Cry of the Firebird

by T. M. Clark

  A bell sounded, and Andries looked towards the entrance. ‘That’s our queue to go backstage and get ready. I’ll see you all afterwards at the dinner.’ He kissed Lily on the cheeks and did the same to Rose before he headed off.

  Quintin hugged her. ‘Are you sure you’re going to get to your seat okay?’

  ‘We’ll be fine,’ she said. ‘You need to go and do your famous-music thing up on that stage and make everybody happy.’

  ‘I love you, wifie,’ he said as he kissed her before walking away.

  Lily and her family made their way towards the door of the theatre that she knew so well. She chatted to people on the way, always smiling, always polite, even if she didn’t remember who some of them were, only this time it was different. She had her children with her and Piet, who smiled at everyone and drew lots of stares. Lincoln and Bessie were looking stunning holding hands and dressed in their best clothes. For Lily, people’s names and faces were beginning to fade.

  She sat down in her seat, and Diamond climbed into her lap as the lights went down and Andries walked out. He looked handsome in his suit and did an exaggerated bow to the audience. He gave a little wave to Rose and their kids and smiled.

  ‘He hasn’t changed much since we were students all together in Durban, has he?’ Rose said to Lily over David’s head.

  Quintin walked out onto the stage, and the audience reacted to him as they usually did. They screamed.

  A rockstar in the classical world, Quintin defied all the rules and regulations of the traditions of the orchestra, and because of that, he’d won the hearts of millions of people around the world. They also respected his natural talent and ability with music and his violin.

  When the noise had subsided, Quintin walked up to the microphone. ‘Hello, ladies and gentlemen, and thank you for coming out tonight.’

  The audience screamed again in response.

  He played for almost an hour before he stepped forward once more. ‘It’s so good to see everyone here. I adore you all. I wanted to share with you a little about my years since I was last in front of you on this very stage. It is with great sadness that I tell you I’ll not be doing another live performance for a while.’

  There was silence in the Great Hall.

  ‘I’ll still be producing albums, and you’ll still hear my music in movies and on the radio, but my darling wife, Lily, and I have decided to concentrate on spending our time together after she was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s.’

  People near Lily turned round. Staring. But Diamond had her arms around Lily’s neck, and David held her hand, while Rose was patting her shoulder.

  So, this is what he had planned.

  Rose whispered, ‘Focus on Quintin. Ignore them.’

  ‘As many of you know,’ Quintin said, ‘my adorable wife, was instrumental in saving my hands after a vicious attack when I was touring in South Africa many years ago. It’s where I met her. Together we have travelled the world—me playing my music and Lily healing people, as doctors do. We have been in many amazing places and some frightening ones when her work took us into war zones and refugee camps. We have always faced things together. So, we’ll be doing the same now. The time has come for us to step out of the limelight. During the last two years, while we’ve had our lives turned upside down, we’ve had good times, too. Earlier this year, we became the official proud parents to David and Diamond, both of whom are here tonight. A little late in our lives to start a family, but now that we have them, we couldn’t be without them. I’m sure many of you who are parents can relate.’

  The audience went wild.

  ‘We also became the recipients of a rescue flamingo baby, and while many people think of a bird flying in the sky that stands on one leg, there’s so much more to these remarkable pink birds, which is almost what Minke looked like when we released her back into the wild. However, when she came to us, she was a dirty-grey colour and probably no bigger than a boule.’ He showed the size with his hands.

  ‘So tonight, I’ll play for you, for the first time in public, a concerto dedicated to my beautiful wife, whose mind I hope to always reach with my music, no matter where it goes. To help me out, I’d like to bring the two other women in my life out on stage, La Angelique and Shirabe. Accompanying me today will be the amazing Li Shung, from the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra. Li is an amazing violinist, and she’s one of the few other people in the world to also own a glass HARIO violin. We’ve played together before, and I hope that this won’t be the last time. Please give a big round of applause for Miss Li Shung who will play on Shirabe.’

  Li Shung walked on the stage, and people clapped for her as she bowed to Quintin and then to Andries.

  ‘With thanks to my brother-in-law, Andries Johannes van Tonder, the conductor of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, we bring you the first public performance of Concerto for the Flamingo.’

  Quintin picked up La Angelique. Lily held her breath as he played the first bars, then Li Shung joined in. Tears streamed down her face as she recognised the pieces which she’d heard. Andries was right; it was the most exquisite music that Quintin had ever composed.

  Two thousand guests in the Great Hall leaped to their feet, and thunderous applause cried for an encore as soon as Quintin had played the last notes of his concerto.

  Quintin and Andries were motioning for Lily to come up onto the stage. Quintin walked forward to take her hand. Diamond saw him and immediately latched her arms around him, and David was still holding Lily’s hand when Quintin took her other one and helped her up the steps, and then he kissed her in front of everybody.

  ‘Thank you, everyone, for your support, your love and your loyalty. I appreciate all of you and all the kindness you show me. Please give a round of applause for my inspiration.’ He opened his hands towards her. ‘Lily. I love you. I always will.’

  The walls of the Great Hall shook with the roar of the crowd.

  CHAPTER

  45

  Hacienda El Paradiso, Kimberley, South Africa, 2017

  Quintin manoeuvred his Land Cruiser in the new garage on the opposite side of his house at Hacienda El Paradiso, and the garage door closed behind him. He grabbed the bunch of sunflowers he’d bought for Lily and the pink box from the back seat.

  The sun was falling from the once bright-blue sky, the muted shades of sunset giving way to stars that would illuminate the inky darkness with their radiance. Lily loved this time of day. He increased his stride.

  ‘Hey, Dad,’ David said as he walked into the house. ‘Did you remember?’

  ‘Mum’s flowers, of course,’ he said, putting them in front of him and showing the teenager.

  ‘No. To collect the corsage for my matric dance?’

  ‘That depends, are you going to let me do your tie in a proper Windsor knot or wear it like a skollie like it is?’

  ‘Dad,’ David said, pulling it off and handing it to his father.

  ‘Hold this,’ Quintin said, giving the pink box to David.

  ‘Thanks, Maddy is going to love this. Can’t wait for her to see it.’

  ‘As long as you are back by one in the morning, I won’t come looking for you. You know I can track you on my phone.’

  ‘Dad, you wouldn’t?’ David said.

  ‘No, he might not, but I would as your closest uncle. I will come after you with the sirens on,’ said Piet, walking from the kitchen. ‘I have had many years of practice with nights just like tonight, and I do not want you out there after it wraps up. For some reason, boys think they are bulletproof after a night out.’

  ‘Family! Who needs them when you’re trying hard to date,’ David said.

  Quintin looked at Piet and smiled. Happy for the backup. ‘You do. I trust you. You have earned it. We brought you up responsibly, so don’t blow it now is all I’m saying. I know you and Maddy have been looking forward to this all year, but we all want you to go out there, have fun, but be safe. Okay?’ Quintin said, putting David’s tie over his head and
tightening it up. ‘There, it looks good. Like it should.’

  ‘Sure. Thanks, Dad.’

  ‘You ready? Your chauffeur awaits,’ Piet said.

  ‘Wait, we need a picture,’ Diamond said as she ran into the entranceway, lifted her camera and took one of the three men together.

  Piet took her camera from her. ‘One of you guys,’ he said as he took their picture.

  ‘A selfie, all four of us,’ Diamond said. ‘Dad, you’ve got the longest arms. I’ll set the camera and you hold it out, okay?’

  They counted down the ten seconds, and the flash showed that they had taken the picture. ‘Awesome, I’ll show Mum in the morning,’ Diamond said.

  ‘Why only in the morning, young lady?’ Quintin asked.

  ‘Because I’m having a sleepover at Jessica’s, remember. Piet is dropping me on the way to fetch Maddy.’

  ‘Of course I remembered,’ Quintin said. ‘It’s written on the whiteboard. Enjoy.’ He kissed her cheek, and she took a moment to hug him.

  ‘Love ya, Dad,’ she said, then picked up her backpack and walked out the door.

  ‘You take care, my son,’ Quintin said, and he and David did a handshake that they had worked out years ago that ended with a fist pump.

  ‘Look after Mum tonight,’ David said.

  ‘Always,’ Quintin replied.

  ‘See you,’ Piet said. ‘Tell Lily I say howzit.’

  ‘Thank you, Piet,’ Quintin said as he was left standing alone in the hallway.

  He closed the door to the garage, picked up Lily’s flowers and took the steps two by two.

  ‘Good evening, Mr Winters,’ Connie, the nurse, said as she sat reading near the door. ‘I’ve wheeled Lily out onto the verandah so that she could watch the sunset. She’s had a quiet afternoon, although she hasn’t been able to eat anything. But she did have a little to drink.’

  ‘Thank you, Connie,’ he said as he walked past. ‘I’m home now. You can take the rest of the night off. I’ll see you at seven o’clock.’

  Perhaps tonight would be better than this morning when her brain had taken her too many years away from him.

  Perhaps she wasn’t too lost tonight.

  Perhaps tonight he could pretend that they were a regular couple on a regular date, and when he played their song, she might remember. She might recognise him.

  His violin case sat on the antique dining-room table he’d chosen for her when they’d extended their house and bedroom. He couldn’t bear the thought of her only having sterile medical equipment around. Lily had always been such a tactile person when she was there; he couldn’t take that away from her now so close to the end. He gripped the handle and Fred, and walked out onto the verandah, where her hospital-style bed had been moved to, and handed her the flowers. ‘Here you go, Lily, sunflowers, your favourite.’ He kissed her forehead and smoothed small wisps of her hair away from her eyes.

  Her hands didn’t hold the gift he had placed across her chest, and her eyes didn’t acknowledge he was there. He stroked Tiger, who sat with her on the bed and purred loudly, the hair around his mouth now grey with age.

  Quintin exchanged the flowers for the wilted ones that were in the vase next to her bed, throwing the old blooms in the bin. He knew that she loved to spend the days outside, rather than cooped up indoors. Later, he would manoeuvre her bed back inside, next to his, so he could still sleep beside her.

  He walked to where he had left his violin and took Le Angelique from her velvet case, before sitting in the high stool, one that used to be at the bench in the studio, and now remained upstairs instead. ‘The kids have gone out; hard to believe they are growing so fast. It’s back to you and me tonight, my wifie. While I was out driving today, I could see it was so dry, not just here, but everywhere, we need rain. Kamfers Dam is dropping quickly with the evaporation, but there is good news for the creche. There are still over five thousand flamingos there, and it looks like we have averted another disaster by diverting water in time to save those thousands of little chicks. I’m glad I could be here for the forward planning, and we were able to override those numbskulls at Sol Plaatje Municipality. Sometimes having money to throw at a project helps so much. The flamingos look like they are having another bumper breeding season.’

  He lifted Le Angelique and Fred, and began a quick warm-up.

  ‘She still sounds okay, even after all these years, don’t you think?’

  He looked at Lily and for a second he thought he saw a flutter in her eyes, then realised it was only the reflection of flamingos coming in to roost in their landscaped man-made vlei that was fed with water from their borehole.

  ‘Your flamingos are here, Lily; let’s serenade them.’

  GLOSSARY

  ag shame: ag is a filler word like ‘um’; shame is to express pity or sympathy; general slang term in southern Africa.

  baas: boss; Afrikaans, but used as a general term in southern Africa.

  bakkie: truck/ute; Afrikaans, but used as a general term in southern Africa.

  braaing: cooking meat on an open fire; Afrikaans.

  dokotela: doctor; Zulu.

  domkop: meaning idiot; Afrikaans.

  doos: a derogatory term for a woman’s vagina—cunt; South African slang.

  Dumelang: ‘hello’ when you greet more than one person; Northern Sotho.

  aikona: no; generally accepted South African slang.

  eina: ouch; Afrikaans.

  eish (pronounced eye-sh or eh-eesh): surprise/awe/shock/exasperation/excitement/resignation; generally accepted southern African slang (derived from Xhosa originally).

  gijima: run; Zulu.

  igundane: mice/mouse; Zulu.

  ikhaya: hut/house; Zulu, Ndebele.

  Jo’burg: shortened form of Johannesburg.

  ja: yes; Afrikaans.

  ja-nee: yes-no; a typical South African expression.

  jislaaik: exclamation, usually for something unbelievable; Afrikaans, but generally accepted in South Africa.

  Johies: slang for ‘Johannesburg’.

  laaitie: young person; Afrikaans.

  ma-huang: a traditional Chinese medicinal herb.

  Médecins Sans Frontières: Doctors Without Borders, a volunteer organisation.

  Mywee: short for my wena—translates roughly to ‘Oh goodness’; Zulu.

  meva/Ameva: thorn; Zulu.

  my china: slang for ‘my friend/my mate’.

  nee: no; Afrikaans.

  Piet-my-vrou: red-chested cuckoo (Cuculus solitarius).

  rinkhals: venomous snake also called the ringhals or ring-necked spitting cobra; Afrikaans.

  SADF: South African Defence Force. The SADF was all the forces within South Africa: black, white, brown; everyone together under one defence label.

  sangoma: traditional healer, practitioner of traditional African medicine. Often still holding onto the shaman aspect of mixing witchcraft with herbal medicines.

  Shirabe: melody in Japanese.

  skabenga: gangster; a Zulu word, but generally used in South Africa for anyone who is on the wrong side of the law/troublemaker/a bad guy.

  Spur: a restaurant steakhouse chain in South Africa.

  SWAPO: South West Africa People’s Organisation.

  thinnings disease: in Africa, HIV is commonly referred to as the thinnings disease. People who lose lots of weight suddenly are more often than not suspected of having HIV. If you have the thinnings disease it is assumed that you will be dead soon as there is not a lot of intervention by the government with drugs.

  Ulwazi: Zulu name, meaning ‘knowledge’.

  woza: come; Zulu.

  yebo: Yes; Zulu, now generally accepted South African term.

  FACT VS. FICTION

  Fact: Kaggen—also referred to as Cagn or Kaang—is a trickster god of the San. The legend says that he created the moon, and this holds significance to the San.

  Fiction: San have no ritual to want to die under the stars and the moon.

  Fact: In April 2000,
the !Xun and the Khwe San—who were part of the SANDF during the South African Border Wars—were relocated for the final time. For over twenty years they were moved around, from Omega base to Mangetti Dune, Namibia, and then to Schmidtsdrift in South Africa, and finally to Platfontein, where they now have a final settlement and home.

  Fiction: This novel is not their story, and in no way reflects any of their views, or any of the people living within Platfontein.

  Fact: The island at Kamfers Dam is real and was constructed by Kimberley Ekapa Mining JV (KEM-JV).

  Fact: In 2019, Kimberley suffered with a drought and substantial mismanagement of the maintenance of its municipality equipment, eventuating in a flamingo chick rescue. That was driven by the private sector and individuals. People all over the world got on board quickly and it was reported that approximately 3000 chicks (this number couldn’t be verified) were rescued and sent to different volunteer facilities across South Africa for hand-rearing. Many died, but many have now been returned to Kamfers Dam and released back into their wild flock. Thank you to everyone involved in saving these babies. This book was written before this event unfolded.

  Fact: Tainted drugs are real, as are contaminated drugs.

  Fiction: My South African pharmaceutical company using specifically generic drugs for their distribution and manufacture of tainted drugs.

  Fact: In 2002, the number of HIV-positive people in South Africa was an estimated 4.94 million. By 2017, it had increased to 7.06 million. This is now an estimated 12.6 per cent of the total South African population (Statistics South Africa: www.statssa.gov.za/publications/P0302/P03022017).

  Fiction: The South African Government attempting to cover up these statistics.

  Fact: There is a list of known Stradivarius instruments made by members of the house of Antonio Stradivari between 1666 and 1737, some still survive today and are in both private and government collections, a few are still played.

  Fiction: Le Angelique is not one of them.

  Fact: HARIO’s glass violins are real. They began their violin project in the spring of 2003, and production was at their Koga factory. The body of the violins are mouth blown by long term moulding experts from a heat-resistant glass material. However, while pretty strong they are still breakable. The necks are made of an acrylic material. The cost for a single glass violin: 5.5 Million yen (US$55 thousand.) Their glass violins are mainly played for company events only.