Parts Unknown by Zirk van den Berg

Author:Zirk van den Berg
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kwela
Published: 2018-08-15T11:59:23+00:00

* * *

The schoolmaster smelled of cologne, noticeable even when he stood at the door, raising his hat. He wore dark trousers and black shoes, a white shirt and a tie, much like Pitzer himself. A side parting had been forced into his kinky hair. ‘Good morning, doctor. I believe you want to see me,’ he said in perfectly modulated German.

Over the man’s shoulder, Pitzer saw a small gathering of townsfolk, mostly women, apparently looking for shelter under a tree that yielded none in the slanted morning sun.

‘Yes. Thank you for coming.’

‘Feldwebel Dudeck came to see me at school yesterday. He made a compelling case.’ The schoolmaster stuck out his hand. ‘I’m Alvaus Luipert.’

‘I’m Doktor Pitzer.’ Rather than shake the man’s hand, he picked up a pair of callipers.

‘How can I be of service?’

‘You need to get undressed, so I can take some measurements.’

Alvaus Luipert nodded slowly. He stepped towards Pitzer, took one of the chairs against the wall and drew it closer. Then he took off his jacket and hung it over the back, before sitting down and taking off his shoes.

Pitzer saw the yellow silk lining inside the shoe, the familiar red print. ‘Where do you get those?’

‘I order them from Berlin, Wilhelm Breitsprecher.’

Shoemakers to the Kaiser. How could an African schoolmaster afford those? How did he even know they existed? Pitzer wore the same brand. He saw the schoolmaster’s gaze shift towards his shoes, and felt embarrassed about an accoutrement that would usually be a source of pride for him. He had to reassert his authority. ‘Your shirt too, and the trousers.’

‘Am I allowed to keep anything on?’

‘No, unless you’re menstruating.’

‘Lucky you caught me on a good day.’ The schoolmaster stripped down completely.

Pitzer noticed linear bruises on the man’s right forearm and on the left side of his ribs – Dudeck’s arguments, he assumed. The schoolmaster stood stock still while Pitzer prodded and measured. The man had clearly washed that very morning and Pitzer didn’t bother putting on the surgical mask he normally wore during examinations. He felt warranted in giving the native some encouragement.

‘I must commend you on your hygiene.’

‘The white masters taught us many great things.’

There was something in the man’s tone he didn’t like, but Pitzer kept quiet. He finished up measuring the man’s skull and looking at his teeth.

‘You can get dressed now. You’re free to go.’

‘Is that everything?’

‘Yes, why? What have you heard?’

‘It’s not what I’ve heard, it’s what you’ve not said. Not a single question? No attempt to ascertain my mental capacities or morality? No enquiry about our history or culture?’

Pitzer listened with increasing impatience. The man just couldn’t help sounding like a teacher. ‘That’s not what my study is about, those things are not my field.’

‘What is your field, then?’

‘Genetics. Race.’

‘So, the human race?’

‘That’s what we’re trying to find out.’

The schoolmaster put on his trousers. He buttoned his shirt, put on his shoes, tied his tie, put on his jacket, all with great deliberation, clothing himself like a European. When

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