He had no money. The last harvest had been bad. He had even run short and had had to call on his limited reserves. Where would he borrow money? The banks did not want to extend loans, and certainly not to Jews. If he did not borrow, how could he carry on with the plantation? What would they have to live on, and how would he be able to pay the huge sum for the escapees’ fund? The annual planters’ contribution was continually increasing, and all for nothing: all just to maintain an expensive army that had lads who carried on with your wife behind your back. Misery! Nothing but misery! Where could he borrow money?
And then he thought of Rutger. He would have to help him. It was common knowledge that Le Chasseur was an agent who did not readily extend loans, and certainly not in these times. But at the end of the day Rutger was his brother-in-law, Sarith and Elza were sisters, stepsisters perhaps, but sisters all the same, and Julius thought back to how they were virtually inseparable as girls, almost like twins. Well, it would be best if Sarith first spoke to Elza and explained the emergency. He would need Sarith, therefore. Now, if she still wanted to be his wife, she must be prepared to do something in return.
He went to Sarith’s room. She had spent almost the whole week in there. Sarith got a fright when she saw her husband come in. Had he come to quarrel? Was he angry? But Julius began to explain in measured terms that the plantation was in a bad way. If he were to keep the plantation, then he must buy slaves and equipment urgently. He needed money and would therefore have to get a loan, and wanted to try that at Rutger’s bank in view of the fact that he would not get one anywhere else. For this reason it was necessary for Sarith to go to town and first explain to Elza that they were in desperate circumstances. Elza would certainly be able to talk her husband round.
“Me, go to Elza to ask for a loan? No, I won’t do that.” Sarith was indignant. With Elza of all people.
“Why not? She’ll be sure to understand.” Julius was already getting annoyed.
“No, I won’t do it. You can ask everything of me, but not this, no, no,” cried Sarith.
Now Julius was really angry. “Why not? What is the reason why you won’t? Tell me, tell me.” He held Sarith by her shoulder. “Why won’t you? There is something, now that you mention it. You were always such good friends, but now you never go to her, in fact, and they’ve never been here. What is it? Tell me.”
“Oh,” Sarith shrugged, “Gossip and so forth.”
“What kind of gossip, then. Who’s telling tales? What gossip?”
Sarith said nothing, but Julius was livid. What was behind all this? What was all this secrecy about yet again?
“What kind of gossip, tell me,” he yelled. Sarith was scared.
“Oh, from the past, long ago, that I, that I … wanted to steal her husband.”
Julius looked at his wife and said thoughtfully, “And that wasn’t gossip, eh? That was the truth: yes, now I know. You tried to turn his head, yes, that’s what it was.”
Suddenly he saw in his mind’s eye the scene at Hébron on the occasion of Rebecca’s wedding. He remembered how he had seen Sarith standing at the side with Rutger, leaning against him, exercising all her charm, laughing.
“And who knows how far you got him, too, the husband of your sister, your bosom-friend. Oh what a monster you are!”
Furious, he went away.
That afternoon he saw her on the veranda and said, “Get ready. Tomorrow we’re going to town. Jethro and Mini-mini are going too. You don’t need to go to Elza: I’ll spare you that humiliation. But get one thing clear: you’ll behave like the ideal wife and you’ll come straight back with us.”
In Paramaribo everyone had naturally known for a long time what had happened at Klein Paradijs. Everyone sympathized with Sarith: the terror she had experienced. Everyone was also full of admiration for Kwasiba’s presence of mind and cleverness.
“She deserves a reward,” said Esther. “She saved your life.”
And Sarith thought, yes, twice in one day. But of course she could not say anything about what had happened between her and Julius after that. Naturally, everyone knew, too, what had happened to Andersma. People would not say it to Julius and Sarith, but everyone talked about it, and the story became increasingly juicy with the telling. Julius had found Andersma’s naked body when he arrived home, and Sarith had rolled naked out of the cupboard, and so forth. Julius had the feeling that all the men were laughing at him, and when people asked him how his wife was and whether she had got over the shock, he thought peevishly, which shock were they referring to: the raid by Agosu or the death of her lover?