Читать книгу Elita and her life with F.W. de Klerk - M Meiring - Страница 5

In May 1989, Tony and Elita Georgiadis booked six seats for the musical Les Misérables at the Queen’s Theatre in London. Their guests for the evening would be Tony’s brother Alex, his wife Annie and two South Africans, FW and Marike de Klerk. After the performance they were to dine at the exclusive Marks Club so that the Georgiadises could make better acquaintance with the De Klerks.

Tony Georgiadis had substantial business interests in Africa, particularly in South Africa. He was well known in shipping circles and his business empire also extended to other continents. Although he and Elita had visited South Africa regularly since 1980 they had not yet had the opportunity – or the necessity – of meeting FW de Klerk.

Dr. Dawie de Villiers and his wife Suzaan were close friends of the De Klerks. During their time as ambassadorial couple in London they had also become friendly with the Georgiadis family, partly as a consequence of the Georgiadis brothers’ vested interests in South Africa. FW de Klerk had just been elected leader of the National Party and would therefore be the country’s next president. As ambassador and as a friend of both men, Dawie de Villiers thought it would be good if they could meet. He also thought that Tony, with his international business concerns, would be a good sounding board for FW.

This was FW’s first visit abroad as party leader. His chief objective was to meet with overseas heads of state and explain the radical changes planned in apartheid policy. British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s invitation to Downing Street was, among other approaches, clear proof of the importance of the visit. FW was something of an unknown factor outside South Africa, and there was also curiosity about him in the business and political circles in which the Georgiadis brothers moved.

On the evening of their meeting, FW was engaged in interviews with various British politicians, so it was arranged that Tony and Elita would meet Marike de Klerk at the hotel and proceed to the theatre, where FW would join them later.

Elita sensed a tension in her South African guest and, in an attempt to put her at her ease, observed light-heartedly: “It’s so true that it’s the woman behind the man that counts.”

To her surprise, Marike seemed disconcerted by her remark: “But what do you know about me?” she asked suspiciously.

Elita realised that she had been misinterpreted and that she must treat the older woman with more circumspection. “It’s just what they always say,” she replied, trying to defuse the situation. After the first interval FW joined the party in the theatre and took up his seat between Elita and Marike. He immediately took Marike’s hand in his, a gesture Elita noted with approval. This is a good man, she thought.

Marike clearly enjoyed the show, but when they went on to dine at Marks Club, she still seemed nervous. Elita was struck by the degree of attention FW (which she pronounces “Efwia”) paid his wife during the meal. She also noticed how relaxed he appeared, both in his style of dress and in his manner. His suit and tie were less formal and he was also warmer and more approachable than the European businessmen that she knew. He seemed without conceit or a desire to impress. Almost naïve, in an appealing way and very genuine, was how she summed him up.

His eyes, of an almost unnaturally deep blue, also struck her, as did his schoolboyish charm. He chatted easily with her and “he really showed an interest in what I thought”, she recalled afterwards.

He in turn remembers his first meeting with her: “I was surprised and charmed by this young, intelligent woman who possessed a wisdom beyond her years”. (Elita, who was thirty-seven at the time of their meeting, is sixteen years younger than FW.)

The Georgiadis brothers were extremely interested in FW’s political vision and asked him penetrating questions. His replies made it clear to Elita that this was a man determined to bring about radical changes in his country. She saw him as someone who was embarking on a difficult and risky crusade and instinctively felt that she wanted to help him.

Pinned to her underwear, she always wore a porcelain button, known as an “evil eye”, a traditional Middle East talisman against misfortune and evil. Going quickly to the ladies’ cloakroom, she unpinned the button, clenched it in the palm of her hand and gave it to a somewhat surprised and embarrassed FW.

He had no idea of its significance. Elita laughingly explained that it was a good luck charm. “It’s an eye that will help to ward off bad luck and bring you good luck – or so we Greeks believe”. Later she would often wonder why she had been so impulsive in giving a strange man such a personal object.

From FW’s reaction she judged him to be a conservative man, but her gesture seemed to have given Marike pleasure. Elita noted again how comfortable Marike and FW seemed together and how heartily Marike joined in the laughter at his awkwardness over the unexpected gift.

FW later lost the button, but he was to become thoroughly acquainted with Elita’s superstitions. In years to come, he himself would never travel without similar talismans in his briefcase – an ocean pebble set in a gold heart, a silver cross and a miniature folder with her photo — although he professed to attach no superstitions to any of these.

This little incident brought some jollity to the table, but Marike soon became tense again. Did she not like them? Elita wondered. Or was she too anxious about FW’s mission in London?

So tangible was Marike’s reserve that late that night on the way home the Georgiadises said to each other: “Charming man, complicated wife”.

Shortly afterwards, the two couples met once again, in London, and very soon became firm friends. Tony was keenly aware that FW was travelling around the world in order to broaden his contacts and, mindful of his business interests in South Africa, he invited the De Klerks to various functions. FW and Marike were also assured of a warm welcome in the Georgiadis house in London.

What was initially regarded simply as a contact, gradually developed into a friendship. Although FW was firmly resolved to have no involvement in Georgiadis business ventures, the two men enjoyed long discussions over a wide range of topics. As an industrialist and international investor, Tony could test his views against FW’s legal and political insights. They also shared a weakness for tobacco and would smoke and talk far into the night.

On the Georgiadises’ first visit to South Africa after the London meetings, FW and Marike were their hosts in Cape Town. Both couples found that they had many South African friends in common. They began to meet regularly, in England and in South Africa.

Gradually they also began to do those things that good friends do; calling each other late at night, having one another’s children to stay, shopping together, eating out together, discussing art acquisitions, spending holidays together. They would make an effort to make time and space for one another and over the next three years they would get to know one another extremely well.

FW would learn about Elita’s privileged childhood in Greece; he would also learn of the loneliness of a sensitive child who could even at times have been called a “poor little rich girl”.