But he didn’t ask me, so the question doesn’t arise. My father has been denied bail, and it is through no act or omission of mine. The drama will play itself out without me.

I settle down to work. I have someone’s PhD thesis to copyedit. It pays a pittance, but will keep me in white bread and peaches next month. Or possibly the month after that, depending on when the client pays. My rent for next month is already taken care of. A series of Geography textbooks I edited saw to that.

I manage to concentrate for forty-five minutes before my phone beeps to alert me to an incoming email. It is another interview request. But instead of deleting this one, I stare at it for a long time.

Ms. Lurie,

Jacob here from the Journal of Literature of the African Diaspora. If you have time, we would like to interview you about how your real-life narrative has diverged from that of John Coetzee in his celebrated novel, Disgrace.

It is for our special issue on “Fiction and faction: how real-world narratives inform fiction streams in the diaspora.”
If you would be interested in participating in this project, please contact me on 093 678 9876.

Two thoughts spring to mind. The first is that I might persuade them to pay me for this. When journals bring out a special edition, they often have a budget for doing so. This is only disbursed when someone asks for it. The money is there. You just have to refuse to work for free.

If I only get paid for the PhD thesis the month after next, I will need rent money for next month. The Journal of Literature of the African Diaspora could provide that. Yes, I would probably get a better payment from CBS News, but I have more chance of controlling the story in this forum.

My second thought is that this could be the platform I’ve been looking for to talk about precisely how my real-life narrative has always diverged from Coetzee’s fictional version. This could be what I’ve been waiting for.

I decide to reply.

Lucy: For R8000, I will give you an exclusive interview about what happened that night, along with access to inside information about my father’s trial. Regards, Lucy Lurie

He has either stepped away from his phone or he is thinking about it, because ten minutes pass with no reply.

Jacob: Our other interviewees are not being paid for their contributions. They are doing it for the exposure and for the chance of being part of something historic.

I’ve heard this nonsense before and know how to deal with it.

Lucy: Exposure is something you die of. If you want my story, the fee is R8000.