‘I think this matter is best left to me, ’ Lorna quietly interjected. ‘I’m the one who should travel with Torben.’
Both men looked at her as if she had gone quite mad.
‘Give me one good reason why not, ’Lorna went on. ‘There’s nothing your father can do that I can’t. It’s about time I did something constructive to bring this family together and, besides, I would like to see Ellie and Lindsay, not to mention a son I probably won’t even recognise!’
When Torben looked to his father for comment, Dallas merely shrugged. ‘Then I suggest we leave in the morning, ’he said to Lorna. The matter was settled.
Lorna was horrified by the sights she saw on their journey from Durban to Johannesburg. Natal showed evidence of the war but the real devastation came when they crossed into the Transvaal, where blockhouses and barbed wire lined the track as they travelled north, through mile upon mile of once-prosperous farmland now devoid of crops and cattle. Here and there burnt-out homes stood as gaunt testimony to the times. The towns they passed through were little better. Beggars, black and white, called up to those in the carriages, their pleading faces sullen, seeking no more than a means of survival. Everywhere she looked, Lorna saw the drab khaki of military uniforms. She had not expected anything like this. It was another world, not the Africa she knew and loved.
As if reading her thoughts, Torben commented, ‘This war has caused so much suffering. Tell me one good thing that has come of it.’
Lorna turned to him. ‘You seem to have made a lot of money, ’ she said.
It was the truth, though her observation caused Torben to feel quite uncomfortable. ‘So will you when Father’s new cane plantings are cut, ’he countered in his own defence. ‘In war there are always those who will make money. Even governments do it. Is that something to be ashamed of?’
‘I did not mean to imply that you have been anything other than honourable in your business dealings, ’Lorna replied. ‘It was merely an observation.’
‘Sorry.’ Torben realised he had overreacted and offered a partial explanation: ‘There are things I’m not proud of when it comes to the money I’ve made.’
Lorna reached over and squeezed his hand reassuringly. ‘And I’m sorry for putting you in a position where you thought I was questioning your integrity.’
‘Mother, I– ’ Torben started to say something then stopped.
Lorna looked at her stepson with some surprise. He had used a word she had not heard from him since he was very much younger. His estrangement had increased as he grew older, but suddenly, for no apparent reason, he was once again the insecure little boy Dallas had introduced to the family so long ago.
‘What is it?’ she asked gently, worried by the anguish that clouded his face.
‘There’s something I want you to know, ’he said, turning away to compose himself before looking her in the eyes. It was then that Torben bared his soul, telling her of his links with the Broederbond and how it had led to the abduction of his daughter.
Lorna listened without interrupting. When he finally fell silent she simply patted his hand and said, ‘What you have just told me is a matter between us. There is no reason why it should go any further.’
Torben impulsively gave her a hug, something else he had not done in years. His burden had suddenly eased. At least one member of the family knew the truth and had not judged him. It was a beginning. Now they needed to trace Alice.
Finding lodgings in a city crowded with military personnel was not easy but Torben used his money and influence to pull strings. Once they had booked into a hotel, Lorna sent word to Ellie at the hospital where she now worked. It was not the messenger who came back but Ellie herself.
Lorna hadn’t seen her daughter in almost a year, not since they brought Dallas back to Morningside. For Torben it had been even longer. Both of them commented on how gaunt and tired Ellie looked. She put it down to the fact that the ‘bloody camps’, as she called them, were causing more problems than the war itself.
‘To give you an example, ’ Ellie said as they sat in the hotel lounge, ‘before the Fawcett Commission forced Milner to assume control of the camps and improve conditions, infant mortality was running at over six hundred out of every thousand – mainly due to measles. Lindsay has been lobbying for change. He spends more time with politicians than patients these days.’
Torben swallowed, dreading that Alice might be part of Ellie’s startling statistic. Lorna was not surprised and listened as Torben told Ellie what had brought them to Johannesburg.
‘So you believe that my goddaughter might be at Middelburg?’ Her tone sought more information.
‘From what I have been told, this woman van der Merwe came to the camp with a female infant, ’ Torben went on. ‘She died of enteric fever and the authorities refuse to say what happened to her baby. All the evidence I have points to that child being Alice.’
‘Then we had better go and fetch her, ’ Ellie said, making it sound so simple.
‘Torben has tried but was fobbed off, ’ Lorna said. ‘We felt that you, as a doctor, might stand a better chance of getting into the camp.’
‘I will still need authority from the army, ’Ellie said, thinking out loud. ‘Duncan should be able to come up with some piece of official paper. Fancy a trip to Pretoria tomorrow?’
Lorna and Torben nodded their agreement. This was family.
The knock on Duncan’s door at staff headquarters interrupted his concentration and Lorna could hear the frustration in her son’s voice.
‘Come!’
He looked up from another boring report to find three familiar faces grinning at him from the doorway. The scowl turned to a smile as Duncan shook his head in disbelief and jumped up to greet them. ‘Mother, Torben, what a wonderful surprise. Hello, Ellie.’ He hesitated. ‘Is something wrong? What brings you all to Pretoria?’ The smile had gone.
‘Everybody is fine, dear, ’Lorna assured him as she held out her arms.
Duncan seized his mother in a huge hug then shook Torben’s hand and kissed Ellie on each cheek.
‘Let’s have a look at you, ’ Lorna said, holding him at arm’s length and examining the scar on his neck. ‘Tanith and Frazer loved the photograph, though I can see why you turned your head sideways!’
‘It’s nothing, Mother. How’s Tat? I’ve put in for leave but she doesn’t know. You mustn’t say anything; I want to surprise her. She says Frazer is growing so fast.’
Lorna opened her handbag. ‘I’ve brought a letter for you – here.’
Duncan held out his hand. ‘And Father, how’s he? What about Cam?’ He turned to Torben. ‘Is there any news of Alice? Was my information of any help?’
‘She is why we are here, ’ he said.
Duncan found chairs for his mother and sister then listened as Ellie explained.
‘Then let’s see what we can do.’ He pressed a button on his desk and in seconds an adjutant appeared. Duncan told him what was needed and the man soon returned with a triplicate pad of the form he had requested – a security clearance applicable to any military installation. Although Duncan did not have the authority to sign such a document he shrugged and completed one each for Ellie and himself, stamping them and adding a scrawled signature. ‘I’m afraid Ellie and I will have to do this on our own, ’Duncan explained. ‘We are both in uniform and know how the system works.’ He laughed. ‘Though I don’t expect anybody will query our credentials.’
Ellie picked up one of the passes and smiled. It was signed with a single name – ‘Kitchener’. ‘Aren’t you taking a bit of a risk?’ she asked.
‘I’ve only signed the originals, ’Duncan grinned. ‘We can lose them if we have to. The copies are blank.’
His sister shook her head. It was just like Duncan to bend the rules.
Lorna and Torben returned to Johannesburg. Duncan had been right: their civilian presence in a military establishment – especially one under close scrutiny – could only arouse suspicion.
Citing ‘family reasons’ Duncan was able to obtain forty-eight hours’ leave. He also spoke to John Scott and told him what had transpired. The intelligence officer gave him a name to ask for and promised to help if he could.
Duncan and Ellie travelled the eighty-odd miles to Middelburg on an overcrowded passenger train, reaching their destination late that afternoon. They had no difficulty finding accommodation and after a meal best forgotten, both retired early. What Duncan did learn from his sister over dinner was that she and Lindsay had put their names forward for missionary work in Bechuanaland. Ellie made him promise that he would say nothing to their parents.
The next day dawned hot and dusty. Deciding to go without breakfast, Duncan managed to hire a pony and trap from the hotel for their visit to the camp. They were there before eight o’clock, met at the gate by a bored-looking corporal who did at least salute at the sight of Duncan’s rank. Their passes were of no interest to him.
‘I am looking for a Major Donovan, ’ Duncan said, staring icily at the soldier.
‘Over there, sah, ’ the corporal replied, pointing to a corrugated iron structure with a makeshift wooden verandah.
Duncan urged their unwilling horse forwards and secured the reins to a spindly roof support before extending a hand to his sister. He knocked on the door and was bid enter. Ellie did so first, stepping into a single room with one window which looked across what appeared to be a parade ground. The major rose from his chair, not expecting a woman.
‘I heard you were coming, ’ Major Donovan said after Duncan introduced his sister as Doctor Mayer and then himself. ‘What can we do for you, Captain?’
Duncan sensed a note of hostility in the commandant’s question. He was a burly man in his mid forties, overweight and uncomfortable in an ill-fitting uniform. Despite that, the ribbons on his chest provided an impressive record of service in many campaigns. ‘The C-in-C has instructed me to accompany Doctor Mayer on a fact-finding mission to this camp. She is compiling a report on all children under five years of age.’
‘Bloody politics, ’the major sneered. ‘I keep submitting requests for better rations and medical supplies but the answer from staff HQ never changes. Refugees are low priority. Now that Milner is putting Kitchener under pressure, he needs to find scapegoats.’
Duncan nodded in sympathy with the observation.
‘Well, Doctor, ’the major said, turning to Ellie, ‘we have nothing to hide; be my guest. I will introduce you to our resident medical officer, Doctor Kelly. He can confirm what I have just told you.’
Duncan sensed that the officer’s hostility was directed more towards Lord Kitchener than himself or Ellie. It was obvious the major was a caring man, frustrated by a system which had him looking after women and children rather than facing the real enemy.
The major escorted Ellie and Duncan along a path lined with white-painted rocks until they reached a long, low structure displaying a large red cross on the wall. Despite the relatively early hour, it was hotter within the corrugated iron structure than it was outside. Tightly made beds of starched linen ran from one end to the other. They were all empty.
A thin, bespectacled officer wearing a white smock over his army uniform stood up from the single desk where he had been reading a Rand Daily Mail and saluted smartly. Major Donovan introduced him as Doctor Kelly, confirming that he would answer any questions Ellie might wish to ask.
She nodded her thanks to the major. ‘Where are your patients?’ she asked, seizing the initiative. ‘Considering the number of people in this camp, I find it most surprising that the hospital is empty.’
‘Those who fall sick prefer to stay in their tents, ’ Kelly replied. ‘I’m afraid these Boers are a very backward people who would rather put their trust in God than modern medicine and a British doctor. You can see that for yourself if you don’t believe me.’
‘I don’t doubt what you say, ’ Ellie smiled sweetly. ‘I certainly wish to speak with your patients but don’t be alarmed. My mission concerns children, especially those too young to take care of themselves. I need to know how many have died since this camp was established in February and how many are held here now. Infants under three I would like to see for myself. This is no witch hunt, Doctor Kelly. The purpose is to provide information, not criticise or comment on how well you are doing your job.’
The doctor looked visibly relieved and suggested they examine the records while his staff made arrangements to have all children under the age nominated by Ellie brought to the hospital.
Major Donovan excused himself, saying he had a mountain of paperwork to catch up on. Duncan thanked him and promised they would report to his office before leaving.
Ellie sat at the desk studying a meticulously maintained journal which turned names into numbers, analysing camp inmates from their date of arrival at Middelburg. Neatly drawn columns separated adults from children under fifteen, listing both by sex. Every page was totalled and ruled off, each month carefully summarised. Arrivals, births and deaths – even marriages – were recorded.
They had no idea if Alice was alive or not. Ellie scanned the hospital records for an hour, making copious notes. She was stunned to find close on a thousand deaths of children under fifteen. No wonder they want to keep this secret, she thought. Suddenly her face lit up. She had found an arrival listed as ‘van der Merwe, H’. The columns showed a single female with one child, also female. It corresponded with Duncan’s information. A red ink entry in the right-hand column read ‘died enteric March 31st 1901’. It did not say what had become of the child. The system had its flaws. Ellie could only hope that she was still in the camp. Certainly the deaths from disease were far fewer than they had been earlier in the year.
‘This is not going to be as easy as we thought, ’ Duncan muttered in Ellie’s ear. ‘There are so many. If Alice is here, how on earth will we recognise her?’
Ellie had no easy answer. They were looking for a little girl between eighteen months and two years old, looked after by a woman who was not her mother. It was hardly a lot to work with but it was all they had.
A line of women nursing babies or holding the hands of infants had assembled outside the hospital. They stared with suspicion at the staff, including Ellie and Duncan.
‘Better get started then, ’Ellie said, looking up at Doctor Kelly. ‘How many have we got?’
‘Seventy-eight mothers with children under three, ’ he told her. ‘Will you require an interpreter?’
‘That will not be necessary, ’ Duncan replied. ‘I suppose you speak the Taal, Doctor?’
‘Unfortunately not, ’ he admitted. ‘Nor do any of my nurses.’
Duncan was pleased. His own knowledge of Afrikaans was limited to say the least but Ellie spoke it fluently and would be able to converse freely without being understood by the doctor or his staff.
Doctor Kelly consulted a clipboard and called out a name. A woman reluctantly stepped forwards holding the hand of a little boy aged about three.
Ellie looked into his mother’s eyes. ‘I am a doctor, not your enemy, ’ she said in Afrikaans. ‘I am here to examine your little boy and arrange medicine if he needs it.’ The mother looked surprised at an English doctor’s use of her home tongue. Ellie could see that it had defused the Boer woman’s initial hostility.
Name after name was called as the day wore on. Ellie talked to mothers and carried out a thorough examination of each young child or baby, prescribing treatment or medicine where warranted. Doctor Kelly recorded everything Ellie translated for him. When they took a short break for lunch he spoke up. ‘What you are doing for these people is all very well but we simply do not have half the items you are prescribing.’
‘Things are improving, Doctor, ’she smiled at him. ‘I can see that from your records. Lord Kitchener has realised he extended the camps without providing adequate medical facilities. Redressing that situation has been one of Sir Ian Hamilton’s priorities since he took over as the General’s Chie
f-of-Staff. Put in a requisition and see what happens. I’m sure you will be pleasantly surprised.’ Ellie glanced at her brother, who shifted uncomfortably but looked suitably serious.
It took the rest of the morning and all of the afternoon to conclude the examinations. At the end of the day Ellie had a list of eight little girls within the right age group. She had asked each mother a series of questions and paid particular attention to their replies and reactions. Not one gave any indication that the children were anything other than their own.
With no more people to see, Ellie turned to Doctor Kelly. ‘Is that it?’ she asked, her voice sounding weary.
He checked his list of names and found a couple with no ticks against them. ‘Two did not report as instructed, ’ he said. ‘If you wish to see them we can go to their tents.’
A nurse came and said something to the doctor. It was obviously important.
Ellie turned and spoke quietly to Duncan. ‘We may have seen Alice and not known it but all my instincts tell me that is not the case.’
‘We know there is a possibility that she has died, ’ her brother pointed out.
‘Somehow I can’t believe that, ’ Ellie said, removing her glasses and running a hand through her short blonde hair. ‘Our search is not over yet.’
She turned back to Doctor Kelly, who waited patiently, having dealt with the nurse’s emergency. ‘The two mothers we have not seen, what children do they have?’
Kelly consulted his clipboard. ‘One has a boy of three.’ He ran his index finger down the list. ‘The other a girl of around eighteen months – sometimes we don’t have an exact age.’
Ellie nodded. ‘We will see the baby girl first, ’ she said in a tired voice. ‘What is the woman’s name?’
‘Burger. Marie Burger, ’ the doctor replied. ‘According to my records it is not her own child. She is acting as foster mother to the orphan of a woman who died some months ago.’
‘Her name?’ Ellie asked.
‘Van der Merwe, ’ the doctor said without consulting his notes.
Footprints of Lion Page 43
