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Vercueil
Bheki is the son of Mrs. Curren’s housekeeper, Florence; he represents the new generation of Black South Africans deeply affected by the injustices of the Apartheid regime. The novel introduces him as a rebellious teenager with a strong desire for social justice. Although Mrs. Curren assumes he is too young and naïve to understand what he is getting himself into, she appears mistaken in her judgement. Bheki knows exactly how dangerous and important the fight against Apartheid is for his future, which is why he dedicates himself to the cause. Unfortunately, his resistance results in his brutal death: police kill him in Guguletu.
Bheki Quotes in Age of Iron
The Age of Iron quotes below are all either spoken by Bheki or refer to Bheki. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 2 Quotes
“They work with the police,” said Bheki. “They are all, the same, the ambulances, the doctors, the police.”
“That is nonsense,” I said.
“Nobody trusts the ambulance any more. They are always talking to the police on their radios.”
“Nonsense.”
He smiled a smile not without charm, relishing this chance to lecture me, to tell me about real life. I, the old woman who lived in a shoe, who had no children and didn't know what to do. “It is true,” he said—“listen and you will hear.”
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Chapter 3 Quotes
The inside of the hall was a mess of rubble and charred beams. Against the far wall, shielded from the worst of the rain, were five bodies neatly laid out. The body in the middle was that of Florence’s Bheki. He still wore the grey flannel trousers, white shirt and maroon pullover of his school, but his feet were bare. His eyes were open and staring, his mouth open too. The rain had been beating on him for hours, on him and his comrades, not only here but wherever they had been when they met their deaths; their clothes, their very hair, had a flattened, dead look. In the corners of his eyes there were grains of sand. There was sand in his mouth.
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I tell you the story of this morning mindful that the storyteller, from her office, claims the place of right. It is through my eyes that you see; the voice that speaks in your head is mine. Through me alone do you find yourself here on these desolate flats, smell the smoke in the air, see the bodies of the dead, hear the weeping, shiver in the rain. It is my thoughts that you think, my despair that you feel, and also the first stirrings of welcome for whatever will put an end to thought: sleep, death. To me your sympathies flow; your heart beats with mine.
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What did I want? What did the old lady want? What she wanted was to bare something to them, whatever there was that might be bared at this time, in this place. What she wanted, before they got rid of her, was to bring out a scar, a hurt, to force it upon them, to make them see it with their own eyes: a scar, any scar, the scar of all this suffering, but in the end my scar, since our own scars are the only scars we can carry with us.
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Bheki Character Timeline in Age of Iron
The timeline below shows where the character Bheki appears in Age of Iron. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 2
...housekeeper, returns to Mrs. Curren’s residence with her two young daughters and her teenage son, Bheki. This is the first time Bheki has come with Florence, and Mrs. Curren asks if...
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...Florence has to do most of the work anyway. Mrs. Curren thinks about how much Bheki has grown since she first met him. She asks Florence about why he is not...
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...advantage of the fact that he has money to get drunk all the time. Meanwhile, Bheki has begun bringing one of his friends from school around Mrs. Curren’s residence. One day,...
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The incident ends with Vercueil and Bheki’s friend hitting each other. Mrs. Curren sees what is going on and goes to complain...
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...the incident, Florence refuses to say who she was talking to. Mrs. Curren asks if Bheki’s friend stayed in the house last night. Florence admits that Bheki and his friend both...
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...place. The police spot Mrs. Curren and come up to her. They ask her about Bheki and his friend, and whether or not she gave them permission to be on her...
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When Mrs. Curren returns inside, she tells Florence to get rid of Bheki’s friend because he has brought police surveillance to her house. She worries his presence and...
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Determined to take control of her house, Mrs. Curren begins working on the issue of Bheki’s friend, who is still staying on her property. She tells Bheki that she does not...
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In the meantime, Bheki and his friend ride together on a bicycle, with Bheki sitting on the handlebars. Mrs....
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...and tells Mrs. Curren that she does not want the help of an ambulance. However, Bheki’s friend is in a rough state. He has a bad cut on his forehead and...
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Once Bheki’s friend has left with the ambulance, Mrs. Curren goes looking for Florence. When she finds...
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Later the same day, Bheki’s friend’s grandmother calls Mrs. Curren’s house asking about her grandson. She says that she could...
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Mrs. Curren questions a receptionist, who insists there is no record of Bheki’s friend at the hospital. The receptionist suggests that she go to Groote Schuur, a different...
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...on principle and will not return until the social conditions improve. Moments later, Florence and Bheki return. They tell Mrs. Curren that they found Bheki’s friend in a room with several...
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...Mrs. Curren and Vercueil go back to the hospital so Mrs. Curren can check on Bheki’s friend. Bheki’s friend does not like that Mrs. Curren has come to see him and...
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...also spends some time talking to local law enforcement to try and get justice for Bheki’s friend. However, she does not get very far. The authorities tell her that she cannot...
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Chapter 3
...demands to speak with Florence. Mrs. Curren is unsure of exactly what is wrong, but Bheki seems to be involved. Mrs. Curren offers to take Florence to Guguletu to search for...
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...will act as their escort. They leave Hope and Beauty behind to go looking for Bheki. Mr. Thabane says he is not sure exactly where Bheki has gone. He also warns...
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...step away from it. Mr. Thabane tells Mrs. Curren that the man is one of Bheki’s friends. However, Mrs. Curren no longer cares about finding Bheki; she just wants to leave...
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...takes Mrs. Curren back to Florence, and Mrs. Curren asks Florence if she has located Bheki. Florence nods her head without saying a word and then steps away from Mrs. Curren....
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...alcohol loosen her tongue, and she starts trying to tell Vercueil about what happened to Bheki. This leads to a monologue from Mrs. Curren about the suffering of Black people in...
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...through her kitchen and wonders if Vercueil has returned. When she goes downstairs, she sees Bheki’s friend in her kitchen. Bheki’s friend asks Mrs. Curren where he can find Bheki. Frightened,...
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Bheki’s friend asks her for money so he can return to Guguletu, but Mrs. Curren tells...
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From the moment she first met him, Mrs. Curren disliked Bheki’s friend. However, she offers him food and a warm bed because she fears what will...
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The following day, Bheki’s friend asks Mrs. Curren for antiseptic because he fell off his bike and hurt his...
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