The Other Sister
by
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“But how can you expect me to part with the child that I gave birth to. She is mine. Don’t you understand – MINE.”
“I am aware of that Mrs. Hendersen, but the law still stands that blacks, whites, coloureds and Indians are to be segregated and must live in different community locals.”
“Sergeant, this is my property, private property that belongs to me, so what right has the government to impose its authority on private property. Surely that is regarded as trespassing? The government has no right…”
“The law governs the status of its inhabitants Mrs. Hendersen. It is my duty to relieve you of this child and hand her over to the child welfare who will find a foster home for her in the coloured community.”
“Ay, no Seh. You can’t do thees thing. Ees bad. He’s our baby. Not go to
“I’m afraid neither of you have a say in the matter.”
Estelle could see that it was absolutely useless trying to talk their way through this mess. She was too distraught to even think straight at this moment. Tears streamed down her face while Nina stood rigid. Nina did not understand what was going on, but knew it concerned her and the situation was badly wrong. Then Estelle composed herself and asked Ntombi to take Nina to the kitchen and make tea for all of them.
“Do you intend taking her away directly Sergeant?”
“That is my duty ma’am.”
“I would like to consult with a lawyer. Could you give me a week please?”
“It’s not going to help the matter Mrs. Hendersen. It will be better for the child in the long run. I’m sure you are already experiencing difficulty with schooling,” the sergeant appeared to be softening a little. He realised that through some quirk of nature this woman
had given birth to a coloured child and now she was faced with the fact that she had to be separated from her – completely. “Mrs. Hendersen, I am a family man and…”
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About the Book
Apartheid in
This story although completely fictional, brings home some of the hardships and cruelty a small coloured girl and her white mother have to endure during her upbringing. However when Estelle meets Alex, things change for the better for Nina in some respects. Later after many revelations Estelle and Alex realize that Nina’s and her mother’s lives would have been different without the pressures, rules and regulations that Apartheid had in place at the time.
About the Author
Nan Spurway was born in Durban, KwaZulu Natal, south Africa. During her school life she also lived in Zimbabwe, Swaziland, the Orange Free State and Transvaal (now Gauteng). Her writing career began four years ago during a long convalescence after being very ill with hepatitis. She is at present studying Visual Arts at UNISA University in Pretoria. Writing is her first passion and paints for relaxation, both of which take her traveling around South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.