Sitting in the car with sadness

I’ve been trying to help my Malawian immigrant friend find some work in Johannesburg. Tonight we sat together in my car as I had to find the words to explain to him that the wealthy black family who I took him to see a week ago regarding a potential ‘piece job’ as a gardener were not interested.

“I don’t know how else to say this N, but it’s because you need to catch an uber to get there. They have a female domestic worker who walks there in the beginning of the week and walks home at the weekend. They told me they don’t want her to get any ‘special’ ideas if they see you arriving in an uber.”

Special ideas.

We looked at each other, my vision clouded with water.

“We thought apartheid was over, it’s just changed.”

“I’m so sorry my friend.”

We both sat in the car and had a little cry.

Photo by Emma Trevisan on Unsplash