Africana Studies Commons^™

Some Things Remain, Deborah Aminifard

The Tuxedo Archives

It was raining the morning the trucks pulled up in front of their home, and the policemen, armed with rifles and batons, came to the front door. It was still dark when five year old Joanne, asleep in her bed, was awakened by loud pounding on the front door and a policeman shouting “ Maak julle oop!” in Afrikaans, “open up!” She listened as the policemen came in and began shouting at her mother, ordering her to gather her possessions, quickly, and put them on the truck. The door slammed shut and then there was silence. Joanne came out of …