Each time she talked to Rutger about it, he assured her that it was nothing and that these things blow over of their own accord. She must be patient and above all remember that she had promised not to be a jealous wife. On each occasion Elza determined to talk to Sarith, but she never got the chance, for Sarith ensured that she was never alone with Elza.
Elza also noticed a gradual change in Sarith’s attitude. If she had in the past taken care never to make an intimate move towards Rutger in Elza’s presence, these days she had no problem with touching his hand, placing her hand on his shoulder, or even leaning on him when Elza was around and could observe everything. It was as if she were demonstrating, “He is mine.” All the time there was that provocative laugh, and when the three of them were sitting in the front room, her hand would find its way often enough in Rutger’s direction. When Elza was alone and contemplating the whole situation, she saw constantly before her those possessive little gestures and Sarith’s triumphant gaze cast in her direction. Elza tried to talk to Rutger about this, but he said that Elza was imagining it all. How could Sarith be making covetous gestures? He most certainly was not hers! Nothing escaped Maisa’s all-seeing eye. Elza heard how she often mumbled something in Sarith’s presence. She hardly spoke to Sarith, and was usually very abrupt with Rutger. To Mini-mini she did make all kinds of remarks that clearly were not intended for Mini-mini but rather for her mistress.
One morning, Felix, the nine-year-old futuboi30, Lena’s son, was called by Mini-mini to run an errand. He must go and buy a few things for Misi Sarith from a shop in the Saramaccastraat. When Felix came downstairs, Maisa was waiting for him at the bottom. Maisa asked, “And where do you think you’re going?”31
“I’m going to the shop,”32 answered Felix.
“Is Misi Elza sending you?”33 asked Maisa.
“No, the other misi,”34 said Felix.
“You’re going nowhere. This is Misi Elza’s house and you are Misi Elza’s futuboi. She and she alone can send you on an errand. Take the money back.”35
Maisa’s sturdy arm pointed upstairs. Felix hesitated: what must he do now? He knew full well that every slave in the house did what Maisa said, but now that white misi upstairs had sent him on an errand: who should he obey? But Maisa, who had noticed the hesitation, grabbed him by the shoulder and shouted, “Get going – take the money back, or I’ll throw you against the wall so hard that you’ll be knocked into the middle of next week.”36
And she gave him a push, so that he flew upstairs. It could not be said that Maisa had spoken softly. At the top of the stairs stood Mini-mini. She took the money back from Felix. Sarith, in her room, had also heard everything that had been said, as had Elza, in the front room. When Felix came downstairs again, Maisa took his ear between her thumb and index finger and said, still very loudly, “Listen well, boy. If I ever again see that someone else is sending you on an errand, I’ll give you such a good hiding that you’ll not be able to sit down for three days.”37
Elza smiled briefly in the front room, for she knew that Maisa wasn’t at all angry with Felix: it was her way of making it clear to Sarith that she, Sarith, had no authority in this home and that Elza alone was the lady of the house. Felix would probably now get an extra large biscuit from Maisa in the kitchen to show that she wasn’t angry with him.
Upstairs, Mini-mini slowly entered her mistress’ room. Now she would have to go to the shop in the Saramaccastraat, and that was something she did not do willingly, for she was scared of all the men, white and coloured, who were always making remarks and all kinds of suggestions to her. Even before she was in the room, she was greeted with Misi Sarith’s words:
“What are you doing, still here? Hurry up and come straight back or I’ll make you pay.”
Since there was no-one else on whom Misi Sarith could vent her anger, Mini-mini knew full well that she ran a good chance of getting a thick ear, and so hurried off.
22 A warm dish based on grated taro stem, with chicken and vegetables, eaten mainly on festive occasions.
23 Fiadu (fiadoe or viadoe) is a (pastry) tart filled with raisins, almond slivers, amongst other things. Keksi is a sponge-cake, but also with raisins and currents. Inglish boru (or Engris buru, Ingris boroe), similar to keksi but sometimes with pineapple.
24 A brew with a very high alcohol content.
25 “A betre misi srefi gowe tu.”
26 Brought directly from Africa, or born during the voyage.
27 Three-quarters negro, one-quarter white, or the a child of a negro and an indian.