The Cost of Sugar(17)

The last two weeks Elza had been in her future home every day, ensuring that everything was put in its proper place: the elegant porcelain service, the silverware and the crystal glass. While Maisa put neat piles of crisp linen in the cupboard, Sarith and Elza would walk around the house, stopping yet again in front of an open cupboard and looking out from one of the windows over the grounds.

In the bedroom Sarith demonstrated how Elza would from now on be a fashionable lady, drinking chocolate with the other fashionable ladies, how she would run her household and direct the slaves. Bursting with laughter at Sarith’s play-acting, both girls landed on the bed, and when the laughter had subsided Sarith said suddenly and softly, “Oh Elza, I will miss you so much.”

Elza replied, “I’ll miss you, too, Sarith. I can’t imagine being without you.”

“You won’t miss me – you have Rutger, remember,” Sarith smiled, but Elza shook her head, “That is different. Sarith; promise me that you’ll often come and stay with me.”

“I’ll certainly come to stay, but not too often, because I think your husband won’t want me around all the time and above all I’d feel like a third wheel on the wagon.”

“Oh no, Sarith, Rutger isn’t like that; promise me that you’ll visit a lot,” said Elza, giving her stepsister a warm hug.

The wedding ceremony took place on the Saturday afternoon in the Lutheran Church. There was no reception afterwards, since at 8 o’clock on the Sunday morning the whole company would depart for Hébron to celebrate there with a huge feast. The Jewish guests were not present in the Lutheran Church, but many had already travelled to Hébron on the Friday, or would arrive there during the Sunday morning.

The last Friday, and also the Saturday, Elza still lodged at the home of Esther and Jacob de Ledesma, together with her father Levi and with Sarith. It was a merry gathering at the waterside that Sunday morning, where a multitude of guests stood near the Platte Brug, all in their finest finery, with slaves holding parasols above their misis’ heads. A loud cheer went up as the newly-weds stepped from their carriage and went to take their place in the beautifully decorated Hébron tent boat. A whole fleet of tent boats with flags flying could shortly afterwards be seen making its way along the Suriname River towards the wedding feast.





Hébron Plantation was all hustle and bustle. Everything was prepared; everywhere there were decorations, on the large green lawn were wooden benches and tables under open shelters with leaf roofs. Over a hundred lamps hung in trees and on ropes to provide the lighting, since there would be a great ball that evening. The slaves were all wearing pretty loincloths and had been instructed to come as soon as the great bell sounded.

When the boats had moored and the great bell had rung, the slaves went to stand in two rows as a guard of honour from the jetty to the plantation house. Everyone waved palm branches and the slave children threw flowers and rice. With flushed cheeks, Elza and Rutger walked through the human archway, almost deafened by the greetings shouted by the well-wishers. On the doorstep of the house Pa Levi stood waiting with a large bag of coins. Now Elza and Rutger threw the coins with generous hands, and all the slaves cheered and scrambled. After that the slaves returned to their own quarters, shouting their best wishes again as they departed. Elza had insisted that the slaves be given two free days for the celebrations.

For many days now, everyone had been hard at work getting everything ready: pom22, pasties, various cakes such as fiadu, keksi and inglish boru,23 different wines and ginger beer. The slaves had extra salted fish and eggs. All the men had received dram24 and there were little cakes for the slave children.

The main dinner was eaten at tables that had been pushed together on the wide veranda at the back of the house. It lasted two hours and was marked with regular bursts of laughter at all the poems that had been written in the couple’s honour. In the evening, the ball. The orchestra played, the green lawn spectacularly lit with all the lovely, coloured lanterns, and the ladies in their wonderful evening creations, each hair-do seemingly more elegant than the next, slaves in the background constantly busy ensuring everyone was served, and ready with fans after each dance.

At a certain moment both Elza and Rutger had left the festivities, for Elza wanted Rutger to see something of the slaves’ celebrations. He must witness a genuine winti dansi, a ritual negro dance. This would be his only chance to see this, for the negroes did not usually appreciate whites coming to look at their dances, and such things were in fact forbidden on all the plantations. Elza had told her father that she was intending to go to the slaves’ party with Rutger, and Levi had approved on condition that her brother David and Maisa could go, too. He knew that the slaves would not mind his children being there. They had done this on various occasions in the past. Aunt Rachel’s arrival on the plantation had put an abrupt stop to this, because in her eyes it was inappropriate, and it was better that the children knew nothing of it.