{"id":1966,"date":"2013-04-15T04:38:14","date_gmt":"2013-04-15T04:38:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.everywritersresource.com\/shortstories\/?p=1966"},"modified":"2013-12-30T17:49:13","modified_gmt":"2013-12-30T17:49:13","slug":"the-white-suit-by-marijke-hillmann","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.everywritersresource.com\/shortstories\/the-white-suit-by-marijke-hillmann\/","title":{"rendered":"The White Suit by Marijke Hillmann"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"africa\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The White Suit<\/h1>\n

by Marijke Hillmann<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

992 – A small village in Limpopo Province – South Africa<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

In round-eyed wonder Vusi stares at the telegram: \u201c\u2026\u2026.bursary application – BSc Mining Engineering\u2026\u2026..invited to attend 3-day selection programme in Johannesburg\u201d.<\/p>\n

The high school certificate with 2 distinctions is safely tucked away underneath his brother\u2019s white wedding suit in the borrowed suitcase. He climbs into the mini-bus taxi and jostles the 600 km to the big city along with 23 other jobseekers and returning domestic workers.<\/p>\n

That evening in the mining company training centre he hangs the white suit on the door handle of the bedroom wardrobe.<\/p>\n

It is worn the next day when the company bus takes all bursary hopefuls for a visit to the gold mine. They descend into the deep, hot and noisy bowels of the earth.<\/p>\n

Carefully folded in a locker the white suit awaits Vusi\u2019s return to the change house.<\/p>\n

Sweating profusely, the applicants take a shower, get dressed and subdued they leave for the centre at midday.<\/p>\n

The next day Vusi undergoes a medical examination at the mine hospital and writes a series of aptitude and cognitive tests, the white suit by now somewhat the worse for wear.<\/p>\n

On the final day he attends a panel interview. Donned in his creased white suit he stands before a five-man delegation and waits patiently until he is asked to sit down. Eyes respectfully downcast he answers their questions and stammers: \u201ceehh\u2026\u2026in ten years\u2019 time? I want to earn money for my family. \u2026..\u201d<\/p>\n

One week later another telegram arrives: \u201cUnfortunately\u2026..unsuccessful\u2026\u201d The white suit on the wire hanger is returned to its rightful place on the rusty hook in his brother\u2019s shack.<\/p>\n

One year later the white suit makes its very last journey when Vusi\u2019s brother succumbs to AIDS.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The White Suit by Marijke Hillmann<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[86],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1966","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-featured"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t