The Power of One

The next day, Mevrou gives Peekay a train ticket and tells him that his Granpa has sold his chicken farm and moved to a small town in the Eastern Transvaal Province called Barberton. She takes him to Harry Crown’s, the local shop owned by a wealthy Jewish person. Peekay sees a sign at the shop entrance that reads “Blacks Only” and wonders why whites are forbidden to use that entrance. The kindly man gives Peekay two suckers. He is shocked when Peekay tells him that his name is “Pisskop” and gives the boy the more sanitary name “P.K.”

Mevrou buys Peekay the only shoes available, which are two sizes too big, and puts Peekay on the train. Neither is sad to say goodbye as Peekay leaves the boarding school forever. On the train, Peekay meets the night guard, Hoppie Groenewald, the welterweight boxing champion of the railways. He befriends and cares for Peekay on his first night on the train, teaching him all about boxing.

Hoppie receives papers to join the war. When Hoppie sees Peekay’s fear over his English heritage, he reassures Peekay that Hitler is bad and that he and South Africa will fight for Peekay so that he can grow up to become the welterweight champion of the world.