Still Waters

by Linda Kavanagh

  As they drove along, Ivy listened in awe to the sounds of assorted insects as they chirped and twittered in the darkness, and she gasped in joyful astonishment as a group of fireflies passed in front of the jeep.

  As she continued to enjoy Brian’s company, Ivy began to wonder if he was more than Owen’s business partner. The two men seemed warm and affectionate towards each other, and Ivy wondered if they could be a couple. Thinking back, she’d never consciously remembered Owen being involved with a woman. Even at school, he’d always had his head stuck in a book.

  Ivy darted a surreptitious glance at Brian. If he was gay, what a waste of a gorgeous man, she thought, then smiled, thinking that another gay man wouldn’t be thinking that way!

  Back at the house, Brian helped Ivy down from the jeep, and thanking him she returned to her room. There she found a note from Pumila, saying that there was hot water if she needed another bath. Delighted, Ivy filled the bath and sank down into its soothing depths. She was also looking forward to dinner – exploring the vast lands of the Eastern Cape had given her quite an appetite!

  Chapter 24

  Rosa Dalton sat in her bedroom, staring at the walls but seeing nothing. She couldn’t believe it. No, it couldn’t be true! Danny, her beloved Danny, had just dumped her!

  Tears ran down her cheeks, but she did nothing to wipe them away. Nothing mattered any more. Maybe she could cry herself to death, then Danny would be sorry for what he’d done. His life would be ruined and he’d spend the rest of his days mourning for her. Already, she could picture him alone in the cemetery, weeping over her grave, and regretting the ill-fated moment when he’d made his mistake. He’d beg her forgiveness, but of course by then it would be far too late …

  Oh, how she hated Ivy Morton! The horrible minx had put a spell on Danny, and he couldn’t see that he and Rosa were meant to be together.

  What about all the times she and Danny had spent by the lakeside, making love? She’d done everything she could to make Danny happy – she’d made a career out of satisfying him, but it obviously wasn’t enough. What did that Morton girl have, that made Danny want her more? She couldn’t bear the thought of sitting in the same classroom as Ivy, and knowing that when school was over, she’d be the one Danny was waiting for. Everyone would know she’d been dumped, and they’d be feeling sorry for her. Oh, the humiliation! She simply couldn’t bear it.

  Rosa stood up and opened her wardrobe. She intended packing her rucksack and leaving the village immediately. She wasn’t going to stay in Willow Haven a minute longer, and she’d never set foot in it again.

  Throwing her clothes onto the floor, Rosa stuffed a random selection into her rucksack. She didn’t really care what she was taking, because she was never going to be happy again.

  As though picking at a scab, Rosa kept going over what had happened with Danny. He’d arrived, as arranged, at their special spot down by the lake after school, but he hadn’t taken her in his arms as he usually did. Instead, he stood in front of her, looking ill at ease.

  “Look, Rosa – I’m sorry, but I – look, there’s no easy way to say this, but I don’t want to go out with you any more.”

  “What?” Rosa shrieked. “But I thought you cared about me! After all we’ve shared!”

  Danny looked embarrassed. “Look, I’m fond of you, but it was only a bit of fun between you and me. It’s not as though we were serious –”

  “But I was serious!” Rosa screamed. “You mean everything to me! I thought we were going to be together forever!”

  Danny looked sad and awkward, but said nothing.

  Rosa suddenly froze. “It’s that Ivy Morton, isn’t it?”

  Danny bit his lip, then slowly nodded.

  “You bastard!”

  Rosa beat on his chest with her fists until Danny grabbed her wrists.

  “Please, we’ve no control over who we love –”

  “But I love you! I’ve no control over that, have I?”

  “Honestly – you’ll meet someone else before long,” Danny pleaded. “Half the boys in the school would give anything to go out with you.”

  “But I don’t want anyone else!” Rosa shouted, tears running down her face. “I hate you, Danny Heartley, I hate you!”

  Running all the way home, she had rushed into the house and straight upstairs to her room. A shocked Hannah had seen her daughter’s tear-stained face, and had begged her to explain what was wrong.

  “Everything!” was all Rosa would say, before slamming her bedroom door behind her.

  Hannah went upstairs and knocked on Rosa’s bedroom door. “What’s wrong, love?” she asked gently. “How about a nice cup of tea?”

  She could hear Rosa sobbing inside. “Come on, pet – nothing could be that bad. Come and tell me what’s the matter,” Hannah coaxed. “Maybe I can help.”

  “No one can help me!” Rosa shouted. “Go away!”

  Hannah retreated downstairs, puzzled. Rosa was usually such a sunny, good-natured girl. Maybe teenage hormones were making her behaviour unpredictable. Young people had a tendency to make mountains out of molehills, so hopefully what was bothering Rosa would soon blow over.

  A little while later, a red-eyed Rosa came downstairs, carrying her rucksack. Hannah thought she looked a lot calmer now, and there was a determined jut to her chin.

  “I’m leaving Willow Haven, Mamma,” she said. “For good.”

  Hannah’s jaw dropped open. She was so shocked that she was unable to say anything.

  “Rosa – don’t be ridiculous!” she said at last. “Whatever’s happened, we can sort it out. Just come and sit down for a minute.”

  Rosa shook her head. “Danny’s dumped me, Mamma, and I’ll never be happy again,” she said, starting to cry again.

  Hannah didn’t dare embrace her, because she knew Rosa would angrily resist any attempt to comfort her. Instead, she said “I’m sorry, love, I know how much he meant to you, but there are other fish in the sea. Just you wait and see – the boys will be queuing up to ask you out!”

  Rosa glared at her mother. “That’s what Danny said too. But I don’t want anyone else. He’s the only one I’ve ever wanted.”

  Hannah desperately wished she could find the right words to soothe her daughter’s broken heart.

  “Look, you’ll get over him eventually. In a few months’ time, you’ll wonder what you ever saw in him –”

  “No, I won’t – I’ll always love him!”

  Hannah sighed. “Look, I know that young love can be very painful, and you think you’ll never love anyone again, but –”

  “I won’t!”

  Rosa was crying again. “I couldn’t go back to school – they’ll all be laughing at me. And I’ll have to watch Danny swooning over that bitch Ivy Morton!”

  “Well, maybe we could get you a place at the school in Allcott?” said Hannah, now very concerned. “It’s important to finish your education. Then you can be anything you want.”

  “I don’t want to be anything except Danny’s wife!” Rosa screamed. “And now I’m not going to be that. I’ve had enough, Mamma – I’m never setting foot in Willow Haven again. I hate this place, and everyone in it!”

  “But without an education, you’ll never get anywhere! Please don’t make a hasty decision – come on, let’s sit down and discuss it over a cuppa.”

  Rosa glowered at her mother. “I’m going to London, and you can’t stop me!”

  “Stop this nonsense at once!” Hannah said angrily. “You’re only seventeen – you can’t go gallivanting round a big city on your own! Where will you stay? It’s out of the question.”

  “I’m going, one way or another, so you might as well let me go with good grace,” Rosa said angrily. “I’ll get a good job in London, just you wait and see. And I’ll never have to see that spineless scumbag Danny Heartley again!” She looked at her watch. “I’m catching the six fifteen train, so I’d better get going,” she added gruffly.

  “Please, love – do
n’t do this!” Hannah begged her. “You’ll feel different when you’ve calmed down. Please!”

  Rosa picked up her rucksack and put it on her back. “I’ll write, Mamma – I promise. You’ll be proud of me some day, but right now, I can’t stay here.”

  “Oh love, don’t let Danny Heartley do this to you!” Hannah begged her.

  Rosa didn’t reply, but Hannah recognised that look of determination on her daughter’s face, and knew there was nothing she could say that would change her mind.

  “And what’ll you do for money?”

  Rosa shrugged her shoulders, and Hannah longed to throw her arms around her daughter and protect her from the big bad world outside. She had visions of Rosa ending up in a homeless people’s shelter or, worse still, sleeping rough in a doorway.

  “Please, love, just wait till tomorrow. Things won’t look so bad then.”

  Rosa shook her head, and Hannah knew her daughter wasn’t going to change her mind.

  “Well then, hang on a minute – let me give you what cash I have …”

  Hannah rushed to her handbag, relieved that she’d been to the bank earlier that day. She’d taken out the money to buy a new television set, but right now Rosa’s needs were far more urgent.

  “Here –” she said, thrusting the collection of notes into Rosa’s hand. “Hopefully that’ll keep you going for a while. And please let me know if you need any more.”

  “Thanks, Mamma – I will,” Rosa promised, a lump in her throat as the two women embraced, “and I’ll write soon – I promise.”

  “Look, take this as well –” Hannah said, taking off the gold chain and pendant she always wore around her neck. “This was your grandmother’s – it’s worth quite a bit of money, so if you run into any problems –”

  “I’d never sell it, Mamma,” said Rosa adamantly, slipping it around her neck. “But I’ll wear it when I go for interviews – maybe it’ll bring me luck.”

  “Won’t you please change your mind and stay?” Hannah asked, desperately hoping for a miracle. “You’ll be able to get better jobs if you finish your education.”

  Rosa simply shook her head.

  “Well, give me another hug before you go,” Hannah begged, her eyes now filled with tears as they embraced. An hour ago, life had been simple and straightforward. Now, she was losing the only child she had. How could life change so drastically in such a short space of time? She groped for a handkerchief to wipe her eyes and, when she looked again, Rosa was gone.

  Opening the front door, Hannah watched the receding figure of her beloved daughter heading in the direction of the railway station. She wiped her eyes and hoped Rosa would soon come to her senses. When she discovered how difficult it was to survive in a big city, hopefully she’d be on the next train home again.

  Chapter 25

  As she came down early for dinner, Ivy found her brother sitting outside on the stoep, drinking a glass of wine. As she joined him, he poured her a glass too, and Ivy enthusiastically regaled him with her experiences that afternoon.

  “We saw elephants, hartebeests, wildebeests, rhinos, impalas, guinea fowl – oh, so many animals that I can’t even remember all their names!” she told him happily.

  Owen smiled, pleased that his sister had enjoyed her first day in South Africa. He’d been scrutinising her since she’d arrived, and he was glad to see that the strain in her face had already lessened. No doubt her job was very exacting, because she’d definitely looked in need of a holiday when she arrived.

  “I know you and Brian have offered to show me around – but I don’t want to be a nuisance and keep you from your work.”

  “No problem, kiddo – we’ve adjusted the workload so that we can both spend time with you. Andile and his team are well able to run the place when Brian or I aren’t here.”

  Ivy was aware that Owen and Brian had met while both were working on a bear-conservation project in Canada many years earlier. She and Danny had visited her brother in Canada, but Brian had been on holiday while they were there, so they’d never actually met him.

  “Why did you two decide to move to South Africa?” she asked.

  “When we knew the Canadian project was coming to an end, we started looking for another venture,” Owen explained. “Brian had visited South Africa when apartheid ended, and had seen the possibilities. This was a new country, emerging from colonialism and racial segregation, and we felt that its wildlife, in particular, needed protecting during those transition years. We figured we could help both animals and local communities, and I truly believe we’re doing that.”

  Ivy nodded.

  “Neither Brian nor I could afford to undertake such a huge project on our own,” Owen added, “so we pooled our resources, begged and borrowed the rest. When Siyak’atala came on the market, we knew it was exactly what we wanted. Of course, it wasn’t called that back then – we changed the name to reflect what we’re trying to achieve.”

  “Brian is a really nice guy,” Ivy said enthusiastically. “He explained what you’re trying to do here, and I think both of you are incredible. Oh, and we also had ‘sundowners’!”

  Owen grinned, raising his glass. “Yes, that’s one of the few white traditions that I’m happy to adopt!”

  “You and Brian seem very happy together,” Ivy said, fishing.

  Owen nodded. “We are. When we’re working, I don’t even need to mention something out loud – Brian already knows what it is and has probably taken care of it.”

  “Sounds like you’re both telepathic.”

  Owen nodded again. “I couldn’t find a better partner anywhere.”

  “When did you two actually, er, get together?”

  For a moment, Owen looked puzzled. Then his face broke into a big grin. “You think –” He began to guffaw. “Oh my God, you think that Brian and I are an item!”

  Ivy turned red. She’d clearly made a cardinal error.

  “Oh Lord, this is hilarious! Wait till I tell Brian –”

  “Don’t you dare!” said Ivy, her face red from embarrassment.

  The amused expression left Owen’s face when he saw how upset his sister was.

  “Okay, okay – I just thought it was really funny. Of course, you haven’t met Charmaine yet.”

  Ivy felt her heart sink. A few seconds ago, although embarrassed, she’d been relieved to discover her brother and Brian weren’t an item, although she couldn’t logically say why. Was it because Brian was so heartbreakingly gorgeous? But she was a married woman, so she had no right to be having such thoughts anyway. Maybe she was suffering from sunstroke. And now there was Charmaine, Brian’s partner, and Ivy was experiencing a lot of conflicting emotions. It must be the heat, she told herself.

  “Charmaine is also our veterinary nurse, and she’ll be joining us for dinner this evening.”

  Ivy smiled. No doubt Charmaine was as beautiful as Brian was gorgeous. Oh well, she’d make every effort to look good this evening – she wasn’t going to let Charmaine hog the limelight. And she’d need to get a grip – she was only here for a holiday, not to develop feelings for her brother’s business partner. Anyway, Charmaine’s presence would keep her on the straight and narrow!

  Owen patted Ivy’s shoulder, but he was still smirking and shaking his head in amusement as he left the stoep to get another bottle of wine. Clearly, he found the whole incident terribly funny, and Ivy hoped he’d keep his promise not to tell Brian what she’d said …

  Having hurried back up to her room, Ivy studied the items of clothing in her wardrobe, and was glad she’d brought far more than she needed, because now she had plenty of choice. Since Charmaine was joining them for dinner, she’d decided to change from her casual attire into something more spectacular. Would she wear the turquoise off-the-shoulder top with tight jeans? Or what about the orange sleeveless T-shirt with her white harem pants? Looking at her pale skin, Ivy wished she’d been able to get a tan – no doubt Charmaine would be a glorious mahogany. Finally, she settled on a
one-piece jumpsuit in flowing green chiffon, and felt pleased as she surveyed herself in the mirror. Watch out, Charmaine, she thought, then felt mean and petty at wanting to score over Brian’s partner. Hadn’t she a husband of her own, who adored her? Perhaps she was too used to the limelight back home and didn’t like being upstaged by anyone else. Nevertheless, she was here as a guest, and owed it to her hosts to behave with decorum.

  Downstairs in the dining room, Andile, Pumila and several others sat around the table. And at the end, beside Brian, was a very pretty blonde white woman whom Ivy assumed was Charmaine. Owen introduced Ivy to anyone she hadn’t already met and, despite her initial reservations about Charmaine, she found her a friendly, bubbly woman. Although she’d snared the handsome Brian, Ivy couldn’t help liking her.

  Lumka, the cook, joined them at the table after she and Owen had brought in all the food that had been prepared in the kitchen. Bowls of salads, rice and vegetables were passed along the table, enabling people to help themselves. The food was delicious, and Ivy gestured her enjoyment to Lumka, who smiled back happily. Everyone was now tucking in, and the wine flowed as Owen opened several bottles and passed them along. At one point during the meal, Owen called for a toast to his “baby sister” and everyone raised their glasses in her direction. Ivy was surprised to find herself suddenly shy at receiving such attention, even though she appeared before several million people every week on TV.

  After the meal, everyone retired to the stoep outside. The night was pleasantly warm. I could get used to this, Ivy thought. Back home, autumn was well under way, and a tough winter was forecast to follow. The thought of it made her shiver, and Brian was suddenly by her side, placing a rug around her shoulders.

  “Here, Ivy – this’ll keep you warm.”

  “Thanks, Brian, but I’m not really cold – I was actually thinking of the weather back home. It’s starting to get chilly at this time of year.”

  Brian nodded. “I remember it well – and I’m grateful to be here. Can I get you a brandy?”

  Ivy nodded, noting that Charmaine had disappeared. As Brian went to the drinks cabinet, she gazed out across the darkness of the grasslands, enjoying the sounds of the night and listening to the hum of the others’ conversation. She felt lulled into a state of contentment, and was thoroughly relaxed when something made her sit bolt upright – she’d just seen Owen and Charmaine, outside in the dark, kissing!