Nathan, the yellow-belly, was engaged to Leah after all. And again Sarith recalled what had happened rather more than a month ago. There had been a huge party at the Eden Plantation, near Paramaribo. That was the plantation belonging to Nathan’s parents. The occasion was the Bar Mitzvah of the youngest son, the thirteen-year-old Joshua, Nathan’s youngest brother. Many guests had lodged there for a week or more: the older couples in the plantation house, the young ladies with their slave-girls in the unoccupied overseer’s lodge, and the young gentlemen in a warehouse that had been refitted especially for the occasion. The nineteen-year-old Nathan, the oldest son, had behaved as a real host and had made no secret of his amorous feelings towards Sarith. He and Sarith had spent several afternoons together in his room while everyone was resting. Many a time they had passionately kissed and hugged, and each time they both looked forward to the next moment they could be together. Nathan adored her. Infatuated, he had told her time upon time how much he loved her and that he wanted no-one else but her. But for the moment they would have to keep their liaison a secret, for it had already been decided by his parents that he should marry Leah Nassy. Sarith would have to grant him some time, and then he would make it clear to his parents that he could not marry Leah because he was in love with Sarith.
And Sarith had indeed given nothing away. With a surreptitious smile she had listened to the chatter of the other girls, especially Leah, and had seen how she blushed every time Nathan’s name was mentioned. Children, they were all just children, and even Elza her stepsister was really just such a child. Now she, Sarith, knew much more about life. Nathan was not the first with whom she had played the game of love. From the age of thirteen she had lived for two years in the town13 with Elza at the house of their sister, Esther. And then she had become friends with Charles van Henegouwen, the brother of one of her classmates at the French School. Many were the afternoons she had spent in the company of Charles. When his parents were out visiting, she and Charles had always managed to arrange to be alone in the house. Until his parents had found out, probably given away by one of the slave-girls. The result was armageddon. Esther was livid and had summoned mama. Sarith and Elza had to return immediately to the plantation and Charles was sent to Holland by his parents. Oh, she understood perfectly well why. She was a Jewess and Charles was not. Many well-to-do Christian plantation owners wanted as little as possible to do with Jews, as if they were an inferior type of person. Ridiculous: they were all whites, after all!
Once back at the plantation, mama had delivered a complete sermon and had tried to find out exactly what had been going on between her and Charles, but Sarith wasn’t stupid enough to tell all. She could hardly admit to her mother that they had slept together on at least six occasions, and so she had said that they had just kissed. Mama had heaved a sigh and had said that a girl could never be too careful, and must absolutely not do anything stupid. Oh yes, that is how it was: men and boys could do anything and everything, but girls could do nothing. They had to take their place in the marriage bed as innocent and naïve angels.
After Charles there had been a young captain, who had been ordered to inspect a military post in the hinterland of Joden-Savanna. He had fallen ill there and had been taken to Joden-Savanna. A whole month he had lain there sick in her grandparents’ house. During that period she and Elza had by chance lodged at Joden-Savanna for two weeks. At first they had both stayed with Grandma Fernandez, because Sarith’s own grandmother Jezebel would not have two young girls sleeping in her house while the captain was lying there sick. But when the captain was beginning to recover, Sarith had visited him regularly and what in fact had begun as a bit of fun had ended as a full-blown love scene. Just once, for the captain had said afterwards that he regretted what had happened. He was married, had a wife and children, and he asked Sarith to forgive and forget him.
And a little more than a month ago it was Nathan. Nathan, who had told her that he would explain to his parents why he could not marry Leah. Two weeks earlier Uncle Levi had happened to be visiting Paramaribo for a few days and returned from town with the news that Nathan was officially engaged to Leah Nassy. Leah’s parents had given an intimate dinner party for the family and a few friends. Since Uncle Levi was in town, he was also one of the guests, along with Sarith’s sister Esther and brother-in-law Jacob. It would not be a long engagement, for Nathan and Leah would marry within two months. How furious Sarith was upon hearing all this! She had stormed to her room, had wept, smashed things, thrown the bedding on the floor, stamped with rage. In short, she was livid, and Mini-mini was more than once the unfortunate who suffered at first hand. Everything the slave-girl did in those days was wrong, and on several occasions she had suffered a resounding thick ear from her mistress. Amazed, Elza had asked time and again what was the matter, but each time Sarith had sullenly replied, “Nothing,” or, “It’s none of your business.”