The Cost of Sugar(37)

But Elza’s respite was short-lived, for barely four weeks later Sarith returned. As a matter of course she installed herself in ‘her’ room. Maisa could hardly conceal her displeasure. It was now as if Sarith had decided to win Rutger over completely. Time upon time she contrived ways to be alone with him and tell him how much she loved him. He should never have married Elza, but her. Wasn’t she so much prettier than Elza. Did he realize how many men would gladly have had her, but she had brushed them off, for she wanted only him, just Rutger.

Although Rutger himself found the situation highly painful – he was after all married to Elza and loved her – still it tickled his pride that this beautiful Sarith admitted openly that she loved only him. Despite his knowing that it hurt Elza, he found his way often enough to Sarith’s room to give in to passionate love-making. As he saw it, he was the one who was having a difficult time of all this. If he was with Elza, then Sarith was unhappy, and oh how easily she could start sobbing. If he was with Sarith, then it was Elza who was despondent.

Elza said little. She often sat silently in her room, looking in the mirror and seeing how the child grew within her, how her belly got bigger and bigger. How differently she had imagined all this. She often wondered whether she would have married Rutger if she had known that this was how it would turn out. Frequently she heard within herself a voice, as she had heard him that afternoon at Hébron, “Promise me that you’ll not become a jealous wife? Even if, for instance, I have a brief something or a short affair with another woman, promise me that you won’t be angry.”

And she had asked, “Such an incident or short affair, that would surely not happen in my house?” How had he answered? Had he not promised? He must have, surely! And where was ‘this incident’ happening, this relationship? Was it not here in her own home?

But the worst thing of all was that it was Sarith. Sarith of all people, her best friend, her sister, her playmate. Everything from the past was intertwined with Sarith, who was now her greatest rival. How confusing, everything, how difficult.

Often enough, Elza asked herself, too, how she would have managed if the roles had been reversed, but she also knew that the answer would always be the same. She would never have done such a thing. Never! She would never steal the husband of the person she regarded as her best friend.

Maisa had a busy time making baby clothes. She taught Afanaisa how to do this, and in the afternoon she would sit with Afanaisa and Amimba on the back steps, and those two sewed and embroidered what Maisa had cut out. Maisa was angry with Rutger as well as with Sarith. She was often very abrupt with him, and if she knew that Rutger had been with Sarith in her room, she would avoid him for the next two days, muttering about ‘people who behave like dogs.’73

Then, at the end of November, Elza’s father came to the town. He stayed only briefly. He wanted to see how Elza was faring, but he had also come to fetch Sarith. They would have to go to Joden-Savanna. Her grandmother, Grandma Mozes de Meza, was seriously ill. She would not be around much longer and Sarith must go there with her mother. After all, she was Grandma’s favourite grand-daughter. Sarith departed. Elza hoped above hope that Grandma Mozes de Meza would survive a few weeks on her deathbed before passing away. But this was not the case, and after about a week Sarith’s grandmother died and was buried. Aunt Rachel was, however, of the opinion that it was not possible for Sarith to go to Paramaribo during the period of mourning. It was inappropriate to go to dances when your grandmother had died only recently, and the De Ledesmas’ traditional ball was also cancelled due to this bereavement. The De Ledesmas spent New Year at Hébron, and this was reason enough for Sarith to stay peacefully at home.





During the night of 10 January 1768 Elza’s baby was born. Everything went very well and very easily. Maisa had got really worried, and with the first signs the evening before, Alex was sent to fetch the midwife. Rutger spent a tense night in his small office, and around three in the morning he heard faint crying. Half an hour later Maisa called him and he could see his joyful Elza, her hair still wet with sweat, but with a benign smile on her lips while she gazed at the little boy lying next to her.

Rutger looked at the little head, and, despite the midwife’s protests, drew the sheet aside to check that everything was present and correct with his little son. Kissing Elza on her forehead, he said, “All the happiness in the world be yours, my darling, for we have a fine son. What shall we call him?”

“You say it – what name did you have in mind?” replied Elza.