UMTATA

by Brian Godfrey

  Charles gulped; he was in a predicament regarding his cash flow, which had now dried up. His access to the original Charles Siddons’ account was now frozen, and any withdrawals would be traced. “Wait a moment, George; I need to check what cash I have on me.”

  Charles walked outside and with a hammer broke the heel of one of his shoes to see what was left of his cash. In one shoe he counted only five hundred dollars, and in the other he was relieved to count five thousand dollars.

  He paid George and asked him when the ticket would be available.

  “Be patient, my Irish friend; everything to him that waits.”

  He laughed and walked outside.

  50

  Two Worlds Apart

  June 1983

  On the 26th June 1980, Barney Coughlin, alias Charles Siddons, absconded from his job in the Shetlands and simultaneously terminated his alliance with the IRA. Now, three years later, he was on a flight from Lubumbashi International Airport to Addis Ababa. He sat in economy class at the rear of the plane and reflected on his time in Zambia.

  His one regret was leaving its people. He thought of Naomi and hoped she was enjoying her time with her children; a rich reward for being so determined. He would have liked their association to continue, but his migration and the threat of imminent arrest made this impossible.

  The times he had had in Zambia had been like a dream, and he was proud of his part in assisting Naomi in finding her children. It had been particularly special to see her face when she discovered where they were.

  The situation as it turned out was an amazing coincidence; after all their hard work, the break had come with the unexpected arrival of Aileen at the trade fair. It had made Naomi the happiest person on the planet.

  He would miss playing golf with his buddies, and hoped there would be no repercussions for Martin from his MI6 contact George Webster.

  And the dubious George Mwanza – how important had that first meeting turned out to be? And how did he produce a replacement passport at short notice that included a photograph. Charles touched his new eyeglasses and quietly memorised his new name that George had so conveniently provided.

  “Edward Copping,” he said to himself.

  George Mwanza had left ‘Edward’ at the departure gate. “Good luck, my man. Look after yourself.” He pressed a piece of paper into his friend’s hand and whispered, “Your contact in Ethiopia.”

  Edward scanned the paper; it contained a name and a telephone number. He read it again, then, before he could give his dubious friend a final hug and thank him, it was too late; George was already leaving the airport through the far exit doors. Edward squinted hard to see if anyone else was with him, and sure enough, he had his arms around the shoulders of two very shapely ladies.

  When the flight was airborne and at cruising speed, Edward began to daydream. His mind turned to Mwanza; a mysterious person. Who was he? What did he do? He had helped Edward after he arrived in the country, and at the last minute had been there to save him. Deep down he felt that he did not want to know more; Mwanza might be his saviour, but his guardian angel he certainly wasn’t.

  The likeness of the passport photograph to Edward’s own features was unbelievable, although the man in the photo had different eyeglasses and the shape of his face was rounder.

  Edward had asked George, “What if this man has reported the passport lost?”

  He replied, with a serious face, “He already has a new one, but if you don’t like that one give it back. Too many questions my friend.

  Edward Copping, alias Charles Siddons, alias Barney Coughlin, boarded the Ethiopian Airlines jet and took his seat for the capital. The flight was non-stop to Addis Ababa, and was scheduled to take four and a half hours.

  He fell into a deep sleep, and his mind again played tricks on him. He dreamt that his contact in Ethiopia was George Webster!

  He woke up, his forehead covered in sweat. A nightmare – how could he doubt George Mwanza?

  Umtata

  Naomi had one day remaining of her stay with her three children. It had been a wonderful time and she had not laughed as much in her life as she had in these last few days.

  She had discovered that, when she first arrived at the university, the secretary had overheard her story of Kwasi’s deceit, and related this to the rest of the staff. They all made a point of demonstrating on behalf of Naomi to the principal and the governors, who immediately made sure that Kwasi supported Naomi with her every need. He was made to account for her expenses, access to the children, and the terms for her to see them in the future.

  The flight back from Umtata to Lusaka via Johannesburg was bittersweet for Naomi. She had located her children, it was beyond belief after so long, and for that she thanked God.

  Her next visit was planned for only a few months hence. The principal had offered her staff lodgings during her stay, and the school caretaker would be her driver. She felt honoured and privileged, and later wrote and thanked all those who had helped her to achieve this.

  She became emotional, her thoughts taking her back to that wonderful Irishman, Charles. She hoped and prayed that he had escaped and was not now in a police cell. He did not deserve that. He was her best friend, and he had told her that, if caught, it may be years before he was released. Naomi had lost her man again.

  The Lord gives and He takes, she thought.

  Addis Ababa

  Edward Copping walked from the departure gate at Addis Ababa Airport. He found a telephone kiosk, picked up the phone and dialled a number.

  “Hello, this is Copping. Can I speak with Wekesa?”

  “It is me; George told me to expect you.” Wekesa’s English was perfect.

  “I have booked into the Ramada for three days; can you suggest something after that?” Edward was straight to the point.

  “I am on your case Mr Copping and I have possibilities of work for you in Iraq, it will be working for a British company with interests there.

  “Iraq? What type of work?” asked Edward.

  “Building work.”

  “That sounds fine.”

  “OK, I will arrange your visa and job application. This will take a week, so you’d best extend your stay at the Ramada, and incidentally, this will cost you three thousand American dollars; is that OK?”

  “Yes, that’s fine.”

  The line buzzed, and the call was terminated.

  Epilogue

  A town can change its character quickly; one can revisit after only a few months and find it is not the same place as it was when one left.

  Times change and local councils spend money on new developments that will provide a new identity, just as Barney urgently wanted. They build new roads, buildings, water features, parks and technology; the town’s heart remains the same but cosmetically it is a different place. The visitor is lost, and it becomes unrecognisable.

  When a child leaves their home town where they were born and reared, and moves to pastures green, on their return years later they may find that the roads and fields they scurried around as a child no longer exist; only the memories.

  Gone is the house where Mother Brown lived, gone is the barber shop, gone is Ken Burton’s paper shop, and the roads have changed so much the person who was once a child here does not know how to exit the ring road.

  Where are the people who once lived here? Old Mr Hasler who chased you down the road, and promised you a new football if you did not steal the fruit from his trees, and honoured that promise eight months later.

  Where have they all gone?!

  Our story is a true tale that occurred many years ago. Most of the characters are also gone; some have passed on whilst others have moved on.

  African towns, unlike those described above, have changed little – perhaps a new shopping mall; maybe a new church, but those dirty whitewashed walls of the small houses r
emain the same.

  And what about the people in this story – what happened to them?

  Charles, alias Barney, alias Edward, is still ducking and diving and avoiding the security forces. He probably always will.

  The last that was heard of him he was running a business in County Laois in Ireland, but that was before the 1999 Good Friday Agreement!

  Brendan, that wonderful leprechaun, is probably retired from the foundry and living in some sun-drenched land, sipping wine dreaming of his time in Zambia.

  Martin finished his contract, and retired from promoting boxing.

  Wolfgang continued to live in Kitwe and retained an interest in boxing for a short while, but gave it up after a year to concentrate on his business. He sold up shortly after the millennium, retired, and died two years later.

  Musankabala maintained his African title for two years, and during this time he fought and lost in a world title eliminating contest. He died of AIDS shortly after retiring.

  Sarah Siddons, the lady let down by Barney, remained single thereafter. Her experience with him taught her never to trust another man, though she still meets with her lady friends just off the Marylebone Road on a weekly basis.

  Declan was released after the Good Friday Agreement and immediately started a family with his girlfriend Bridget and now have a family of four.

  And Naomi, well, her children are now middle-aged. The oldest boy became a priest, whilst her daughter was educated at Cambridge and now travels the world representing a well-known charity. Her youngest son became well known in journalism in Southern Africa; his speciality is sport.

  George Webster became a director of the Special Operations Executive.

  George Mwanza – now, there is a man. I wouldn’t say he is a hero or a villain, but without doubt he is an enigma!

  And the lovely Naomi? Her whereabouts is unknown but I hope that she is still dancing the night away!

  Acknowledgements

  I would like to pay homage to all those wonderful and not so fortunate people in the pages of my book; they are not cartoon characters, nor an imagination of the mind; but real people.

  And to my dear friends Linda and Mike who have given me utmost support, and last but not least to my wonderful wife Pat to whom I extend the deepest love and appreciation.