The silk Scarf by Ahmed Essop.

Setting

 

Oriental Plaza- Fordsburg, Johannesburg.

Plot Summary

The silk scarf by Ahmed Essop is a story about the wife of an important man, who caused a stir in the plaza by trying to buy a scarf with a cheque in a shop that did not accept them. One day Mrs. Nebo went shopping at the plaza with her friend Margaret. Mrs. Nebo was wearing a dress with colours of pink and magenta. She was looking for a silk scarf to match her dress. She went into a shop and saw one that she loved so much and wanted to buy it. Unfortunately she did not have cash and the shop did not accept cheques. This was an insult to a wife of such an important man in politics. She tried to force the shopkeeper Mr. Sakur to accept the cheque, but he would not budge. A rule is a rule. Mrs. Nebo also put her foot down that she is not leaving the store without the scarf. This caused a commotion in the plaza. Other shopkeepers felt that Mr. Sakur should have made an exception for her, since she is the wife of the future foreign minister. The other shopkeepers, afraid that something might happen, just decided to buy the scarf and gave it to the lady as a gift.

Main Characters

Mrs. Nebo: She was a wife of Mr. Clive Nebo, the future foreign minister of South Africa. She was a rich lady. She was also a classy woman. She was of medium height, heavy loins and a smooth skinned complexion. She was a very stubborn lady who, just because of her money, wanted to get her way.

Mr. Sakur: He was a shopkeeper in the Oriental Plaza. He was also a very stubborn man. He could put his foot down and nobody can change his mind. If he set a rule, nobody was an exception to it. Even knowing that Mrs. Nebo was a wife of an important man, he would not budge. He was also not easily intimidated by anyone.