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Bheki
John is a friend who Bheki starts bringing around Mrs. Curren’s home. Mrs. Curren does not like John; he is rude and, in her mind, likely to bring trouble. Still, Bheki brings him around anyway, leading to confrontation with the police, which lands John in the hospital. When John gets out of the hospital, he returns to Mrs. Curren’s home, where he stashes guns. One day, the police come knocking on Mrs. Curren’s door looking for John and, when they find him, they kill him.
John (Bheki’s Friend) Quotes in Age of Iron
The Age of Iron quotes below are all either spoken by John (Bheki’s Friend) or refer to John (Bheki’s Friend). 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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“Perhaps I should simply accept that that is how one must live from now on: in a state of shame. Perhaps shame is nothing more than the name for the way I feel all the time. The name for the way in which people live who would prefer to be dead.”
Shame. Mortification. Death in life.
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John (Bheki’s Friend) Character Timeline in Age of Iron
The timeline below shows where the character John (Bheki’s Friend) appears in Age of Iron. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 2
...has money to get drunk all the time. Meanwhile, Bheki has begun bringing one of his friend s from school around Mrs. Curren’s residence. One day, Vercueil asks Bheki’s friend to get...
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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 to...
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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 slept...
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...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 property. Mrs....
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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 behavior...
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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. Curren sees that...
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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 is...
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Once Bheki’s friend has left with the ambulance, Mrs. Curren goes looking for Florence. When she finds Florence,...
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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 hospital....
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...conditions improve. Moments later, Florence and Bheki return. They tell Mrs. Curren that they found Bheki’s friend in a room with several old people who are close to death. Florence is upset...
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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
...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, Mrs....
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Bheki’s friend asks her for money so he can return to Guguletu, but Mrs. Curren tells him...
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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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...wound and asks the boy about himself. The boy tells her that his name is John, though Mrs. Curren knows that John is not his real name. John tells Mrs. Curren...
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Later the same day, Mrs. Curren catches John doing something suspicious in Florence’s room. She watches as he removes a baseboard and stashes...
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...to see what is going on. There, she finds a group of police officers ordering John, who has locked himself in Florence’s old room, to come outside and surrender his weapons....
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...Curren lies down, and the officer questions Vercueil about someone named “Johannes” (which is presumably John’s real name). Mrs. Curren falsely claims ownership of the pistol that the detectives found in...
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...him to be careful. Then, she lies in bed and thinks about what happened to John. She wants to write but feels that she does not have the strength.
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