The Cost of Sugar

by Cynthia McLeod

  That afternoon Sydni, Pa Levi’s slave, suddenly appeared at the back door with a message. Elza was startled: surely there could be nothing wrong with her father? Sydni said that he had been sent by Masra Levi. Grandma Fernandez was ill. The family had already travelled from Hébron to Joden-Savanna. But grandma had asked especially for Elza, her grandchild, and Pa Levi was of the opinion that Elza should go to Joden-Savanna, since it was likely that grandma would not be around for much longer.

  When Rutger arrived from the Exchange early that evening, Elza told him what Sydni had come to say, and Rutger said that she should certainly travel as quickly as possible to Joden-Savanna. He himself could not go along. The governor’s condition was now such that each day could be his last, and Rutger, who was by now a person of consequence, must remain in the town to attend the funeral.

  In fact, Elza was not so keen on going, because it was the first time that she would have to travel without Maisa, and she also considered with some resentment how grandma had spent her whole life commanding everyone and everything, and was still managing to issue commands even on her deathbed. But all right, she would have to go, if only for her father’s sake, and Sydni had said clearly that the old granmisi would not live much longer. Grandma had reached the good old age of seventy-eight, and that was really a considerable achievement.

  The next day, therefore, Elza travelled with Sydni to Hébron. Rutger had asked Alex to go along, and Amimba went too, along with her eldest son, Rutty. They spent the night at Hébron, in the empty house, for father, Aunt Rachel and Sarith, too, with little Eva, were already at Joden-Savanna. The following day they set out again, and it was afternoon by the time they reached Joden-Savanna.

  When Elza saw the old lady lying in bed in her large, old house, her first impression was not of someone who was at death’s door. Her body might be weak, her voice was certainly not when she called Elza to her and said that she could have the garnet necklaces, the diamond brooch and two gold chains. The two red-coral necklaces were for her little daughters. Before Elza could say that she had only one daughter, grandma continued, “I know full well that you have only Charlotte now that Abigail is no longer with us, but don’t mourn for her. She is with God, my child, and you will surely be given another darling daughter in her place.”

  She wished to give Elza the porcelain service with Jewish designs and also the hand-woven tapestry. Elza must be careful with all this, for they were very old family pieces. They had been brought over from Portugal to Brazil by grandma’s great-great-grandmother and had later been brought to Suriname by her grandmother. It was a pity that Elza wasn’t Jewish, but grandma said that she was certain that Elza would hold her ancestors in great esteem. Aunt Rachel and Sarith also received valuables, and Esther and Rebecca’s daughters were not forgotten, either.

  The next day a messenger arrived by boat from the town with the news that His Excellency Jean Nepveu had died the day before, the twenty-seventh of February.

  “So he’s gone before me, after all,” said grandma.

  When the family was getting up two days later, they heard that grandma had died in her sleep. She lay peacefully in bed, and Afi, her slave-girl, had spoken to her for at least five minutes before it occurred to her that the granmisi was exceptionally still. She had then gone to the bed and had seen that grandma was dead.

  There were not as many people at the funeral as grandma herself would have wished, because many of her old friends had themselves died, and some other people who would normally have come to Joden-Savanna had had to remain in the town for the governor’s funeral.

  Elza had not spoken with Sarith all these days. Sarith was lodging with her mother and Eva in Aunt Rachel’s house, where only Sarah and her somewhat retarded daughter now lived. Elza was staying in Grandma Fernandez’ house.

  The same afternoon the elderly widow Fernandez was buried. The site of her grave in the well-kept cemetery had been previously determined. She would rest next to her husband’s grave. The marble gravestone had, together with her husband’s, also been ordered from Italy at least forty-five years earlier. In line with tradition, the women no longer went to the cemetery. The coffin was carried from the house on the shoulders of eight slaves, and the men followed on, all dressed in black.

  Immediately afterwards, Aunt Rachel called the slave-girls to set the chairs aside and mop the floor of the front room and the veranda. Elza went outside. She stood in front of the house, her thoughts centered on grandma. She looked round at the other houses. Joden-Savanna was going downhill. Joden-Savanna, a hundred years ago the pride of Suriname Jewish society, was being gradually abandoned. Funny how life can be.

  Suddenly Sarith was standing next to Elza. “How are things, Elza?” she asked.

  “All right,” answered Elza, surprised that Sarith, who had not exchanged a word with her in years, was now suddenly talking to her.

  Sarith looked at her, and then said, “Elza, can you forgive me? Can you forgive me for everything I’ve done to you?”

  In a flash, Elza saw in her mind’s eye what she had seen through the keyhole that fateful afternoon. Rutger and Sarith in bed together. An image that had haunted her for years thereafter. And she saw something else, something she herself had not seen, but knew precisely how it must have been. She saw Ashana tied to a tree and Sarith ordering the basya to whip her. Now she looked at Sarith standing in front of her and said, “It is not I who must forgive you. Look, I have survived it all. It was terrible then, but I have survived. But you, how have you survived it? No, it is not I who must forgive you: you must try to forgive yourself, that’s what you must do.”

  Sarith said nothing. She looked at the ground. Then she turned and began to walk away. Elza thought how Sarith had really made a complete and utter mess of everything. She had lost everything: her son, her husband, the plantation. It was an exceptionally lonely being that was walking away there. But it was also the friend from her childhood years, her sister!

  “Sarith!” Elza called out. Sarith stopped and turned.

  “Come,” said Elza, holding her hand out. “Come on; let’s go for a walk together.”

  A hesitant smile lit Sarith’s face, and then she reached for her stepsister’s hand.

  Hand in hand they walked away from the house, towards the cemetery. The murmur of voices greeted them. They were the voices of the men who were saying the Kaddish, standing there in the cemetery among the graves of their ancestors: the Portuguese Jews, the first colonists, who, after the British, had dared make Suriname their fatherland.

  Notes to the various Dutch editions

  Upon the publication of this book I would like to thank all institutions and persons who have in various ways made a contribution. I would especially like to mention: the Library of Congress in Washington, DC, the Suriname Museum in Paramaribo, Eva Essed-Fruin, Leo Ferrier, Aunt Emmy and last but not least Helen Gray. The interest shown and assistance given have given me considerable encouragement.

  C. McLeod

  Paramaribo, October 1987

  Upon the second printing

  That the first printing of ‘Hoe duur was de suiker’ would be sold out within four months was something probably no-one expected. I certainly did not!

  It is heartwarming and certainly stimulating to note that a novel concerning their own history is so obviously of great interest to the Suriname people.

  Upon the appearance of this second printing I would like to thank all those who have so far reacted, in any way.

  C. McLeod

  Paramaribo, August 1988

  Upon the fifth printing

  With ‘Hoe duur was de suiker’ I wished to sketch an image of how everyday life was during an early period in Suriname history. The more than 10,000 copies sold so far indicate that my intention has been well received.

  The enthusiastic and sometimes also moving reactions are for me an encouragement to continue my search through the archives.

  C. McLeod

  Paramaribo, J
une 1994

  LITERATURE CONSULTED

  Groot, Silvia W. de, 1978

  The Boni Maroon War 1765–1793, Suriname and French Guyana. Boletin de Estudios Latinoamericanos y del Caribe 18: 30–48

  Hartsinck, Jan Jacob, 1770

  Beschrijving van Guiana of de wilde kust in Zuid-America: betreffende de aadrykskunde en historie des landes, de zeeden en gewoontes der inwooners, de dieren, vogels, visschen, boomen en gewassen… Amsterdam: Gerrit Tielenberg, 11 parts

  Hoogbergen, Wim S.M.,1985

  De Boni-oorlogen, 1757–1860. Marronage en guerilla in Oost-Suriname. Bronnen voor de studie van Bosnegersamenlevingen, deel 11. Universiteit Utrecht: Centrum voor Caraïbische Studies.

  Lier, Rudolf A.J. van, 1949

  Samenleving in een grensgebied: een sociaal-historische studie van Suriname. The Hague, Martinus Nijhoff. Nassy, David de Ishak Cohen (and other learned Jewish men), 1791

  Geschiedenis der kolonie van Suriname. Amsterdam

  Stedman, Capt. John Gabriel, 1799

  Reize naar Surinamen, en door de binnenste gedeelten van Guiana. Amsterdam, Johannes Allart

  Wolbers, J., 1861

  Geschiedenis van Suriname. Amsterdam: H. de Hoogh (photographic reproduction 1970, Amsterdam, S. Emmering)

  GLOSSARY

  In view of the relatively limited extent of the Dutch language, the reader may find these notes useful, also for ‘visualizing’ the pronunciation. Some terms specific to Suriname and similar countries are also explained. Because ‘negro’ occurs in various combinations in this book, the term has not been capitalized, and the names of other local races are treated similarly for consistency. Most terms are also explained in footnotes.

  Alanga tiki A twig from a citrus tree

  Basya A negro foreman, himself a slave

  Boven Up, upper

  Bu… In Sranan this rhymes approximately with English ‘too’

  Commewijne One of the main rivers, flowing from the east and sharing a common estuary with the Suriname River. Approximate pronunciation: Kom muh wine uh

  Dram A highly alcoholic brew distilled from the waste from sugar production

  Faya watra Hot water containing a shoot of molasses

  Fiadu (Fiadoe, or viadoe): a (pastry) tart filled with, amongst other things raisins and almond slivers

  Free Negroes Corps A corps of free negroes and other races who served professionally (in contrast to the Zwarte Jagers)

  Futuboi A young slave-boy who was constantly at the side of his master or mistress to attend to his or her every whim and fancy

  Fyo-fyo (The wicked eye): in folklore and the Winti religion, a curse that could cause a child to become ill or even die; a common cause could be the parents arguing

  Gemene Weide (Village) common

  IJ Treated as one letter in Dutch; ‘the approximate pronunciation of ‘mijn’ is ‘mine’, ‘wijn’ is ‘wine’ (they translate as ‘my’ and ‘wine’, respectively); the IJ is the river running past Amsterdam and into the North Sea and serving as Amsterdam’s harbour

  Inglish boru (Engris buru, Ingris boroe): a sponge-cake with currants, raisins and sometimes pineapple

  J Is always pronounced as the English ‘y’

  Joden Jews (singular, Jood). Pronunciation Yoden, rhyming with the surname Roden in English (the singular rhymes with road)

  Karboeger negro Three-quarters negro, one-quarter white, or a child of a negro and an indian

  Keksi A sponge-cake with currants and raisins

  Klein Small, little; rhymes with ‘mine’

  Korjaal An advanced type of dugout canoe (pronounced kor yaal)

  Kra Spirit, or ancestor’s soul (term from Ghana), especially in Winti

  Manumission Declaration of Freedom

  Maroon A Maroon (in Suriname, Marron) was a slave who had escaped and lived in the rain forest; whole communities were set up and functioned perfectly in surroundings that were familiar to them

  Mees Approximate pronunciation: ‘mace’

  Mijn My; rhymes approximately with ‘mine’

  Misi Mistress (also a form of address)

  Omhoog Rhymes with ‘vogue’ or ‘rogue’

  Oude Oranjetuin Old Orange Garden

  Paradijs Paradise (which is also the approximate pronunciation)

  Paramaribo The only town in Suriname and often referred to as ‘the town’; originally called Parmirbo; some sources suggest ‘para’ (water) and ‘maribo’ (inhabitants) in Amerindian languages

  Platte Brug ‘Flat Bridge’: not actually a bridge, but a jetty on the Paramaribo waterfront where small boats still moor

  Pom A warm dish based on ground taro stem, with chicken and vegetables, eaten mainly on festive occasions

  Rein Rhymes with ‘mine’

  Salt-water negro Brought directly from Africa, or born on the voyage

  Sapakara Large type of iguana, living off eggs and small animals

  Society The Licensed Society of Suriname (Geoctroyeerde Sociëteit van Suriname) was established in 1683 by the Dutch West India Company, the City of Amsterdam and Cornelis van Aerssen van Sommelsdijck to manage the new colony, which had been exchanged for Nieuw Amsterdam (later New York) through the Treaty of Breda, 1667. The society was disbanded in 1795 and a colonial government was instituted.

  Sranan Dutch is the official language of Suriname, but Sranan is used by many Surinamers on an everyday basis

  Suriname Pronounced Suri naam uh (so not rhyming with ‘name’); sometimes seen as Surinam, but this is not the correct form, even anglicized

  Tapu (Negro folklore): protection through magical forces

  Tent boat As its name suggests, a boat with a tent-like awning for the passengers; rowed by, on average, eight slaves

  Th Always a hard t, as in Thomas, but also in, for example, Sarith (‘Sarit’)

  Tuin Garden; approximate pronunciation: ‘town’

  Uit Out; the English ‘out’, which is also a very approximate pronunciation

  Winti An Afro-American religion: literally (in Sranan) ‘wind’ referring to the god-like spirits which can take possession of someone

  Wisi Black magic

  Zwarte Jagers Corps Corps of Black Hunters or Black Rangers; slaves sold to the government to fight their fellow slaves (Maroons) who had escaped into the rain forest

  BLURB

  The Cost of Sugar is the successful debut of Suriname’s most celebrated historical novelist, Cynthia McLeod. Published in 1987, the novel was in instant bestseller in Surinam for Vaco Press, and also in the Netherlands in 1995 for Uitgeverij Conserve. 100,000 copies were sold. The book was also published in the German language.

  In an engrossing historical account, Cynthia McLeod takes her readers back to the 18th century (between 1765-1779) recapping the intriguing history of those rabid times through the eyes of two Jewish step sisters, Elza and Sarith, descendants of the settlers of ‘New Jerusalem of the River’, know today as Jodensavanne, the oldest Jewish settlement in Surinam, which boasts the first synagogue in the Western Hemisphere.

  The Cost of Sugar is a frank exposé of life in the Dutch salve colony when sugar ruled as king – and the tragic toll it took on the lives of colonist and slaves alike.

  About the Author

  Cynthia McLeod was decorated Dame in the Honorary Order of the Golden Palm in 1988 by the president of Surinam. She is the widow of late Ambassador Donald McLeod, and daughter of Dr. Johan Ferrier, the last governor and first president of Surinam.

  Copyright

  First published in 1987

  by VACO N.V Publishing

  This ebook edition first published in 2011

  by HopeRoad Publishing

  P O Box 55544

  Exhibition Road

  London SW7 2DB

  www.hoperoadpublishing.com

  All rights reserved

  © Cynthia McLeod 1987

  © 1987 Suriname edition VACO N.V., Publishing House, Paramaribo

  © 1995 Revised Dutch edition Cyn
thia McLeod & Conserve Publishers, Schoorl

  © 2007 English edition, translated from Dutch edition: Waterfront Publishers, Paramaribo

  © 2010 English edition, translated from Dutch edition: Waterfront Press,

  Paramaribo, partly produced and licensed only for distribution in the

  Netherlands & Belgium: Conserve Publishers, Schoorl

  Originally published in the Netherlands May 1995 under the title: Hoe duur was de suiker? by Conserve Publishers, Schoorl

  English translation: © Gerald R. Mettam

  Cover design: Jeroen Klaver

  Front cover drawing: ‘A Surinam Planter in his Morning Dress’,

  2 December 1793, by Willliam Blake (1757-1827)

  Collection JCB Archive of Early American Images

  Photograph of the author: Cees Korteland

  Printed by: Grafistar, Lichtenvoorde

  All rights reserved

  The right of Cynthia McLeod to be identified as author of this work has been asserted in accordance with Section 77 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988

  This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly