99 SHARP ST Dragons & Ghosts Comic Story

DRAGONS & GHOSTS

Aagh! This maths is making me sick!

You boys are lucky that you are still in standard six!

EPISODE 1 It is a hot summer’s night in Hillbrow. The twins, Lebo and Veli, and their friend, Thandi, are trying to finish their homework...

Let’s go and play TV games at George’s Cafe.

But Veli, maths is very important...

Heita daar, my bra!

There are some strange people in Hillbrow.

Hare Krishna!

Oh no! I’ve been eaten by a ghost!

I’ve got more points than you! You are looking at the new Pacman champion.

Veli, see if you can beat Thandi’s score.

Pacman is for girls.

I only play fighting games. KUNG FU!

AAH! Die you dragon!

Lebo, can you hear that beautiful music?

That’s a saxophone!

There’s a jazzman outside Fontana’s!

aeq xaeq xaeq x

This music makes me feel young again.

That was a famous old song called “Skokiaan”.

I’m surprised to find one so young who knows about jazz.

I love the jazz of old Sophiatown...

Au! Did you ever play with Hugh Masekela?

You must come and see my photographs. I live in Blueberry Mansions, near the station.

The very one!

Sophiatown!? You are looking at the walking history of Sophiatown and jazz... George is the name!

Next day after school.

We’re looking for George the jazzman.

Mad George? He’s always making a noise on the roof.

Look, that’s me at the Odin Cinema with Kippie Moeketsi.

There is Hugh Masekela.

Ah, my friends are here.

Welcome to the House of Jazz.

And here are the Jazz Maniacs, the hottest jazz band in town!

I tell you, jazz was the thing in those days!

Do you go to school?

Yes...?

Hello, I’m Nomsa. George is my Grandfather.

You are very lucky. I have not been to school since Grandfather became sick...

What’s wrong with your grandfather? He looks very healthy.

When that happens he thinks it is 1955 and that he is still a famous jazz musician.

Do you want to go back to school?

Yes, I also want to learn how to sing.

Yes today he’s fine, but sometimes he forgets... ...And then the gangs would arrive!

Ag, the musscians of today have it easy, I tell you!

Two days later.

Come, Veli. It’s time to go.

What’s the matter with Veli?

Would you like to go to the bioscope with me on Saturday night?

He’s been acting very strange since we visited the jazzman.

Yes, I would like that. But I must ask my grandfather.

Ag, rubbish!

Ja, they’re going on a date tonight.

He’s in love with the jazzman’s granddaughter, Nomsa.

Suddenly.

Veli! Lebo!

Nomsa! What’s happened!

My grandfather has disappeared!

Have you gone to the police?

Yes. They can do nothing.

Please, you must help me find him!

EPISODE 2 The story so far...

A few minutes later.

Guess who?

Nomsa’s grandfather has gone missing.

Really? How terrible!

This morning I went to the police.

There’s not much we can do.

He was in such a hurry. He said he was going to play in Sophiatown. I said to myself:”That old man’s upside down in his head.”

Alice, meet our new friend, Nomsa.

Hi, Alice!

Tell us what happenend from the beginning.

On my way home I met an old friend of my father.

Nomsa! Come over here.

What is the matter, darling?

Sophiatown?! What does that mean, Nomsa?

When I woke up yesterday, Grandfather was gone. At first I did not worry. He often goes to visit his friends in Soweto. But last night he did not come home.

Grandfather is missing.

But I saw him only yesterday!

I think my grandfather’s mind has gone back into the past!

Excuse us for a few minutes.

Shame.

But I don’t understand. What was this Sophiatown?

Mkhulu, you used to live in Sophiatown. Tell us about it.

We used to call it Kofifi. That’s where the action was. And what a mix of people blacks, coloureds, whites...

But in 1955 it all came to an end. The Government didn’t want our people living so close to their white city.

Ai! Die ouens het daar lekker gephola!

Over the next few years they But what broke down all the houses and about all the built a white suburb called people who Triomf. lived there?

Verwoerd, the Prime Minister, was a man with a dream. When men with dreams get too much power, you can be sure that ordinary people will suffer...

Sophiatown was a very special place to the people who lived there.

I bet Mkhulu was a real groover when he was young!

Most of them were moved How could they to Soweto.

They had do that? no right!

Nomsa and I are going to search for George in the place where Sophiatown used to be.

It’s too late to go to Triomf now. Wait until tomorrow.

Why don’t you spend the night at Nomsa’s place? Maybe George will come home tonight.

Here we are. Blueberry Towers.

An hour later.

Ag, voetsek! Go make your blerrie noise outside!

Hey!

Mrs Scott, has my grandfather come back?

No, my dear...

But someone else was looking for oyu. A big man with a horrible dragon on his arm!

That evening.

I love hearing the trains at night.

Do you know the ghost story about the Spanish Train?

Oooh! It’s the Dragon Man!

That train was full of the souls of the dead.

Should I force open the door?

I wonder what this Dragon Man wants.

Shhh! I can hear footsteps.

No leave it. We’ll come back again.

The girl, Nomsa, must come home some time.

EPISODE 3 The story so far...

Early next morning.

What is the name of the suburb they built in the ruins of Sophiatown?

I used to know Kofifi like the back of my hand.

My grandfather used to play in those halls.

Yes, I saw a photo of the Odin Cinema at your place.

The music was good, but the gangsters! YO! And the girls, they only had eyes for the “situations”.

Remember the patha patha?

It’s called Triomf.

Ya! My father used to say, “If you dance the patha patha you dance with the devil”!

Do you remember where those halls used to be?

My dear, that was so long ago.

Ten minutes later.

Did I hear you say Sophiatown?

In those days the jazz bands used to play “Two Ya, the Undermoon Stage” all Hall, the Odin night.

Cinema - those were the places to be!

You’ll find Kofifi just across the road.

Triomf? But that’s miles away!

Half an hour later, our friends arrive in Triomf.

Excuse me, mama.

Do you remember Sophiatown?

No, my girl.

I come from Nelspruit.

Yo! My feet are sore!

Nothing will get me to move.

Two hours later.

If only we knew where the halls used to be.

The next day.

I want to go home.

No, man! This is Triomf. What are you talking about?

But what about the Dragon Man?

If someone tells me another story about Sophiatown I will be sick!

Leave that dog alone, Veli.

I’m from Zimbabwe.

Grrr Grrr!

Guess what happened to us today?

Thula! We spoke to the actors. They said that the museum keeps old jazz posters.

Those posters might have the addresses of the jazz halls on them.

Wasn’t there a play called”Sophiatown”?

Some actors from the new Africana Museum came to our school.

And they put on a play about Sophiatown.

How do you know that George was looking for one of those halls?

We’ve got to do something. Let’s go to the museum.

At the museum.

Can we see your jazz poster collection?

You’ll find the chronological history section behind the lifts.

Au!

Come, silly!

Look at the wagon!

In the chronological history section.

Here are the posters.

You know, it’s funny, we’ve met so many people with stories about Sophiatown. But no one can tell us where the halls used to be.

Look! It says the Undermoon Hall was in Good Street.

That is why we use old newspapers and posters to check the details.

Touching those old posters is like holding history in your hands.

Heita mntwana!

It’s beautiful!

Ya, Sophiatown has many ghosts.

We’ve got some addresses.

Let’s go back to Triomf.

People’s stories about the past make history come alive. But the memory is not always reliable.

Listen to this one: “Two Stage Clash!

Bang! Two Bands! Come to the one and only Jig Club”!

Back in Triomf.

EPISODE 4 The story so far...

The man had been drinking. He kept on saying, “This is Good Street, but it’s not Sophiatown.”

Yes, I did see a man with a sax the other day.

Do you know what happened to that man?

The last time I saw him he went into that shop on the corner.

Nomsa!

Wait!

Grrr!

There’s no one inside.

Can I help you?

I don’t like it in here!

We’re looking for Nomsa’s grandfather.

He’s a jazz player.

Nomsa, be careful!

YIIIII!!

Oh, you must be wanting George Phahlane.

Do you know where we can find him?

The Dragon took him away!

It’s Grandfather!

Mr Han gives the friends directions to the Dragon’s house.

Listen! Somebody is That’s the place. playing a saxophone.

Meet Mr Prakash.

Please make yourselves at home.

I think we should call the police.

Grandfather!

The music is coming from down here.

Shhh!

Nomsa! You’ve come at last.

I’ve been looking everywhere for you, Nomsa.

A while later.

But why did Mr Han phone you?

Your grandfather was very sick when Mr Han phoned me, so I brought him home.

When my memory returned on Saturday morning, I asked Mr Prakash to go and fetch her.

We thought you had come to rob us!

AAAH! The Dragon!

Mr Dragon, what do you want with my grandfather?

I’m making a record of jazz music of the 50’s.

He knew that I had been searching for George for a long time.

Your grandfather is going to be a big star again!

George Phahlane’s record is a great hit. he is invited to play at a club in Cape Town. Nomsa decides to go to school in Cape Town so that she can be with her grandfather.

Hi, Veli. I’ve come to say goodbye to everybody.

I’m going to miss you.

You’ll soon forget about me when you’re a famous singer.

History!? Ughhh! History is about dead people in funny clothes.

Rubbish!

Don’t be angry! Come, let’s go and play TV games.

Let’s go for a walk first.

Nxa. I’ve given up on that dream. So, what are you going to do?

History helps us to understand who we are. That’s what Sophiatown taught me.

Will you visit me in Cape Town?

I’m going back to school. I want to study history.

I haven’t lost my memeory. I know who I am!

If you promise not to give me any more history lessons.