Cry for the broken tribe, for the law
and the custom that is gone. Aye, and cry aloud for the man who
is dead, for the woman and children bereaved. Cry, the beloved country.
. . .
See Important Quotations Explained
Summary — Chapter 10
While waiting to go to Shanty Town, Kumalo spends time
with Gertrude and her son. He and Gertrude have little to say to
each other, but he takes comfort in telling his small nephew about
Natal, and Gertrude finds a friend in Mrs. Lithebe. In Shanty Town,
Kumalo and Msimangu ask a nurse about Absalom’s whereabouts. The nurse
sends them to Mrs. Hlatshwayo, with whom Absalom was staying. She
tells them that Absalom was sent to the reformatory. As they walk
to the reformatory, Msimangu tries to comfort Kumalo, saying that
he has heard good things about the reformatory. To Msimangu’s surprise,
Kumalo asks him what he spoke about with Mrs. Mkize, Absalom’s landlady
in Alexandra. Msimangu reveals that she told him that Absalom and
John’s son often came home late with bundles of white people’s possessions.
At the reformatory, a young white man tells Msimangu
and Kumalo that Absalom was a model student, but that he was discharged
a month earlier because of his age, good behavior, and the frequent
visits from his pregnant girlfriend. Despite Kumalo’s worry that
the young man will be unsympathetic to a black man who speaks no
Afrikaans, the young man is quite helpful. He promises to take Msimangu
and Kumalo to Absalom’s new home in Pimville, where, the young man
says, Absalom is saving money and preparing to marry his girlfriend.
The young man, Msimangu, and Kumalo go to Absalom’s house in
Pimville, where Absalom’s girlfriend, still a child herself, tells them
that Absalom left the house a few days earlier and has not yet returned.
Kumalo asks her what she will do, but before she can respond, Msimangu
speaks harshly to the girl and tells Kumalo that her problem is
one that Kumalo cannot solve. When Kumalo protests that she carries
his grandchild, Msimangu scoffs at the idea and wonders out loud
how many other children Absalom may have. After informing them that
Absalom has been absent from work for many days, the young man leaves
them at the gates of Orlando, where Msimangu apologizes to Kumalo
for his unkind words. Kumalo forgives him and asks Msimangu to take
him back to the girl.
Summary — Chapter 11
Msimangu persuades Kumalo to take a few days’ rest while
Msimangu goes to Ezenzeleni, a colony for the blind. Kumalo and
Msimangu then enjoy a quiet evening at the Mission House with Father Vincent,
who listens to Kumalo’s stories of Natal and tells them about his
native England. The tranquil evening is shattered, however, when
another priest enters with a newspaper whose front page announces
the murder of Arthur Jarvis, a white engineer and crusader for the
rights of black South Africans. Jarvis, the paper reports, was at
home with a cold when intruders knocked out his servant and shot
him at close range. The paper states that there are no leads, but
police hope the unconscious servant will be able to furnish some
information upon awakening. The paper also states that Jarvis was
in the midst of writing his treatise on “The Truth About Native
Crime” when he was murdered. The article closes by saying that Jarvis
leaves behind a widow and two children—a nine-year-old son and a
five-year-old daughter.
Kumalo remembers seeing Arthur as a boy, small and bright, with
his father—the Jarvis farm overlooks Ndotsheni. He is weighed down
by a sudden, inexplicable fear. Msimangu tries to reassure him that
the odds of any connection between Absalom and the murder are small,
but Kumalo is inconsolable and too tired even to pray.
Summary — Chapter 12
A speaker notes that no one can enjoy the beauty of South
Africa amid so much violence. The speaker adds that throughout the nation,
thousands of voices cry out what must be done. This speaker argues
that there should be more police, and another speaker argues that
if black Africans had more rights, there would be less crime. Some
advocate that more schools be built in the black districts, where
fewer than half the children go to school, but others say that schooling
blacks only produces criminals who are more clever. The pass laws,
which require native South Africans to carry permits in white areas,
might work, says one man, but his friend counters that these laws
can’t be enforced and imprison innocent people. Some argue for greater
segregation, others for greater education and opportunities. Disagreement
is the only certainty, and the white population lives barricaded
behind their fear.
