Kate nodded her head and laughed. “Actually yes, I did know she was pregnant,” she said. “Jono told me at the start of the trip but what with all the mayhem, I forgot. Treasure and Harrison, what an unlikely pair to find love. What other news do you have?”
“Only that Helen’s pretty much moved in with Kevin and the kids,” he said. “The murder helped her get a visa to stay in Africa because she’s got to give evidence, just as you will too, bokkie. I chatted to the guy at the consulate and he said you can stay as long as you like, if you want to stay that is. And you know how much I’d love you stay with me, not that I want to pressure you or anything, but I just want you to know where I stand.”
“I’ve been thinking André. Yes, I’d love to stay, thank you. I can try to find a job teaching English as a second language or even find a job in a camera store. Then at the same time, I can study photography and work at getting better doing that … so, yes, André, I am definitely staying.”
His face brightened and he sat up straighter in his chair. “That’s great news. Listen, what’s that quote on the menu again, the one you liked before?”
Kate flipped the menu open: “All glory comes from daring to begin. Well, I dare us to begin a whole new adventure together.” She fell silent for a moment as her mind flashed back to everything she had been through and she wondered if now was a good time to let him in on her thoughts.
“Actually André,” she said, leaning in to kiss him, “I do have something in mind…”
Acknowledgements
I thank Luciana Ricciutelli, my extraordinary publisher and editor. Thank you, Luciana, for polishing my prose and for always encouraging and supporting me. I really cannot describe how much you mean to me, nor can I thank you enough for having enriched my life in the many ways that you have, and for making all my writing dreams come true. That my words reach the world is all thanks to Luciana and the wonderful team at my Inanna family.
To Bradford Dunlop, thank you for having the patience of a saint and for reading (and rereading) draft after draft after draft, and for bearing with me through title options and opening lines — the words “Sixteen strangers…” will live with us forever!
I thank Doug O’Neill, Dorothy McIntosh, Liz Bugg, Brenda Missen, Joan O’Callaghan, Alexander Galant, Terri Favro, Rob Brunet, Brenda Hammond and Bianca Marais for their wonderful blurbs and endorsements, and for all their words of encouragement and support along the way.
Thanks to the always-inspiring Liz Worth for supporting this book, as well as Rosemary McCracken, Mandy Eve Barnett and Mayank Bhatt.
I thank my family who have believed in this book wholeheartedly, right from the fledgling idea. Dad, like I say, this one’s for you. Thank you to my generous and kind extended family, my Dunlop/ Abrams/ Looney/Bradley/Johnson family, thank you for all your support too, you are simply wonderful.
I thank all my friends at the Crime Writers of Canada, the Sisters in Crime and the Mesdames of Mayhem, as well as all the talented authors and readers I meet online and in person at the various launches, readings and publishing events; writers who make up the incredibly rich fabric of the Canadian Literary world. The breadth of talent is inspiring and the camraderie and support such a joy. Thank you to the hosts of reading series such a Plasticine Poetry, ChiZine Reading Series, Makin’ a Racket At the Red Rocket and all the other avenues where we get to showcase our work.
The Toronto Public Library is fantastic in helping authors and we owe them all a heartfelt thanks. In particular, Pam Mountain of the Annette Street Branch is such a great supporter, and I value our friendship that has grown over the years.
A big thanks to a lovely writer with a keen eye for art, without whom we would not have the beautiful cover art for this book: Dawn Promislow. Dawn found a rare book with artwork by Wopko Jensma which in turn led me to this artwork. A huge thanks to Dawn for this.
I’d like to thank GAP Adventure Tours for the journey I took with them in December 2007, from Cape Town across Namibia. I wrote the first draft of the book in 2008, and while I used carefully documented travel details in the novel, it is important to note that none of the characters on the trip served as inspiration for the characters in The Witchdoctor’s Bones, except for Jonna Nummela who knows that she was a muse (and friend!) to me. The GAP Adventure holiday was an excellent vacation, offering none of the madness and drama in the book and my fellow travellers were all delightful.
It is always sad to acknowledge friends who have left us and there is one in particular who is very sorely missed: Anne Redpath. Anne, you are dearly missed but your wonderful spirit shines strongly and I hope you will be proud of this book.
Thanks to Cathy Douwes for an accurate and respectful simulation of witchdoctor’s bones.
And finally, the most important thank you goes to the readers. Without readers, all this effort and passion would be in vain, so thank you, for reading.
Glossary
ag – Afrikaans for “oh”
bakkie – Afrikaans word for small van with an open back
bokkie – Afrikaans word for small buck or affectionate term
for a female
bomvu – red in Xhosa
chana – my mate (from Zulu, “my nephew”); umshana
eish! – cross-cultural, an interjection expressing resignation
haw! – cross-cultural expression of disbelief
howzit – cross-cultural hello, how are you
inyanga – Zulu word for traditional herbalist and healer (compare
with sangoma)
ingcibi – Zulu word for circumcision expert
ja – yes in Afrikaans
jirre – expression of surprise in Afrikaans
jong – informal Afrikaans address for friend
lekker – Afrikaans word for alluring, enticing and tempting, very nice
liewe hemel – good heavens in Afrikaans
mense – people in Afrikaans
muti – medicine (from Zulu umuthi) – typically traditional
African
mnyama – white in Xhosa
mnyama – black/darkness in Xhosa
my china – English/Afrikaans slang, a friend; as in the greeting
howzit my china
nee man – no, man! Afrikaans
“n//au” spot – typically traditional word for hole in the neck
of a sangoma, where sickness escapes
sangoma – Zulu word for witchdoctor or traditional healer
or diviner
skrik – Afrikaans word for fright
tolokoshes – Zulu word for a water-sprite, supposed to haunt certain
rivers, to be very fond of women, to be mischievous to people, and
to be used by witches for nefarious purposes, and said to resemble
a tiny, hairy dwarf. Can have alternate spelling: Tikoloshe, Tokolo
or Tokolosh
wena – Zulu meaning “you.”Commonly used in a sentence “Haw
wena!”
yebo – Zulu meaning yes
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Roberts, Jani Farrell. “Modern Witches: Saudi Arabia and Africa.” Excerpt. Seven Days: Tales of Magic, Sex and Gender. 2000. Web.
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Photo: Bradford Dunlop
Originally from South Africa, Lisa de Nikolits has been a Canadian citizen since 2003. She has a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and Philosophy and has lived and worked in the United States, Australia and Britain. As an art director, she has worked on marie claire, Vogue Australia, Vogue Living, Cosmopolitan and SHE magazines. Her first novel, The Hungry Mirror, was published by Inanna Publications in 2010 and was awarded the IPPY Gold Medal for literature on women’s issues in 2011, as well as long-listed for the 2011 ReLit Awards. Her second novel, West of Wawa, was published by Inanna in 2011, was one of four Chatelaine Bookclub Editor’s Picks, and was awarded the IPPY Silver Medal for Popular Fiction in 2012. Her third novel, A Glittering Chaos, was released in spring 2013 to literary and reader acclaim. Lisa lives and works in Toronto.
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