by Jan Andersen
He put her bag on the train for her and wished her luck. As it started to move she called out, “You didn’t tell me if you were going to stay, Roger?”
His voice was nearly carried away by the rumble of the train, but she just caught his words as he cupped his hands and yelled, “I’ll stay if you want me to.”
She settled back in her seat, relieved that he had agreed, yet uncertain whether she had made the right decision in asking him. If there was any doubt at all in her mind as to his motives, if she even thought he was capable of cheating her, or selling her down the river, then she was a fool to let him stay.
Almost until the train shunted into Pretoria did she think about Roger Louw. In her mind she went over their many discussions about the farm, their differences about future plans and finally their quarrels. These had been searing at the time and left them both shocked and a little bewildered at the intensity of their feelings—yet some slight good had come out of all of them. It was this last time that was by far the worst—and the most damaging. Whether they could really survive it and go on working together would remain to be seen. Temporarily things were patched up, but she knew the peace was a wary one. Their complete trust of each other had gone. They would be cautious in their words and watchful in their actions. She sighed. Not the easiest of outlooks. Yet she was still stubbornly glad he was going to stay on.
At Pretoria she changed on to the main train. With only one small case to carry she found her compartment without difficulty. She bought a paperback at the bookstall, a couple of bottles of cold drinks, and settled down for the long ride.
The sky was darkening when they pulled out on the first leg of the journey, and she felt a twinge of anxiety. She was plunging off to a strange town to look for a man who did not appear to want to be found. And she had not the first idea where to start looking for him.
Suddenly her reverie was broken by a tap on the compartment door. She looked up with a start, then amazement.
“Hello, Tracy,” said Alex.
CHAPTER NINE
“ALEX!” she exclaimed when she had found her breath, “what on earth are you doing here?”
“Well,” he confessed, coming in and sitting down beside her, “I must admit it’s not entirely a coincidence. I was coming down to Kimberley at the end of the week on business. When I was phoning the family and Julia happened to mention she had met you and you were off to look for your uncle, I decided you might want a bit of help. So ... here I am. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Mind?” she laughed. “Why, I’m delighted. I was just getting into a slight panic at the idea of doing everything on my own. Why, I haven’t a clue where to start. I was hoping to hear from that man I met at your house who gave me the idea in the first place, but he’s probably forgotten about it. So I decided to launch out blindly on my own. Probably a wild goose chase, but I’m told that Kimberley’s worth a visit anyway.”
“It certainly is,” he agreed, “but you’re not going to have time to see many of its sights. One of the most worthwhile trips is to go down a diamond mine, but’s it’s not an easy thing to arrange, especially for a woman. You have to have influence!”
“Have you got influence?” she asked innocently. “Alas, no, my influence is only with the four-legged beasts—which reminds me, you must come up to the Reserve again soon, and we’ll try not to arrange for a disaster this time.”
“How is Pieter?” she asked.
“Getting along fine. He’s coming out of hospital in the next couple of days. He’s hoping to be back on the job by the end of the month. But he’ll have to take it easy.”
Tracy shuddered. “I shouldn’t have thought he’d be too keen to start after what happened.”
He looked surprised that she should think such a thing. “But it’s his life,” he said simply.
She smoothed out the cotton of her dress, then said slowly, “I hadn’t thought of it that way. Of course it couldn’t be just a job. It’s your life too, I suppose.” You suppose right,” he agreed cheerfully. “If we don’t work hard to protect the game in Africa—well, it will die out, and that would be the most appalling tragedy. By the way, did you see the marvellous film they made of the rescue of the animals when the Kariba Dam was built?”
She nodded.
“I’d like to have been in on that,” he said wistfully. Then he glanced at his watch. “I’m forgetting what I came along for, I was just on my way to dinner when I found you. You’ll join me, I hope? The South African Railways usually manage to stump up something pretty good.”
“Well, that would be lovely, Alex. It did look like being a long evening until bedtime. And I didn’t know they served dinner.”
“My dear Tracy,” he said with mock severity, “haven’t you yet discovered that we South Africans couldn’t survive without our large and nourishing meals?”
“I’ve discovered you’ve got large appetites,” she laughed. “I have to work in the orchards every day if I don’t want to put on weight.”
It was good to be with Alex again. His company was easy and undemanding, and when she looked across the table at his striking blond looks her heart betrayed her a little.
“I’ve missed you, Tracy,” he said softly. “We’re too far apart. What can I do to persuade you to come nearer?”
“I ... I don’t know. Things are uncertain at Green Bays just at the moment...”
“I heard about your disaster with red scale. What rotten luck. Will you be able to get through the season?”
“Roger seems to think so—just about. It’s only the early crop that’s been hit. He says if the rest works out all right we certainly shan’t make a profit, but we should be able to stand the loss. The trouble is we needed a good year to set the seal on all my father did the last four years. Then, next year, we really should have seen some daylight.”
“You’re happy with Roger Louw, then?”
“What do you mean?” she said sharply.
“Nothing really. He knows his job all right—at least I’m not so sure now—but you’re utterly dependent on him. You can’t tell which way he’s leading you. I don’t think I should like that. Have you ever looked into his background?”
“No,” she said defensively. “There are some things you simply have to take on trust.” But she could not resist adding, “Why, do you know things that I don’t know?”
He reached over the table and covered her hand with his. “Look, Tracy, forget I said that, it’s not really fair to try to influence you. I expect we’ve all got a background or something in our pasts that we prefer to forget. Why pick out one person’s to scrutinise?”
“You’ve gone too far, Alex. You’ll have to tell me now what you know about Roger or I could be unfairly suspicious.”
“Oh, it’s nothing really, a record of chopping and changing jobs, leaving one or two in doubtful circumstances. Like practically everyone else in this country he was in the diamond business—and once your name is blacklisted there you’re out for good—but good.
A slight chill settled on her. “How do know all this, Alex?”
He hesitated. “Because Roger Louw applied for a job with my father first. Naturally, Dad had to check on a few things.”
“I see.” The chill settled a little deeper. She seemed to hear Roger’s words carried away with the rumble of the train. I’ll stay if you want me to.
“Now I’ve upset you,” Alex said anxiously.
“No ... no, you haven’t,” she said quickly, pulling herself together. “It’s always better to know these things, then you aren’t shocked when you’re suddenly faced with them. But let’s not talk about my farming problems,” she took a deep draught of her wine and managed a smile. “Tell me about the poachers and what progress you’ve made with the water holes since I was with you. And have you seen any unusual animals?”
It needed little to set Alex off talking about the Reserve. His eager voice told her of the success they had had with the poachers—enough to frighten them
off temporarily anyway—and the lioness that had got into the camp one night and had come face to face with a sleepy guest trudging across to the toilet. It was difficult to say which was most surprised. The guest swore the lion turned tail and ran before he did. He was still no doubt dining out on a much exaggerated version of the story.
Dinner passed pleasantly and they sat over their coffee until the waiters showed their impatience in wanting to clear up. The motion of the train had made Tracy sleepy, so she was glad to get back to her compartment.
“Where are you?” she asked Alex.
“A couple of coaches down—B 24 if you should want me. Do you want to talk for a while, or ... I expect you’re tired?”
“I am a bit,” she confessed.
She knew he was disappointed, but he did his best not to show it. “Then I’ll see you at breakfast. We’re due in about eight, so they’ll wake us about six-thirty.” He touched her hair with his hand and bent to kiss her. “Good night, Tracy, sleep well.”
Sometimes he treated her like a delicate piece of china—sometimes he was not aware of her feelings at all. She closed the compartment door with a snap. In one way it had been a wonderful evening; in another there had been something missing ... but what, she could not fathom.
Roger had warned her that Kimberley would be a good deal hotter than White River—and it was. Not the sticky breathless heat of the Reserve, but drier, with the sun burning continually with a fierce intensity.
Alex dropped her at the hotel, then went on to his, only about five minutes away, saying he would pick her up again when she had had time to rest and refresh herself.
She bathed and changed and had a long fruit juice and was ready some time before he arrived, so she wandered out to explore the main street. A little way along she found herself in a huge, partly covered market where water melons twice the size of footballs, oranges, guavas and peaches nestled in piles. Although it was a modern town it was not difficult to imagine it as the shanty town it once was, rather like those one saw in cowboy films, and when Alex joined her a little later he explained that many of the roads in Kimberley follow the original paths between the shanties.
They were strolling along past the market again when she said reluctantly, “You’ll want to get on with your business, Alex, and I’d better start mine.”
But he shook his head. “I’m not starting until tomorrow, so my day is all yours. But before we do anything constructive about your Uncle George I’m going to show you the Great Hole of Kimberley—A sight you can’t possibly go back without seeing. It’s just at the end of the road there.”
So she allowed herself to be persuaded and was amazed to find that the town literally ended at the edge of the Big Hole. Round the side was an observation post and they were able to look down into the biggest man-made hole in the world.
Tracy was awed into silence as she stared down into the black gloomy depths. The water alone was seven hundred feet deep, Alex told her, but the actual hole went down a quarter of a mile and was a mile round the edge.
“Tell me about it,” Tracy persuaded him, “I’d no idea it was like this—and this was once one huge mine?”
“Oh, no.” He shook his head. “Well, briefly, the start of it all was the finding of diamonds on two small farms here. The farmers sold out and the rush was on. Everyone worked in a kind of frenzy to get as much out of the ground in as short as possible time without regard for safety. They dug deeper and soon the place was a network of ropes hauling the buckets up from below to the staging above. Roads started to crumble under the weight of men and carts who crashed into deep chasms, causing injury and death. I believe about this time—it would be in the 1870’s—there were about sixteen hundred owners. They peeled off after about five years, when they thought the crumbly yellow ground which bore the diamonds had finished; the mine was sold and it was then the ‘blue ground’ was discovered, and in about twenty years fifty million pounds’ worth of diamonds came out of this hole. There,” he pointed, “that greyish sort of rock, that’s what they called the blue ground.” He grinned. “How about that for a potted history? You know, only the other day a tourist picked up a small diamond at her feet—but that doesn’t happen very often, so don’t look down hopefully.”
Afterwards they went round the museum and saw all the relics of those old days: engines, pumps, photographs. Tracy was utterly absorbed until she saw the time.
“Oh, Alex, it’s after midday, and I haven’t even made a start!” She felt upset at the thought of being absorbed in her own pleasure without first doing the job she came to do.
Alex was crestfallen. “I’m sorry, it’s my fault entirely. I only intended that we should have half an hour or so here, but—well, time has slipped away. I’ll tell you what, it’s not much good trying to see anyone now—everyone closes down for the lunch hour, so we’ll get moving immediately afterwards.”
“All right,” she agreed because there was really no alternative. Also, the full heat of the day was upon them with a temperature of over a hundred. Her head was aching a little from standing about so long.
They went over to Alex’s hotel for lunch, which he went ahead and ordered for her while she had a cool shower, but by the time she had walked the few hundred yards down the road she was as hot as ever.
She toyed with her food, reluctantly, eating the salad and fruit that Alex insisted upon. Even the fans in the dining room could not completely combat the heat.
“Where do you suggest we start first?” she said.
“The town Hall, I think. That’s where all the records would be. And if they are no help, then we should probably go to the big firms, starting with de Beers, since they practically own the town. You see, it’s unlikely you would come and work in Kimberley, certainly a few years ago, unless you were in some way connected with the diamond industry.”
By the time they reached her hotel she knew it was not just the heat she was suffering from. Her stomach felt very queasy indeed. With dismay she admitted this to Alex, who said immediately, “Oh, Tracy, how wretched for you. I’m afraid it’s quite common in this country. There’s Jo’burg tummy and Cape tummy, so I daresay there’s Kimberley tummy too. I’ll tell you what, you go in and lie down. It’s possible it will pass quickly—in the meantime I’ll go down to the Town Hall and go through the records, then come back to you and report. If you feel like it you can come on the next leg with me, if not—well, I can still help out.”
“Oh, Alex...” but she did not protest too hard, because just at this moment she wanted nothing more than to reach the comfort of her room.
The tummy upset did not pass off, it got worse as the day wore on, but towards evening Alex had some medicine sent up to her which eased it slightly. He had phoned after his Town Hall visit, but had had no luck there, he had then gone on to visit the main offices of the diamond company, who had checked their records thoroughly, looked at the photograph he had shown them, but could find no trace of the name Jamieson. They promised, however, to let him know if they turned any further information up.
The next morning she felt better, but not well enough to go tramping about in the sun. Rather shakily she got up and joined Alex for a light lunch.
“Oh, I could kick myself,” she cried, “for going down like this ... what on earth would have happened if you hadn’t been here, Alex?”
“Well, let’s just say it was lucky—and it was also a pleasure for me.”
“Was it really?” she said wistfully. “I’m afraid it’s been nothing but footslog, in this heat too.”
“Honestly, Tracy,” he put his hand over hers, “I ... I think I’d do almost anything to make you smile and look happy.”
She was deeply touched and her heart beat a little faster “I ... think my smile still looks a little queasy,” she answered, trying to speak lightly.
“I shall have to go back tonight,” he told her. “Will you be coming too? I hope so, there seems to be plenty of room on the train and there’s not much
more you can do here.”
“You really think Uncle George is not in Kimberley?”
“Well, if he is, he’s hiding himself pretty well and no one knows about him. But I’ve got to finish my business this afternoon, so while I’m about I’ll call in a couple more possible places for enquiry. Then I think it’s certain you can call it a day. So you’ll be coming back?”
She did not think she had the slightest hope of success if Alex had not, yet she was reluctant to return until she had spent just one more day here. After all, she had been in bed except for one morning.
Not wanting to offend him, she said, “Well, to be perfectly honest I wouldn’t be much company on the train tonight—” that was true enough—“I think I’ll take it easy for another day and go back tomorrow night. I might even be able to see a little more of Kimberley. After all, I haven’t caught a glimpse of one single diamond yet.”
He grinned. “O.K. You’re probably right. I only wish I could stay on with you, but I’d be in dead trouble with the Warden.” He glanced at his watch. “I’d better dash now or I’ll never get everything done. I’ll be back in time for tea—about five, then I’ll have to catch the train. But at least we’ll have a little time together.”
The afternoon passed slowly, for although she was feeling better by the hour, she did not fancy going out to walk in the sun, so after a short sleep she sat around in the air-conditioned lounge reading a magazine.