Inner city blues, p.1
Inner City Blues, page 1
Inner City Blues
Copyright © 2016 Bakerman
Published by Bakerman at Smashwords
WARNING: This story and all its characters are make believe and not based on real people or real events. All characters depicted in this story are 18 years and older.
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ISBN: 9781310456299
Title: Inner City Blues
Author: Bakerman
Publisher: Smashwords, Inc.
Smashwords Edition License Notes
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Woodstock
The girls would be there in all types of weather and at all hours of the day or night. The ladies of the night or jintoes as they are called on the Cape Flats. Woodstock, in Victoria Road right up to where it changes into Sir Lowry Road, they would advertise their sexy selves. Unafraid of the police or Mother Grundies. There are plump ones and skinny ones. Ugly ones and beautiful ones. Tall ones and short ones. Old mamas and barely legal ones. Something for every taste.
Dante has been fascinated by these girls since he was a small boy growing up in Woodstock. There were several factors about them that intrigued him. The one fact was that the well-built ones never stayed well built for very long. They either changed into plump ones or skinny ones. The reason for this must have been the drugs and contraceptives they were using. Another fact was that they were immune to the icy winters of the Cape. In the coldest and wettest weather they would stand next to the road wearing only skimpy minis or hot-pants, see-through tops or sometimes just a bra. They would flash their wares to the gawking motorists, lifting a skirt to reveal a sexy pantie or a nicely cut bush of pubic hair. Or they would flash their lovely, round boobies and think nothing of it. Right there in Main Road, without worrying what people might think of them. And unafraid of the police, whom their pimps could easily bribe.
In happier days, when Dante and his family was still living in Woodstock, he actually knew some of these girls. He and his mother and sister left Woodstock after the tragedy. The tragedy that changed their lives forever.
The first fourteen years of his life, though, was spent in Woodstock. He knew almost everyone in the area. These street-girls are not as bad as people might think they are. Most of them are just ordinary girls who were forced into their lifestyle through circumstances. Politics, economics, culture and most of the time just plain bad luck.
Prostitution is one of the three legs of gangsterism on the Cape Flats. The other two are theft and drugs. Once a girl is under the control of the gangsters it is a life time commitment. There is no way out. Sure, there are many entrances into that way of life; all of which are very easy. BUT there is no way out. The one and only exit is death.
Before the nineties the gangs were localized on the Cape Flats. In the city and affluent surrounding suburbs criminal gangs were non-existent, because the police force was very effective. Each gang had its own territory which it controlled only where drugs and other crimes were concerned. The local would also control the shebeens within their respective territories.
But in the nineties and with the political changes in the country, the crime in South Africa became internationalised. The security services where transformed from professional First World organisations into corrupt and incompetent Third World organisations almost overnight. The borders were thrown open and criminals from all over the world flooded into South Africa. The gangs on the Cape Flats realised that if they don't work together, the incoming criminals would overrun them. They amalgamated to form, what they called The Circle. The local gangs were now international and could deal with The Mafia, the Japanese Yakuza, and the various Nigerian gangs, on their own terms.
But dealing on an international scale meant that they had to become absolutely ruthless. The Circle took over whole residential blocks on the Cape Flats. Everyone who lived in such a block was automatically part of the gang whether they wanted to or not. People's residences were used as store houses for the gang's drugs or other illegal items. Children were used as couriers or for stealing. Young girls would be made addicted to drugs and they would become either couriers or prostitutes for the gang. Money would be given freely to churches, sports- and social clubs in the residential block. This bred loyalty towards the gang and gang members could be sure of respectable witnesses, like pastors and directors of NGO's for their alibis whenever they had to appear in court.
All businesses in such a block had to pay protection money to The Circle. This money was utilised to further the aims of the gang.
Dante's father, who had a little corner café, flatly refused to pay any protection money. He had the mistaken idea that the Police would protect him against intimidation from the gang. What he didn't know was that the Police is also on the payroll of The Circle.
The enforcers came one late afternoon and killed his father in the shop in front of his customers. They wanted it to be a lesson not easily forgotten. Two of the enforcers held his father in an iron grip. A third one slowly slit his father's throat with a very sharp razor blade. For months after the murder Dante woke up screaming, as his father quivered and twitched to dead right in front of him and he could do nothing about it. An enormous pool of thick blood washed over the clean floor of his father's café, like a miniature sea late in the afternoon. He was only twelve years old at the time. Another enforcer held him as he screamed and struggled to get loose to help his father. Afterwards he had to spend three weeks in hospital and could only speak again the third week. His father's murderers were never arrested, although many people saw the murder and the killers are well known. Once again proving how tightly the police is working with The Circle.
After his father's brutal murder there was an unquenchable hate in his heart towards gangsters. It took him years, with lots of training and meditation to bring peace and tranquillity to his heart. He trained in different martial arts and told himself that he would never be a victim and he would never allow anybody close to him to become a victim ever again. His training in the oriental martial arts allowed the thoughts of revenge to flow out of his system. He learned that nothing can be accomplished by hate, but only by unconditional love. Although a dedicated follower of the system that the oriental martial arts led him into; he also knew that if gangsters should ever look for trouble with him he would show no mercy. But he would never go out to look for his father's murderers and take revenge on them. That was not the way that he was going to lead his life.
When they moved out of the area in 1992 he had to start all over in the new area. But he did well for himself. He is a well-respected Jujutsu Teacher at two of the most well-known Dojos in the Western Cape and since the age of nineteen he could pay for his own studies and look after his mother and sister. Not that they were poor. They had enough money from the sale of the house and the shop and also savings over the years.
The good memories of Woodstock, though, overwhelmed the one bad memory of the place and he always yearned to return to it and stay there for a while. To lie in bed and hear the low drone of the early morning traffic. And the people walking noisily down the street. And the smells of masala and vetkoek that drifted out of the houses into the street. He yearned for that. He was doing his final year at Zonnebloem College and decided to come stay with his aunt. His uncle had died recently and she was living alone in her big house. It would also save him a lot of travelling, because from Woodstock he could almost walk to Zonnebloem College.
And now - on his first day back in Woodstock - he is taking a leisurely stroll down Victoria Road. Just to have a look around and look up old friends. As he do window shopping at the many shops in the main road he suddenly sees a familiar face from his youth. More than just a familiar face, actually. She was his girlfriend - if you can call it that - when they were in Primary School. Roujina. He was twelve and she ten at the time.
Gangsters
He sees her as she walks on the other side of the road. She is wearing a loose red and orange floral dress with thin spaghetti bands. And she’s also wearing those flat sandals with the band around her legs. Her light brown hair is now cut shoulder length and it glistens in the late afternoon sun. He sees that she still has that devil-may-care walk of hers. That is what drew him to her many years ago when they were still in primary school. He tries to get to her across the street, but there are too many cars. He don't want to call out her name, because he wants to surprise her.
When he succeeds to get to the other side, though, she is long gone.
Just the sight of her made the love he always had for her, flame back on in his soul. They were not serious in those years - how could they be - but she was always very special to him. He always had many friends, but she was the only one he dreamt about at night.
He decides on the spot to go to her house. They live in the street next to where his aunt lives. He walks back to his bakkie (pick-up truck).
When he turns into Hercules Street he sees that the old Kismet bioscope had recently been demolished. There are still a few walls and pillars standing and the premises are littered with old red cl
While his thoughts drift to those memories he sees the sudden movement out of the corner of his eye. What seems like Roujina's bright floral dress gets pulled into one of the little alleys. Then he hears the loud scream.
He brings the bakkie to a halt and jumps out. He races silently over the demolished site and straight into the alley.
As he enters the half dark alley he immediately sees what is happening. One of the bergies had decided that Roujina is a perfect target to be robbed. Dante knows the bergie, because they were at school together.
"Green Eyes..." He screams. "Watse kak vang djy an." (What shit is this?) With the anger boiling in him now, he automatically changed into Kaapse Afrikaans (Cape Flats vernacular). Before the bergie can react Dante grabs Roujina's bag from him. Roujina is just standing there trembling, with tears coming from her eyes.
"Jina...it's me, Dante. Don't worry. Come with me." He tells the obviously frightened girl. Dante sees how very scared she is and he finds it strange. When they were children she was very strong willed and the Roujina he knew then would have fought Green Eyes tooth and nail, before allowing him to take her groceries. But now she is shivering with pure fear, although the bergie is very thin and it wouldn't be difficult to fight him.
"Sorry, Dante." The bergie says: "Ek maake joke mettie kind. Djy wietdan Jina is my kind."(I’m just playing with Jina. You know very well Jina is my girl.)
Dante puts his arm around Roujina and starts to lead her out of the alley, when the entrance becomes dark. Two men - unknown to Dante - now block the entrance as they approach.
'GREEN EYES, VIR WAT LAT DJY VIR JOU VERTEL? WIE IS DIE DING? HUH, WIE IS DJY." (Green eyes, why are you allowing someone to order you around. Who are you?)One of the men shouts at Green Eyes and at Dante.
Dante has never seen the men before, but he has been living long enough on the Cape Flats to know that they are gangsters. These are the low lives of the gang. More street scum, than street soldiers, but still gangsters. They do all the dirty and dangerous work. They are also the ones that will confess to a crime and go to jail if someone higher up needs to be protected. But they are just as dangerous as their bosses. Dante sees in the casual and relaxed way in which they move that they are used to getting what they want. They know that people are scared of them and they are used to making and breaking as they please. The one who is speaking looks with pure hatred on his face at Dante and Roujina, while little drops of spit comes out of his mouth.
"DIS ÔSE TERRITORY DIE...DIS ÔSE KINNERS DIE...HIER ROB ÔS SOES ÔS WILL...DJY HET FOKO..." (This is our territory. These are our girls. Here we rob as we please. You have got no say around h…), before he completes the word Dante hits him with his fisted hand through the face. Very hard. Blood and pieces of teeth explode from the gangster's face. It happens so fast that Green Eyes and the other gangster don't have time to react. With one smooth and continuous motion Dante kicks the other gangster against the side of his head. He falls down like a wet rag.
While the gangster is still falling, Dante is already back with the first gangster. Dante hits him again, this time in the stomach. The gangster curls up as he falls down to the ground. Then Dante starts kicking him - in a very methodical manner - all over his body. The kicks are calculated to make him bleed internally and to activate painful sensations all over his body. The pain that Dante creates feels like being dipped in molten metal. It is clear that Dante means business now. There is a loud crunching sound as Dante kicks the loudmouth gangster's nose bone into splinters. Thick red blood oozes out of the broken nose. Dante kicks down on his face, breaking skin and bone.
"Jou nai..." (You fuck…) The gangster screams at Dante. He struggles to get up but Dante pushes him down to the ground again. Then Dante picks up a piece of wood that is lying in the alley and start hitting the gangster systematically all over his body until his clothes and most of his skin are in bloody tatters. This is to put a fear into the assailant’s mind that will stay there for years. Green Eyes and Roujina looks down at the bloodied gangster as he becomes still and quiet. Their eyes are big and scared. They never saw anything like this before.
Dante points the now bloody piece of wood at the other gangster who didn't get up yet.
"En jy, Poes...wil jy nog iets gesê het?" (And you, fucker…did you also wanted to tell me something?)
The second gangster limps quickly out of the alley without uttering a word.
"Green eyes, as ek vir jou of die gemors ooit weer naby Roujina vang, donner ek jou dood." He aims at Green Eyes with the piece of wood, before he throws it down and guides Roujina out of the alley of the demolished building to his bakkie.
Back with Roujina
"You killed him, Dante." Roujina says as he opens the door of the bakkie for her. She is still shivery and looks very scared. All the years that he knew Roujina he never saw her scared. He can still remember at school she was always the first one that would start trouble. She would never stand back from a fight and many of the fights she was involved in, were fights that she started herself. And she wasn't scared of anything or anyone.
"Don't worry - I didn't kill him. The pain and also all the bandages he will be wearing for the next few weeks will make him think twice before he makes trouble for anyone again."
"Where did you learn to fight like that? I could hardly see what you were doing, you were moving so fast. But I could feel the power of the blows even where I was standing. I don't think they have ever been hit as hard as that. You are fighting like they do in the movies."
"Ja, well...I learned a few moves over the years..." he laughs.
"And you didn't even look angry. It was like you were in a completely different world while you were beating Hariem up."
She takes a tissue from the box that he always keeps on the dashboard of his bakkie and blows her nose.
"Do you know these guys, then?” he asks her.
"Yes - it is Hariem and Joker. They are all part of The Circle. Ek’s bly djy't hom so lekker gedonner. Hy soek altyd kak met my." (I’m glad you fucked them up like that. They are always looking for shit with me.)
"En waar pas Green Eyes in. Hy's mos nie 'n gangster nie." (But how does Green Eyes get in the picture? He’s not a gangster?”
"The Circle controls everything and everyone around here. The bergies are the eyes and the ears of the gang. They move around a lot and knows what is going on everywhere. And the gangsters supply them with all the cheap wine and spirits that they could ever want. Green Eyes is also a Tik user now, so the gang has a much bigger hold over him."
