A CITY OF THE DEAD, A CITY OF THE LIVING By Nadine Gordimer

A CITY OF THE DEAD, A CITY OF THE LIVING

By Nadine Gordimer

Samson Moreke, his wife Nanike, and their baby live in No. 1907 Block C, in the Sub-Economic Township of black Johannesburg. They also have a woman lodger living with them, and a family living in an attached garage. Moreke works in the city as an itinerant gardener. Across the street is a shebeen, run by a woman who knows everything about everybody. One Sunday evening, after a visit from her cousin Mtembu and some of his friends, her husband informs Nanike that Mtembu's light-skinned friend will be staying with them a while. He has been involved with the blowing up of a police station. Moreke tells her he will stay only for a couple of days, and then will leave the country. Nanike relents. The other tenants are told that the man, who calls himself Shisonka, is Nanike's cousin, who has come to look for work. He never goes out of the house; Nanike brings him whatever he needs. Moreke speaks with the man every night, in his and Nanike's bedroom, often about racial politics. During the day she and the baby are alone with him. He has a gun that only she sees. Moreke doesn't hear from Mtembu. The weekend is approaching. He tells Moreke that he and Nanike can have no visitors on the weekend. They must stay locked in the house. They are inside all Saturday and Sunday. Sunday afternoon Nanike goes up to the man and tells him she must go out to the store to buy milk for the baby. Instead she walks to the police station and tells them about the man. Later she says she doesn't know why she did it. A week after the man was taken away that Sunday by security police the shebeen-keeper sees Moreke's wife in their street. She gazes at Nanike for a moment, and spits.

 (Source unknown) 

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