. emily sobs, robert looks on in anger. then, finally, gordon offers a pen to wellington, who is about to sign the foot of the state- ment, when.
that day, mister ben, sir, when they whipped jonathan, you also said we can do nothing. god as my witness today: i must know what happened and where he lies. his body belongs to emily and me. he mutters -- more a prayer than a curse.
please, i've done nothing. all i tried to do was to find.  stolz interrupts him with a blow to his face. as gordon drops his hands, the officer shouts to him.
hai!
i don't know anything about the
hai! hai! hai!
'my dear wife, you must not worry about me. i miss you and the children. you must look after them in the fear of the lord. i'm hungry, and i don't know what they want from me. but i think i'll be home some day. i think about' they are interrupted by a knock at the door. emily snatches the notes and stuffs them into her bosom. everyone is tense as emily slowly walks up to the door.
'my dear wife. i am still in these conditions.  worse.  and too much pain. they don't want to believe me. you must try to help me. they won't stop. you must care for the children. i don't know anymore if i will come home alive. they're very -- -- but god will provide. i love you and i miss you very much. try to help me because'