The Cost of Sugar(43)

Among the slaves it was well known that this Ma Akuba was familiar with everything to do with magic, and she lived together with Ta Agosu, who was a magician. When she arrived at the small, unsightly house that stood on an open, uncultivated plot of land, she stood by the door and called out, “Good morning, Ma Akuba.”91

“Who’s wishing me good morning?”92 came a voice from within.

“It’s me, Maisa, I’ve come to ask Ma Akuba something.” 93

The door was pushed open. On a small bench inside sat Ma Akuba, an elderly negress, heavily built, with a rugged face and sharp, piercing eyes. Her hair was completely greyish yellow with old age. She had all kinds of incisions on her face, shoulders and back, and was dressed in a wrap that was fastened under her breasts.

She looked severely at Maisa, who stood outside in the grounds, took a small pipe out of her mouth and said, “Who is Maisa? I don’t know you.”94

“I’m Misi le Chasseur’s slave. I used to live on the plantation and am new in the town, but Ma Akuba’s friend Nene Duseisi, she has sent me.”95

“Well, sit down, then,”96 Ma Akuba grumbled in response, waving towards the doorstep. “Tell me what’s the matter.”97

Maisa began to speak, and talked about her misi and her husband, between whom everything was in fact all right, and about the other woman who was influencing her misi’s husband and enticing him away from his wife. The old woman went into a small room and came out again with a small jug of water, an earthenware dish, a candle and a small mirror. She sat down, poured some water from the jug into the dish, lit the candle and held the mirror in front of it. Looking intently into the mirror, she mumbled a few words. Then she blew out the candle, closed her eyes and remained sitting like that for a while. After that she poured the water from the dish back into the jug and held the empty dish in front of Maisa. Maisa hurriedly pulled a knotted handkerchief from the pocket of her dress and placed a guilder in the dish. Ma Akuba said, “I shall make something for you, but then you must bring a chicken, three eggs, a bottle of sweet rum and a piece of clothing belonging to your masra and one from the other woman. Bring these tomorrow evening.”98

“Thank you, Ma Akuba, thank you so much!”99

Maisa stood up and left the grounds hastily, for in fact she found the whole business exceptionally creepy, but she would do anything to see her Misi Elza happy.

When she arrived home everyone was already up and there was much whispering and giggling between Afanaisa, Amimba and Mini-mini. What was going on? The three girls couldn’t wait to tell Maisa that Misi Sarith and Masra Rutger had had a quarrel. This morning, when Masra Rutger was having breakfast, Misi Sarith had come into the dining room, still in her nightclothes, and had said all kinds of nasty things to him. He had become angry, had got up from the table and had said that he could do what he liked in his own home and if Misi Sarith didn’t like it, she could leave. With these words he had left, and she had gone upstairs almost in tears. After that she had Mini-mini massage her back, and Mini-mini could see that she was crying. Excellent, thought Maisa, that’s going well. Every slave in the house knew, of course, what was going on, and everyone, even Mini-mini, who was after all Sarith’s slave-girl, was on Elza’s side.

Maisa hoped that this would be enough to precipitate Misi Sarith’s departure, but leave she did not. She remained in her room the whole day, sulking, and had Mini-mini bring her food and drink. Maisa pondered how she would get hold of one of Misi Sarith’s items of clothing. She told Mini-mini to bring Misi Sarith’s dirty clothes downstairs and told her later that Lena had scorched one of Misi Sarith’s blouses while doing the ironing. Mini-mini didn’t have to be afraid, she, Maisa, would tell Misi Sarith herself. A little later she knocked on Sarith’s door. When Sarith called out, “Enter,” she was shocked to see Maisa standing there. She was scared of Maisa, for she knew that she was so fond of Elza. Perhaps Maisa had come to send her packing. When Maisa apologized for the scorched blouse, Sarith was greatly relieved. “It’s nothing, Maisa, let it be,” she said. What was a scorched blouse to her: there were far worse things in the world.





ELZA


The next day Maisa finally allowed Elza to get up. Before she was dressed, Maisa wound several cloth bands around her waist, quite tightly, to ensure that she would keep her figure. Then she went step by step downstairs to the dining room, where she was installed in a rocking-chair next to the window.

Sarith had remained sulking in her room for two whole days, but seemed eventually to have come to terms with the fact that she was after all a guest in the house and really could not behave in this way. She came downstairs, spoke with Elza and also with Rutger, and then went on to read a book. Elza thought that it would be good for Rutger and Sarith to remain angry with each other, and considered how she could manage this.