The table had been booked for eight with pre-dinner drinks in the bar. Abbey had brought smart but casual clothes for the evening. At seven-thirty, they walked into the bar and Darren led her over to a table where a man and a woman were already deep in conversation.
The man stood as they approached and Abbey was introduced to Mr Gunnell. Abbey shook his hand, smiled and turned to face his companion who was still sitting down. She took a deep breath as the woman stood up in front of her. She was at least three inches taller than Abbey, and wearing an expensive designer outfit. Her long, blond hair tumbled over her shoulders and Abbey noticed her perfect makeup.
‘Abbey, this is Anna,’ said Darren. ‘I believe you two have spoken on the phone.’
Abbey smiled and held out her hand. Anna responded and shook Abbey’s fingers loosely, quickly letting go.
Good grief, that was pathetic, thought Abbey, retracting her hand as quickly as she could. Anna immediately turned to Darren, placed her hands on the top of his arms and kissed him on his cheek, close to his mouth. Abbey pretended not to notice and showed no reaction.
She sat down, picked up the glass of wine that Darren had ordered for her and prayed that the evening would pass quickly. Over the next half an hour, Abbey stayed silent, nodding and smiling in the appropriate places. Her main objective that evening was to scrutinise this woman, who not only dominated the conversation, but who also seemed intent on undermining her confidence.
At five minutes to eight, the headwaiter approached and advised them their table was ready in the restaurant. Anna quickly stood up and linked her arm with Darren’s, ushering him past Abbey towards the door. Before Abbey had time to think, Mr Gunnell offered his arm to Abbey. She smiled and took it, thinking it would be impolite to refuse. Darren stood and waited for Abbey to take a seat at the table, sitting beside her. He slid his hand onto her lap, took her hand and squeezed it gently. She looked at him and smiled in appreciation.
‘So Darren,’ said Anna, without looking at Abbey, ‘how is life in Chobe?’
‘It’s very good,’ replied Darren, looking over at Abbey. ‘Everything has turned out much better than I could have hoped for.’
Mr Gunnell addressed Abbey directly. ‘How do you find Chobe, my dear? Is it to your liking?’
‘It took a bit of getting used to, but yes, I am very settled there now.’
‘Do you work, Abbey?’ continued Mr Gunnell.
‘Yes, I work for the charity AVP, looking after the new tree plantations.’
Anna cleared her throat, as if mocking Abbey’s statement.
‘Of course, I haven’t always done that, not that it isn’t a good job,’ persisted Abbey. ‘Before I came to Botswana I…’
‘Darren, what’s this I hear about a new drill?’ cut in Anna, before Abbey could finish her sentence. Abbey drew breath; she was aware her cheeks were starting to burn and quickly excused herself to the ladies’ restroom.
Once inside, she leaned on the hand basin and looked in the mirror. What the hell was the matter with her? Why was this woman making her feel so inadequate? She looked at her clothes and wished she had worn something a bit classier. As she straightened her hair in the mirror, the door opened and Anna Halley strode in and washed her hands in the basin beside her. Abbey stood paralysed on the spot; her brain and her body seemed to lose communication. Anna, sensing Abbey’s vulnerability, struck quickly.
‘So, how long have you actually known your husband, Abbey? I mean, it can’t be that long.’
Abbey looked at Anna’s flawless reflection in the mirror.
‘We’ve known each other long enough to know that we want to spend the rest of our lives together.’
‘Really? Did he say that to you, or you to him?’
‘Actually, we both share the same view.’
‘You know that’s the problem with men, don’t you think? They’re so, what shall we say, damn predictable.’
‘I don’t follow you,’ said Abbey, her voice still quiet.
‘Gosh, you’re so naive Abbey, considering your age! I mean in my experience they say what they think you want to hear, while their actions say something completely different. I’m surprised you haven’t noticed that!’
Anna looked down at Abbey and smiled before walking confidently out of the room, flicking her head to one side so her hair bounced off her shoulders. Abbey stood completely still. She looked at her own reflection in the mirror. Even with a full makeover, she would never be able to compete with Anna. How could Darren not be attracted to such a stunning-looking woman?
Now she was being silly. Darren had married her, in fact he had proposed to her, not the other way around. Those weren’t the actions of a man who didn’t mean what he said. After a couple of deep breaths, Abbey quickly regained her composure and returned to the table, determined not to let Anna’s bullishness intimidate her further.
Dinner finished just after ten and Abbey felt a rush of relief as they said goodnight and retired to their room. As they took the lift, she wanted to speak to Darren about Anna’s attitude and the conversation they had had in the ladies’ toilet, but felt it should wait until the morning.
Darren appeared completely relaxed and unaware of the inner turmoil going on inside Abbey’s head. In a bid to hide her anxiety, she poured him a glass of whiskey, lay on the bed and watched him undress. He smiled and, without saying a word, slid over the top of her, unbuttoning her blouse as he kissed her neck. She had never needed this closeness, this oneness in the same way as she did now. She encircled her arms around his back, holding on to him, determined not to let him go.
The next morning, Darren was up and showered before Abbey was awake. He had organised a breakfast meeting at eight, to discuss work with Anna and Mr Gunnell, as he hadn’t wanted Abbey to feel bored or left out of the conversation the previous evening.
Abbey chose to stay in bed, order room service, and indulge herself with satellite TV. After she had eaten, she showered and made her way to the hotel reception to browse around the selection of shops situated in the reception area of the hotel. She decided to take the stairs rather than the lift, and look at the paintings that were hung around the staircase walls. Abbey smiled at the number of untouched breakfast trays outside doors with the ‘do not disturb’ sign hanging on the handle. The hotel had been busy last night and she had heard laughter up and down the hallways well into the night.
As she approached the ground floor, she heard Anna’s shrill laugh ring out across the foyer. She followed the sound and saw Darren standing with Anna by the reception desk. He was holding a small package in his hand and was showing the contents to Anna. At that moment, Anna turned and spotted Abbey on the stairs. Smiling, and without acknowledging Abbey, she took the box from Darren, kissed him on the cheek and whispered something in his ear which made him smile. Abbey took three steps backwards before turning around and making her way back to the room as quickly as she could. She sat on the bed, feeling paralysed, and once again totally out of control of the situation.
By lunchtime they were on the plane heading for Kasane.
‘You’re quiet,’ commented Darren, after the air stewardess had poured their drinks.
‘I didn’t enjoy the company last night.’
‘You did very well, considering.’
‘Considering what, exactly?’
‘Considering Anna was doing her utmost to wind you up!’
Abbey turned her head to look directly at Darren.
‘Why would she do that, Darren? Is it a habit of hers, winding up the wives of her clients, or is there more to it?’ She surprised herself at the bluntness of her question.
‘It’s just the way she is,’ replied Darren, ignoring the sharpness in her voice. ‘You might have noticed she doesn’t like to compete for male attention.’
‘And you just play along with her little game, do you?’
‘I don’t play along at all, Abbey. What’s the matter? Are you jealous?’
‘No, sho
uld I be?’
Darren twisted in his seat to face her. ‘Listen Abbey, I think we need to trust one another here. Please don’t judge me, based on her behaviour.’ He reached into his jacket pocket and handed her a package. It had been exquisitely wrapped. ‘I bought you this,’ he whispered. ‘I hope you like it.’
Abbey removed the wrapping and recognised the box as being the same one she had seen Darren showing Anna earlier. Inside was the carved gold bracelet she had been admiring the day before when they had first arrived at the hotel. Darren slipped it onto her wrist.
Abbey put her arms around him and kissed him.
‘I’m sorry,’ she whispered before putting her head on Darren’s shoulder, squeezing his bicep as if amplifying her apology. He was right. She must put Anna Halley and any silly, insecure thoughts out of her head.
Chapter Eighteen
The pungent smell from the garbage that had being lying untouched for days lingered in the air. Dried fish hung on a wire spanned across the rough ground outside the apartment block. Loud music thumped out of a cassette player, surrounded by a group of young men drinking the local beer. Richard had arrived in the capital after hitching his way down from Kasane. His bank account had soon dried up, due to the fact that the women here wanted more than a promise of a good reference for their services.
In an attempt replenish his income, he had tried calling at some of the private schools, only to be told the same tale over and over again - there were more teachers currently looking for jobs than there were positions. Finally, he had gone to the Teaching Service Management offices and registered as a teacher for the state schools. As yet, his services had not been required.
Richard had managed to rent a room in a flat near Tlokweng. It wasn’t far from the South African border and was one of the poorer areas of town, with rows of concrete apartment blocks. Children and stray dogs roamed the street by day and night. He growled at the children whenever they put out their hands, begging for a few pulas. The clouds of flies made him feel nauseas, as he watched them crawl over the waste that had escaped from the small, corrugated iron shacks, which were used as outside toilets, on patches on waste ground.
At night, he drank in the local shebeens, spending what little hard cash he had left. He was careful not to carry anything of importance, as muggings and stabbings were quite common as people (especially drunk, white people who represented the wealth of the west) made their way home.
He sat at the bar, unshaven and unwashed, pushing away the women trying to force themselves onto his lap in the hope of earning some money. How had he let this happen? How could that bitch have got the better of him? He thought Mr Permelo had said it wouldn’t be a problem, and that it was all in hand. He had assured him that Abbey and Phil’s future in Botswana was about to come to an abrupt end. The next thing, he had been forced out of his job and out of town under the fear of arrest for fraud. He wouldn’t put it past that bitch to turn him in and make even more trouble. He didn’t care what happened to her now, as long as it was bad enough to satisfy his revenge.
It was the not knowing that was making him more frustrated. He left the bar, looked around for possible assailants and, sensing it was safe, made his way to the phone box in the next street.
‘Ja, Richard. Howz it?’ asked Mr Permelo, as if there was nothing wrong.
‘It’s not,’ growled Richard. ‘What the hell’s going on up there? You said you would get rid of both of them so I could come back.’
‘Ja, I know that, but these things take planning and time, you know this. Is it so bad down there?’
‘Just tell me what you intend to do and when I can get back up.’
‘As you know, part of the plan has already been executed and the other part will be put into place in the next week or two. You’re just going to have to be patient with me here, man. I’ve got my back to watch as well. Don’t call me on this number again, unless it’s urgent.’
‘This is urgent,’ spat Richard into the mouth piece. ‘In fact, it’s more than urgent.’
The line clicked dead. Richard, dissatisfied with what he’d heard, pulled up his collar and walked as quickly as he could back to his room.
Not long after their return from Gaborone, Darren left to re-join his team to check on how the new drill was performing. The subject of Anna Halley had not come up, and Abbey was still feeling uncomfortable at the way this woman blatantly flirted with her husband. No matter how hard she tried to reassure herself, a nagging doubt that there was something she didn’t know just wouldn’t go away.
Darren was going to be away all week, which gave Abbey time to get up to date with the paperwork that had built up. Boitachello had managed the office very efficiently and Abbey had a pile of phone messages on her desk. The morning flew by as she updated the volunteer rosters and ordered new supplies of saplings.
At lunch time, she decided to walk down to the President’s Lodge for a bar snack instead of staying at the office. She ordered her toasties and sat at the same table she and Phil had sat at after their infamous team-building day.
Her gaze wandered across the river and then over to the doorway at the hotel reception. Mr Permelo walked out with another gentleman she did not recognise. He did a double take when he saw her, and stared for a few seconds before taking his companion’s arm and walking towards the car park. Abbey gave it no more thought and finished her lunch, relieved that he was on his way out and putting some distance between them. No evidence had ever been found as to the cause of the fire and the police had conveniently closed the file.
That evening, she locked up the AVP plot and walked home, taking her usual route. As she approached the bungalow, she noticed a man in his early twenties standing by the gate, looking towards the front door.
‘Dumela Rra,’ she called, walking towards him. ‘Can I help you? Are you looking for Mr Scott?’
The man did not reply. He half turned to face her, put his hands together as if he was praying, bowed his head and walked away down the hill. Abbey raised her eyebrows at his strange behaviour and thought she would mention it to Boitachello tomorrow to see if she could shed any light as to who he was.
Abbey spent the evening reading a selection of magazines and playing with Moxy, Phil’s cat, who had decided not to run away and had made herself quite at home. Apart from terrorising the bird population in the garden, she had been a welcome addition to the house, killing insects and chasing spiders.
Abbey decided to try and call Darren to see how he was, but also because she was missing his company. The automated voice clicked in to tell her the number was unavailable and to try later. Damn, she thought, that means no signal, which means I won’t be able to reach him all week.
She replaced the phone onto its cradle. As she did so, something by the bedroom door caught her eye. She walked over and switched on the light. Nothing seemed touched or out of place. She made her way back to the lounge and saw another shadow, this time at the kitchen door. She leaned into the kitchen, stretching her hand onto the wall and flicked the light switch. On first inspection she couldn’t see anything unusual. As she turned to go back into the lounge, she saw the shadow again. She walked over to the vegetable basket in the corner of the kitchen. Protruding out from the bottom rack was the unmistakable tail of a snake.
Abbey felt her stomach turn over. She had been in Chobe long enough to know not to make any sudden movements or noise. She also knew that snakes usually only came into houses to find a warm place to sleep when the nights were growing colder, not to attack the inhabitants. She opened the kitchen door to provide an escape route for both her and the snake; then, carefully holding the broom handle, she pulled the vegetable basket away from the wall.
The snake stared at her, raising its head ready to attack. She was in no doubt it was a Mozambique Spitting Cobra, which were highly poisonous. She took a deep breath and, using the bristle end of the broom, gently pushed the snake towards the open door. The snake retaliated, spitting. Abbey stood
back, knowing it would try and catch her eyes with its venom. After her second attempt, the snake sensed the night air and slid out of the back door. Abbey ran over and bolted it shut, her heart beating furiously inside her chest. After pouring herself a shot of Darren’s whiskey, she carefully checked the rest of the house, looking under chairs and behind cupboards, before retiring for the night.
As well as hiring Boitachello on a full-time basis, Abbey had also employed a labourer called Alfred. Alfred was in his mid twenties and had previously been a volunteer. He had impressed Abbey with his enthusiasm, turning up to help on a daily basis and carrying out instructions to the letter.
Boitachello had seized this opportunity to spend more time working in the office, which she clearly enjoyed much more than working outside, and had introduced some new office routines, which were to be rigorously stuck to. One of the new routines included the favourite national pastime of drinking bush tea. For half an hour every morning at ten o’clock, Abbey sat with her two assistants under the shading outside the office, drinking tea and eating cake. She had decided to buy cakes every morning on her way to work, as an alternative to the Mopani worms that Boitachello always seemed to have in great supply and which Abbey could still not bring herself to swallow, whether they were raw or fried.
At ten-thirty, it was back to work and Abbey smiled as she heard Boitachello exercising her authority over the newly employed Alfred, giving orders to tidy up the yard if she felt he had nothing to do. Alfred was also going to accompany Abbey on her weekly trip to the Crossroads. To her surprise, Alfred declined a seat in the cab of the bakkie, preferring to travel in the back in the open air.
After the trees were loaded, Abbey ate her burger and told Isaac about the snake.
The Perils of Skinny-Dipping Page 12