And now such an invitation was delivered. It was from Governor Crommelin and his wife, to a spectacular ball that would be held in four weeks’ time. Mr van Omhoog had told Rutger that the whole of ‘high and white society’ in Suriname would be attending the ball. Rutger very much hoped that Elza would be in Paramaribo at that time. He could then meet her at the Governor’s Ball. Her family would also be invited.
What a hollow and vain existence it was in such a colony. Those who read and concerned themselves with things other than trivia were so few in number that it had come as a surprise to have met a girl such as Elza Fernandez. She lived on a plantation but knew a lot about books and had very definite views on particular matters. She was a marked exception to the women and girls he had met until then. Not once had she belittled a slave-girl, but to the contrary had said that, apart from her father, brother and stepsister, the two slave-women who had brought her up were the most important people in her life. He had noticed that she never spoke to a slave in a commanding tone of voice, but was always pleasant and friendly. He had thoroughly enjoyed her company. How they had talked about all kinds of things: books, slavery, the Maroons. And that stepsister, what an incorrigible flirt she was, a typical spoilt colonial girl who did just as she pleased. Rutger had to smile as he thought back on Elza’s worried looks when her stepsister was carrying on like that. And Sarith had acted as if she had not noticed in the slightest all the women’s hostile glances while she flirted with first the one, then the other man. Even so, Rutger wondered whether it had all been as innocent as it might have appeared.
ELZA
A few weeks later, the Fernandez family were indeed on their way by tent boat from the Hébron Plantation to Paramaribo. Father Levi, Aunt Rachel, Elza and Sarith would stay in the large house of Jacob de Ledesma, who was married to Aunt Rachel’s eldest daughter, Esther. That couple had three little sons, the three-year-old twins Samuel and Joshua and a baby of a few months, Ezau. Everyone called Samuel and Joshua Sammy and Jossy because that was the way the slaves pronounced the names. Jacob de Ledesma was a very well-to-do businessman who, in addition to his businesses in Paramaribo, owned three plantations. Everything pointed to the family’s good fortunes: a beautiful, large mansion on the Saramaccastraat blessed with vast grounds supporting lots of fruit trees, a vegetable garden and ten or more slave huts right at the back. In fact, thirty slaves worked in the house. The front hall and dining room were enhanced by superior furniture specially imported from Europe, silk curtains, expensive porcelain and silverware and large crystal chandeliers in which hundreds of candles could be lit to provide brilliant lighting at balls and feasts. This part of the house was normally forbidden territory for the two youngsters, who had the habit of terrorizing the whole household with their mischievous antics. Each had a slave-girl, a girl of fourteen or thereabouts, who did nothing all day but run after the little master to ensure he didn’t have an accident or to take an object out of his hands. In addition there was a small errand boy who was constantly picking up discarded toys.
Aunt Rachel loved her two grandsons, but a little of their company was quite sufficient, for they soon got on her nerves with all their running and shouting, and given half the chance they would climb on her and attack her meticulously coiffured wig with their grabbing little fingers. If Elza and Sarith were lodging in the town and heard the patter of tiny feet running up the stairs, they would hastily lock the door, for, “If those Philistines should get in …”
The lodgers had then installed themselves, and during the extensive meal put on for them, the feast at Joden-Savanna was recounted at length, whereafter the conversation turned to the supper ball that the governor would be holding in a few days’ time and to which they, too, were naturally invited.
Rutger was one of the first to see Elza when she entered the great ground-floor hall of the Governor’s palace. He went to her with outstretched hands, and it was clear that he was pleased to see her again. Elza was pleased, too. She had hoped to see him again and blushed when she saw that he appreciated her company so much. They were together the whole evening, talking, laughing, dancing. Sarith was the star of the evening. She looked lovely in a light-green gown, her black curls pinned up, her grey-green eyes sparkling with pleasure at all the male attention. All the men, young and old, wanted to dance with Sarith, and like a butterfly she was now here, now there, flirting and laughing. At a certain moment she was also near Elza and Rutger and said laughingly to Rutger that he surely must not spend the whole evening devoting his attention only to her sister; she was there, too. And smiling, she had led Rutger to the dance floor. Elza had watched how the two danced, one dance, and then another one, and she had also seen that there was just as much admiration at her beauty in Rutger’s eyes as in those of all the other men. Shortly thereafter it was time for supper. As was the custom, the tables for the Jewish guests were in the upper hall. That was always the case in the governmental palace. At their special tables the Jews were served dishes that were prepared for them in their own kosher manner. Sarith therefore went upstairs together with her father, Aunt Rachel, Jacob, Esther and all the other Jews. Elza was pleased that the supper began at that moment, for she had wondered whether Sarith and Rutger would carry on dancing with each other for much longer.