Anne Hampson - Call of the Veld

"Irma will be very happywhen you go!"

Carl's words made her angry, butin truth, Sara would have been equally happy to leave. Coming to Africa to carefor her invalid sister, Irma, had brought problems.

Irma had married Ray Barton, theman that Sara had once loved, and her jealous accusations made them allmiserable.

But the cold-blooded solutionssuggested by Carl van der Linden, their neighboring landowner, appalled Sara.She disliked Carl more than any other man she'd ever met!

The ever-changing subtleties ofgrey and green and gold drew Sara's eyes unsuspectingly to the delights of thevalley farther on where, ribboned by the lazy river a tributary of theLimpopothe fields were lush and fruitful, the trees a riot of spring colourgleaming in the African sunshine.

It was a tranquil scene, viewedfrom the shady front stoep of Njangola Farm, but Sara's gaze was frowning, herthoughts disturbed, her normally clear and logical mind assuring her one momentthat she had done what was right in coming here to this sub-tropical part ofthe Transvaal to care for her invalid sister, and the next moment telling herthat she had made the greatest mistake of her life.

A step behind her brought herhead round and she forced a smile as she looked up into her brother-in-law'sdrawn and tired face.

'Taking a rest?' Ray spokesoftly, as if anxious to keep from his wife the knowledge that he was talkingto her sister.

'Just for a few minutes.'

He stood looking down at her, seeinga slender slip of a girl with clear creamy skin, high cheekbones and a wide,unlined forehead. Her mouth, full and emotional, was as arresting as hereyeseyes that were of a blending of blue and grey, large, and fringed by longdark lashes which, at this moment, were sending seductive shadows on to hercheeks.

'You must be tired,' said Ray atlength. 'It's time you had some kind of a break.'

Sara shook her head.

'I'm not tired, Ray. After all,I've not been here a month until tomorrow.' A month It seemed more like ayear since she had thrown up everything to come out here in response to Irma'simpassioned entreaty.

'I wonder if you'll stay?' Ray'svoice was listless, his brown eyes dull and brooding.

'What makes you say a thing likethat?' she asked even while avoiding his gaze.

Ray shifted restlessly.

'I suppose I've no confidence. Idon't know how deep the love is between you and Irma.'

'How does one measure love?' shecountered, wondering what his reaction would be were she to unburden herself bythe confession that she was deeply in love with him, that her heart had beenhis even before he met her sister.

'How does one measure love?' Raylooked away, towards the sun-hazed bushveld in the distance. 'I suppose, insome obscure way, that question has some connection with the one: how long doeslove last?'

Sara caught her breath, feartightening her nerves. This mood of brooding discontent was new to her and ittore at her heart, increasing her unhappiness. Was Ray already becoming tiredof the celibate life he was now forced to live?

A shuddering sigh escaped her asshe thought of what might have been had not Ray fallen head over heels in lovewith Irma from the moment of Sara's introducing them to one another. What mighthave been How profitless to dwell on something that was only a dream.Resolutely she thrust away the vision of herself as Ray's wife, just as she hadthrust it away on countless occasions before.

The breeze from the berg hadfreshened; it began to rustle the leaves of the trees in the garden, and tosigh through the bamboo culms. Sara glanced uneasily at the sky, not trustingthe clear blue heavens to retain their cloudless serenity. She said, more toend the oppressive silence than anything else,

'It's so peaceful at present,but I'm afraid we're in for a storm.'

Her brother-in-law noddedabsently. 'You've already learned the signs.' His eyes rested on her faceagain, so searchingly that Sara turned away, endeavouring to concentrate on thediversity of the scene around herthe mealies in the nearest field and thepaw-paws along its northern boundary, the bending willows by the stream, and inthe garden close to the homestead, the gay canna lilies, the honeysuckle andthe thickly-leaved acacias.

'Sara' Ray's voice was veryquiet and she swung around, her lovely golden hair floating about hershoulders. His mouth seemed to quiver; he said with difficulty, 'Tell me,truthfully, are you finding the life monotonous out here?'

At the depth of anxiety in hisvoice she instantly voiced the lie, wanting only to reassure him,

'No, of course not, Ray. Howcould anyone find life monotonous with so much beauty around?' She swept aslender white hand, just for effect and to add strength to her statement. 'I'vea good deal of exploring to do, remember.'

The frown in his eyes broughtuneasiness to her again, and she was not surprised when he said,

'I don't think you'll stay,Sara. What chance of exploring will you ever have, waiting hand and foot on mywife the way you do? Was she always as demanding as she is now?' he added inconclusion, bringing to Sara's mind the fact that he had known Irma only sixweeks when he became engaged to her.

'Not at all,' returned Sara at once.'You seem to forget, Ray, that Irma's condition has a lot to do with the wayshe feels and acts.'

'Forget!' he exclaimed bitterly.'How can I forget that my wife of only five months is denied me for ever?'

'I'm sorry.' Sara bit her lip,thinking that it was most difficult not to say the wrong thing when speaking ofher sister. Whatever she said Ray seemed to take it the wrong way. And yet inher deep compassion she could understand the anguish which consumed him, theterrible sense of loss, the bleak loneliness that faced him, both in his workand in his leisure hours. For he and Irma, enthusiastically taking up their newlives as farmers, had planned to work together, and to play together. 'I dofeel,' murmured Sara at length, 'that Irma will eventually agree to using oneof these marvellous wheelchairs they make nowadays for people like her. Thenshe'll begin to do things for herself, and not want me fussing around all thetime-'

'She enjoys it!' broke in Rayshortly. 'I've no faith at all in your assertion that she'll begin to do thingsfor herself!'

Sara, her eyes darting to hisharsh set face, knew a return of her fear. What a terrible disaster it would beif Ray were to fall out of love almost as speedily as he had fallen in love.

A few silent moments passedbefore her attention was caught by a horse and rider in the distance.Involuntarily she frowned, for in a short while she would be forced to treatthe visitor with a civility she would be very far from feeling. In fact, shedisliked the man more than any other person she had met in the whole of herlife. His cynicism, his arrogancewhich always seemed to be portrayed even inthe movement of his long, athletic bodythose inscrutable lynx-like eyes, deepamber in colour, which insolently flicked over her, that twisted smile withwhich she was occasionally favoured all these compounded to outweigh thefact that both his looks and his physique could only be described assuperlative.

Carl van der Linden His namelingered in her mind as did the picture of his house, a white colonial- stylehomestead set among delightfully mature grounds whereRay had told her everyconceivable species of exotic flower and bush seemed to flourish, where palmand frangipani and the magnificent flamboyant trees patterned the sky abovethem. His views were to the mountains on one side and the valley on the other;his seemingly limitless estate produced citrus fruits, maize, cotton andseveral other profitable commodities, all in addition to the extensive landsgiven over to mixed farming and pasture.