The silk scarf by: Ahmed Essop

Setting

Time: Last days of apartheid

Place: Oriental Plaza in Johannesburg

Main Characters

Mrs Nebo and Mr Sakur, Mrs Nebo was of middle height, with heavy loins, has privileged life and arrogant. She have a privileged life, because she do what ever she wants, because of her husband’s position and arrogant because she’s rude and thinks that she is very important than others. Mr. Sakur is an Indian businessman, proud of himself and has integrity. He is proud that he has his own shop with rules that will be applied by all and did not let his rules to be broken by the minister’s wife.

Plot

Mrs Nebo, the wife of the minister of Foreign Affairs of the new government, was shopping with her friend Margaret around the Oriental Plaza shops. Mrs Nebo found a silk scarf in Mr. Sakur’s shop called Moghul Boutique that she found very beautiful and matching with her dress. Mrs Nebo was not having enough money to pay for her scarf; therefore she decided to pay by cheque. The problem came in when Mr. Sakur refused Mrs Nebo’s cheque. Mrs Nebo was very angry and felt offended when Mr. Sakur refused her cheque.

Mrs Nebo thought she deserve respect as a wife of a minister and found it wrong to have a dispute with a poor man whom she found useless, have no say and have to adhere to what she is saying. Mr Sakur knew his rights and decided that his law of not accepting cheque in his store applies to all. Other traders were intimidated and find it very dangerous by offending the wife of an important politician. Lastly the traders decided to pay the scarf for Mrs Nebo and gave it to her.