“Brian and I have separate quarters in the house,” he explained. “You’ll meet him later, at dinner.”
A small black woman emerged from Ivy’s bathroom, where she’d been running her a bath. She explained how the plumbing worked then quickly made her exit.
Alone at last, Ivy stripped off and stepped into the bath, luxuriating in its relaxing warmth. When she eventually emerged, she felt restored to some semblance of humanity, and ready to enjoy the evening meal. Suddenly, she realised she was very hungry.
Downstairs, the sound of conversation directed her to the dining room, where she found Owen and another man sitting at the table. This was clearly her brother’s business partner, and he instantly rose and grasped her hands in his. Ivy found herself gazing into a pair of startling blue eyes in a tanned, handsome face.
“Delighted to meet you, Ivy,” he said warmly. “I’m Brian Davis. Owen’s told me all about you.”
Ivy was instantly struck by how attractive Brian was. He was at least six feet tall, and she liked the way his dark hair was lightly bleached by the sun. She suddenly felt shy in his presence, and overawed by his magnificently tanned arms and legs, which were clearly visible in his short-sleeved shirt and khaki shorts.
“We’re honoured to have a TV star in our midst!” Brian added, but at the mention of her career, Ivy felt a sudden frisson of fear, since it reminded her of the mysterious caller. But she quickly dismissed it and returned Brian’s greeting warmly. She was nothing if not a good actor!
Later, dinner was served by the cook, a friendly young black woman called Lumka. It was delicious, and Ivy ate everything on her plate. After Lumka said goodnight and went home, Brian, Owen and Ivy sat outside on the veranda, in the darkness except for an overhead lamp, and listened to the sounds of the countryside at night. As Ivy drank a post-prandial brandy, she was thrilled to see several bats swooping low, and Brian explained that the sounds in the distance were hyenas.
“Tomorrow, if you feel up to it, I’ll take you on a game drive,” Brian promised. He grinned at Owen. “Since your brother’s on duty tomorrow, I’m the lucky one who gets to show you around.”
Ivy nodded. The idea of spending time alone with Brian was a very pleasant one, and she hoped she’d have the energy to accompany him. But, right now, she was so tired she felt she’d sleep forever once her head hit the pillow.
Chapter 22
Ivy had been briefly tempted by Danny’s declaration of love, because it would enable her to wallow in the comfort of someone’s adoration. But it would be a one-sided relationship since she couldn’t reciprocate Danny’s feelings. Besides, Rosa Dalton was crazy about Danny, and Ivy knew that if she started going out with Danny, she’d make a formidable enemy in Rosa. Anyway, she was still grieving for his older brother, and it wouldn’t be fair to Danny to embark on a relationship when her mind was still consumed with thoughts of Joe’s body lying at the bottom of Harper’s Lake.
She often had nightmares in which she tried in vain to pull him out of the car. She’d wake screaming for help, and her mother, father or brother would rush into her room and hold her while she shook violently from fear and sorrow. Other nights, she dreamt that she, too, was drowning in the lake, and she’d wake up gasping for air. Being unable to tell anyone why she was feeling so bad made her even more isolated, and that also made Danny’s offer very tempting. Having someone to care for her was what Ivy craved right now.
One night, after a particularly vivid and frightening dream, Ivy’s mother sat with her long after Owen and her father had returned to their bedrooms.
“Ivy, what’s the matter?” her mother asked, as she cradled her daughter in her arms. “Whatever it is, I’m sure I can help. There’s nothing you can say that will shock me.”
Ivy clung to her mother. There was no way she could ever tell her what the nightmares were about. In her wildest dreams, her mother couldn’t imagine what was going on in her daughter’s life.
“It’s nothing, Mum – maybe something I ate?”
“You’ve eaten hardly anything lately,” her mother retorted. “There’s something bothering you, Ivy, and I wish you’d tell me what it is!”
Ivy gulped. “Well, to tell you the truth, Mum, I want to go to RADA so much and I’m afraid I mightn’t get a place.”
“Of course you will!” Ivy’s mother said, relieved to think that this was all that was worrying her daughter. “You know you’ve got the talent – even your teachers at school are positive you’ll get a place!”
Ivy felt bad about lying, but, if her mother believed her lie, it would ease her worries. Ivy didn’t like causing her family problems, but there was nothing she could do about the nightmares. She longed for them to go away, but these nightmares were the price she had to pay for concealing Joe’s death. She wondered if she should tell someone, even now, but at this stage her omission was all the more heinous.
Why had she ever decided to conceal Joe’s death? Presumably the shock of what happened at the lake had momentarily atrophied her brain. If she’d been thinking straight, she’d have told the truth from the start. But she hadn’t, and now her personal effects were in the car, and if it was ever pulled from the lake, she’d have some explaining to do. No, it was better to let sleeping dogs lie – in this case, it meant leaving poor Joe lying at the bottom of the lake.
Ivy sighed, snuggling into the warmth of her mother’s embrace. “Do you really think I’ve got a chance?” she whispered.
“Yes, I do,” said her mother firmly. “But you won’t be able to act if you don’t get a good night’s sleep!”
Alone in the dark after her mother left, Ivy pondered on her future. Would she ever be able to get over what had happened? Or would it affect every performance she ever gave? When she stood on a stage or a film set, would she see Joe’s face and forget her lines? Did she have a future as an actor at all? She envied her brother, who’d always known he wanted to be a vet. Owen was due to start at university that autumn, and he was already devouring every relevant book and watching every wildlife programme on TV.
Still unable to settle, Ivy climbed out of bed and tiptoed along the landing until she reached her brother’s room. She tapped gently on the door so as not to re-awaken her parents and she heard him call: “Come in!”
Inside, she found Owen sitting in front of a pile of books on his desk.
“Don’t you ever get tired of studying?” Ivy asked him, exasperated. “It’s 3a.m.!”
“You’re not the only one with a dream, kiddo – or in your case, a nightmare!” he said, grinning at his own unintentional wit.
Ivy smiled, curling up on her brother’s bed. She liked it when he called her ‘kiddo’.
“Why have you still got your head stuck in a book?” she persisted.
Owen cocked an eyebrow. “Didn’t I hear you telling Mum you were studying all weekend?”
Ivy blushed as he stared at her.
“Of course, I don’t believe for a minute that you’re studying,” her brother added. “I know you too well for that. These nightmares of yours, Ivy – is there anything wrong? If you’ve got a problem, you know you can talk to me – I won’t tell the parents, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“There’s nothing to tell,” Ivy lied. “I am studying – I’m worried in case I don’t get a place at RADA.”
Owen was immediately contrite. “Poor old kiddo! But you’ve another whole year of school – you’ve plenty of time to prepare.”
Ivy shrugged her shoulders, but her brother’s kindness made her feel guilty. In fact, she felt guilty about everything lately, and she was tired of it.
Quickly changing the subject, Ivy hoped to distract her brother from any further scrutiny. “So why are you studying, Owen? You’ve already got your place at university and you know you’ll fly through your exams, so you don’t need to worry.”
Her brother’s face lit up with enthusiasm. “I want to be a vet more than anything in the world, so I’m trying to
read as much as I can about my subjects before I start. Yes, I’ll sail through the A levels, but there’s so much to learn about veterinary practice – I want to be ahead of the game if I possibly can.”
Ivy nodded. It was clear that he was as passionate about his future as she was about hers.
“Are you going to look after people’s pets when you graduate?”
Ivy’s only experience of vets was at the local animal clinic, where they’d taken their beloved old cat to be put to sleep.
Owen shook his head. “I’m hoping to work with large animals.”
“Do you mean cattle?”
“No, I want to work with lions, elephants, hippos and rhinos. Ideally, I want to work in a nature reserve, helping to protect endangered species.”
Ivy nodded. It seemed a very ambitious dream, and while she hoped it would happen for him, she feared he’d end up compromising like most people had to do. Her own life had already been compromised …
She hopped off the bed and padded towards the door. “‘Night, Owen.”
“Night, kiddo – call me if you’ve any more nightmares. That’s what big brothers are for, you know – to scare off the demons and the monsters.”
Smiling, Ivy left and walked back to her own room. It felt good to have someone looking out for her. Even if she could never tell him the truth.
Chapter 23
The following morning, Ivy awoke to knocking at her door. When she called out, Pumila appeared with a breakfast tray, which she placed on Ivy’s bedside table, and immediately began running her a bath.
“Stop – you’ll have me totally spoilt!” Ivy told the woman, laughing. “It’s so kind of you, but I really should be up by now.”
Pumila smiled. “We’ve all been told to spoil you, miss.”
“My name’s Ivy – please, I hate formality.”
“Okay, miss –” Pumila gave an infectious chuckle, “– I mean, Ivy.”
When Pumila left, Ivy ate a leisurely breakfast before stepping into her bath. I could get used to this kind of life, she murmured. Then the thought struck her that this was how the whites had lived under apartheid, with servants to take care of their every need. Except that their staff wouldn’t have been paid properly or treated like human beings. According to Owen, most non-white South Africans still worked for a pittance, assuming they were lucky enough to find a job.
Downstairs, Brian was waiting for her, and Ivy realised that it was almost noon.
“Oh, dear – have I kept you waiting?” she asked him anxiously.
“Not at all,” he said, smiling. “You’re on holiday, so you’re entitled to stay in bed as long as you wish. For today, we’ll just take a leisurely afternoon drive, but if you’re prepared to get up early one morning – say five o’clock – then you’ll see some really amazing wildlife.”
Ivy nodded. She was very excited. She abhorred zoos and circuses that used animals, and was glad that her brother and his partner were instrumental in enabling so many creatures to live out their lives in their natural environment.
Down at the entrance gate, Brian selected one of the jeeps and they both climbed in. A group of German tourists were being taken out in another jeep, and Ivy also heard the sounds of Yorkshire accents as she and Brian were driving away. She was relieved to be leaving the base, since it had only just occurred to her that there could be tourists here who might recognise her. On the other hand, she was probably being paranoid – who’d expect to find her in South Africa? Anyway, her sun hat was covering her face, and right now she didn’t look anything like the tempestuous Isabella.
As they drove across the vast grasslands, Ivy felt a wonderful sense of freedom. She was beginning to understand why her brother had chosen to come here.
“This view is breathtaking,” she said. “I’m really looking forward to seeing the animals in their natural habitat.”
Brian nodded. “It’s the best way to appreciate them. Our safari tours help us to get the message across that wildlife is important to us all, and that we, as humans, have no right to exploit animals for our own vanity or financial gain.”
He gestured out across the plains. “Of course, it would be better to leave the animals alone and undisturbed, but the tours make the money we need to maintain the land and the veterinary hospital, and it allows us to train and employ local people.”
On their journey, Ivy saw giraffes, impalas, hartebeests, leopards, elephants, rhinos and warthogs. She also spotted several species of small monkeys, and was captivated by the magnificent plumage of the many birds she saw and the amazing diversity of wildlife all around.
To her surprise, a few hours later, Brian stopped the jeep, climbed out and produced a picnic basket, a bottle of wine and two glasses from the boot.
Noting Ivy’s surprised expression, he grinned as he helped her down from the jeep.
“This is a South African custom,” he said, pouring her a glass of wine. “At this time of evening, we have ‘sundowners’. Night comes quickly here – in half an hour it’ll be completely dark.”
What a lovely idea, Ivy thought, happily sipping her wine and eating the cheese, biscuits and biltong, a type of dried meat, that Brian had brought. Together they rested against the jeep and watched the sun slip beneath the horizon and the landscape gradually grow darker.
“It’s like being the only people in the world out here,” she said, gazing around her as the light began to fade. She felt totally at peace. “It must feel wonderful to know that you’re responsible for successfully maintaining all this.”
Brian nodded. “Owen and I see it as a duty,” he said. “Animals are essential for humans’ own future, so we’re actually helping humanity by looking after them. The planet won’t survive without diversity. Animals and humans need each other.” He sipped his wine. “Neither Owen nor I approve of private ownership of vast tracts of land, but currently it’s the only way we can ensure that the wildlife here is protected.”
Ivy looked surprised. “Who are you protecting it from?”
Brian shrugged his shoulders. “From governments and individuals who want to offer canned hunting holidays, to people who’ll kill animals for their skins, ivory and rhino horn. It all comes down to money in the end.”
“But isn’t there legislation that prevents trade in endangered species?”
Brian gave her a sarcastic look. “There’s always a market for this stuff if you’re unscrupulous enough.”
“What’s canned hunting?” Ivy asked.
Brian grimaced. “It’s hunting where the animal is reared to be killed, and has no chance of escape, usually because they’ve been drugged – so that brain-dead idiots can think they’re heroes by shooting a poor defenceless animal.”
Ivy shivered. “My god – how could anyone do that?”
Brian shrugged his shoulders again. Her rhetorical question needed no answer.
As they continued to sit in companionable silence, Ivy followed his gaze across the vast horizon, as darkness rapidly descended. Even in the dark, Ivy could see that Brian looked sad.
“There’s so much poverty, corruption and incompetence here, there’s a danger that what really matters could be lost,” he said. “Successive generations of whites from other countries have exploited Africa’s gold, titanium and animals so that people in the so-called developed world can have the latest fashionable luxuries. People here see what’s available in the western world and, not surprisingly, they want the same for themselves.”
Ivy nodded, appalled at the thoughtlessness and greed of her world, and guilty for her own part in it. At least she didn’t wear fur, leather or silk, and didn’t eat veal, fois gras or buy products tested on animals. But she was well aware that there were many products still using animal ingredients, and medicines that involved testing on animals too. It was difficult for the ordinary person to be vigilant about everything they bought.
“There are lots of ways to benefit from animals without killing them,” Brian went on. “Indigeno
us peoples all over the world have always lived this way, treasuring what they had, using it selectively and never destroying it all for the sake of a quick, short-lived return – like what’s in danger of happening now.” He gestured out across the vast plains. “These animals can actually support local communities. As long as we have them, people will want to visit, and they’ll want to take home souvenirs of their trip. Owen and I have helped to set up several local souvenir-making cooperatives, which bring in money for impoverished communities.” He looked at her earnestly. “Some day, Owen and I want to see this land returned to its indigenous people. But that will only happen when we can ensure its status as a nature reserve for future generations. In the meantime, Owen and I accept that we’re just caretakers – in fact, we’re all caretakers of this planet, and we have a duty to pass it on in as good a condition as we can.”
Collecting the wineglasses, he smiled whimsically at her. “Lecture over,” he said as he placed them in the back of the jeep. “Come on, it’s time to head back.”
As they climbed back into the jeep, their hands accidentally touched and Ivy glanced shyly at him. He really was incredibly attractive, especially when all fired up with enthusiasm for South Africa, its wildlife and its indigenous people. His passion was infectious, and Ivy found herself liking him more and more.
“Now that it’s dark, different kinds of animals will appear,” he said, “and you’ll notice different sounds. Look, there’s a rock monitor –”
Ivy gazed in astonishment at the giant lizard-like creature that was now visible in the jeep’s headlights, as Brian turned on the engine.
“My God, it’s nearly as big as a crocodile!” she said. “Do they bite?”
Brian shook his head. “No, they defend themselves by swishing their tails. You wouldn’t want to get a whack – it can be very painful!”
“What a magnificent creature,” Ivy said, as the monitor waddled away out of the jeep’s headlights and disappeared into the undergrowth.
Still Waters Page 11