Jump and Other Stories

A middle-aged White man, a leftist with a long history of political activism, returns to South Africa. He enters the country legally but is wary of being arrested for his views and actions. He goes to public events and tries to blend in: “Perhaps this is freedom? Something secret, internal, after all? But philosophizing is another danger, in his situation, undermining the concept of freedom for which he has risked discovery and imprisonment yet again” (184-85). He takes a bus and sits next to a well-dressed woman with expensive jewelry. Her car broke down, and she’s taking the bus home, something she hasn’t done in a long time. She lives in the nearby suburbs but doesn’t know which stop to get off on. She also doesn’t have a bus ticket for the attendant when he comes by. The leftist gives her an extra bus ticket and helps her reach her neighborhood. She wonders if she can trust him. She takes comfort in his being White, like her, so she invites him over for a drink. Her house is extravagant, spacious, and staffed with helpers.

Her name is Sylvie. Her sons are away at boarding school, and her husband travels for work. The man makes up a persona for himself. He gives his name as Harry and says he’s a construction engineer. They exchange information, and Harry starts to come over more often. They eat, drink, and converse. They swim in her pool. When they get out, Harry embraces Sylvie, pressing himself against her. She holds onto him, and then they break apart. Harry apologizes and prepares to leave, but Sylvie invites him to stay. They have sex that night, and an affair begins. Harry visits nightly. So much of their lives are still unknown to each other, but they are content to let those mysteries linger.

Harry stops visiting Sylvie. Other activists are being interrogated, and he’s seen his other aliases mentioned in the paper. He tries to find a safe place to stay, but the government is closing in on him, so he visits Sylvie one last time. Her husband is coming home, but they can have one more night together. They make love again, the passion and intimacy still strong between them. She wonders what his story is, what he might be running away from, but he knows she’ll never guess he’s an activist. Harry flees to a small town but is caught soon after. He looks forward to seeing his other comrades in prison. He wonders if Sylvie will learn what happened to him, but he doubts it. She doesn’t read the papers. She thinks she’s safe and disconnected from the world in her house.

A young Black man tries to hitch a ride. He sees White people drive by and doubts anyone will stop for him. Too much crime has occurred over the years, and he feels White people don’t trust Black people anymore. He’s surprised, then, when a nice car pulls over with a young White driver and an elderly White woman: “And I’m careful what I say, I tell them about the blacks, how too many people spoil it for us, they robbing and killing, you can’t blame white people” (214). The woman is friendly, and she strikes up a conversation. The young Black man is from Cape Town but was forced to move away because of apartheid. He’s traveling to Pietersburg for work and hopes to send money back to his family. He lies at times, hoping to sound more sympathetic. It works, and they offer to take him all the way to Pietersburg. They’re more trusting than he expects. They leave their things in the backseat with him, and they offer other rides along the way.

The Black man falls asleep, and the driver and elderly woman talk about him. The driver, originally from England, is surprised at the way the Black man speaks about other Black people. The woman doesn’t classify him as Black: “Oh no he’s not. Couldn’t you see the difference? He’s a Cape Coloured. From the way he speaks English—couldn’t you hear he’s not like the Africans you’ve talked to?” (218). She gives her driver a summation of South African politics, the complicated mixture of different races, and the dehumanizing nature of segregation policies. The woman knows the Black man lied about some of his background but understands he feels pressured to do so to be treated with kindness.

They double-check the Black man is still sleeping. They talk about his missing front teeth. Rumors say young Black women get their teeth removed to perform oral sex, and the woman teases that maybe he did the same. The two joke about sexual stereotypes regarding Chinese women, Black women, Jewish women, and Black men. The elderly woman also considers the man lost his teeth in an accident or a fight. They reach Pietersburg and wake up the Black man. He sits up, startled, and thanks them profusely, making sure to be overly polite. As he leaves, the woman gives him some money. He hasn’t eaten since yesterday, and she’s glad he can buy some food. She’s glad, too, that it’s Sunday. The bars are closed, and he won’t be able to spend the money on alcohol.