Читать книгу One Face in a Million Book 1: Mu Shangaaniana - William Bond - Страница 12

Chapter 6

Christine returned to the mission station at Tavani and spent several weeks with her mother. During the school year, Mother had said that she might take her furlough soon, and she was hoping that she and Christine could make the trip to America together. Problems had arisen, however. The Davidsons, who had replaced the Rankins, had had to return to America because Mr. Davidson had been diagnosed with cancer, and Ms. Ferguson was presently on furlough in the United States. Mr. Bostwick had suffered a heart attack after his return from the United States, and he was still unable to assume his full share of responsibilities.

Consequently, with the mission shorthanded, Mother had had to assume even more responsibilities, and her own furlough would have to come at a later time.

Christine, however, was going to America. Mother had booked passage for her on a freighter called the Tropical Sun, and her scheduled departure date from LM was to be on March 22, 1931. The freighter’s destination was New Orleans, Louisiana, but Christine’s own destination was still uncertain.

After arriving in America, she would have to decide what she was going to do.

Although Mother intended to provide her with some money, her financial assistance was not enough to pay for her tuition in any college, so it would be necessary for Christine to find some employment and begin a savings if she intended to continue her education. Although no definite arrangements had been made, it seemed likely that she might look for a job in Michigan as she had several relatives who lived in that part of the United States.

During the time that Christine was at home, she went through many of her things and decided what she needed to take with her and what would need to be left in Tavani. Many things, of course, could not go with her, and so the eventual disposal of her various things would have to be left until another time—or to the eventual decisions that her mother would have to make.

Neither Christine nor her mother looked forward to the time when she would leave Tavani, but the time was coming—and so that was that. Christine’s imminent departure from Tavani had been announced in a church service, and on the last Sunday before her departure, a potluck meal was held at the church so that the local people could visit with—and give good wishes to—the departing young lady whom they had always known as Mu Shangaaniana.

On the day that they were leaving for LM, Joao prepared an early breakfast for them, and then when their things were ready, he carried their pieces of luggage out of the house and placed them in the car. When Christine and her mother came out of the house, they discovered that many of the Shangaan people had risen early and gathered near the house so that they could bid Mu Shangaaniana a final farewell. Christine had not expected anyone to come by to see her off, and she was touched by the outpouring of goodwill and their heartfelt words of farewell.

Although tears were welling up in her eyes, Christine smiled at them and waved farewell.

Those present also waved, and said, “Sa laquatsi!” meaning “Stay well”—or words of that sort.

As they were departing, she saw Joao and members of his family, as well as Carlotta, Rosianna, and many older people whom she had known all of her life. It was a touching tribute that they had risen early to bid her farewell, and tears streamed down her cheeks, for perhaps she would never see these people again.

As Mother drove along the roads that they had often traveled, Christine couldn’t help feeling a bit melancholy. She didn’t particularly like Manjacaze or Vila de Joao Belo, which many people still called Xai Xai. She didn’t like the ferry ride across the Limpopo River or the long drive to Xinivani and LM, but this had been her world, and it had become familiar to her. There was much about Lourenço Marques that she had liked, but soon, she would be leaving everything that had become familiar, and before long, she would be sailing across a vast ocean to a life that might well be filled with uncertainty as well as loneliness.

Of course, she knew that her leaving Africa would also be difficult for Mother, for they had been together—off and on—for almost nineteen years. For many years, Christine had been away at school, but she had been at home for all the major school holidays. But now, there was no way to know when, if ever, she would return to Africa. Her heart went out to her mother, for she had lost two husbands and would soon be bidding farewell to her only child.

She was committed to the mission work that she was doing at Tavani, but the responsibilities there were now almost entirely on her shoulders, and although she had a purpose-filled occupation, she would be returning to a lonely home that held a multitude of memories.

Mother hadn’t been complaining about a thing, but Christine knew perfectly well that her stoic, hardworking mother was going to have to deal with a lot of sadness and loneliness after her only child had departed for America.

By evening, they arrived in LM and took a room at the Sintra Hotel. They had dinner in a nearby restaurant, and on the next day, they shopped for clothes and other things which Christine needed to get. That evening, they went to the luxurious Vasco Da Gama Hotel to have dinner in the dining room that offered a lovely view of the city. Although it was an expensive outing, Mother wanted their last meal together to be a pleasant one, and no place in the city offered better food—nor a finer view—than what was available at the lovely Vasco Da Gama Hotel. Mother had said that the occasion was to celebrate Christine’s successful completion of her schooling at St. Mark’s and to recognize her upcoming nineteenth birthday. Moreover, she felt it was appropriate to have a special meal before Christine left Africa to begin the next phase of her life.

As usual, the tables were elegantly set, the food was superb, and they were served by a young man who was attentive, pleasant, and handsome. The view through the nearby window was as good as they had remembered, and although they could see a number of ships in the harbor, they could not tell which vessel was the Tropical Sun. After dinner, they returned to their room at the Sintra Hotel, and they talked with each other about many things until late in the evening.

On the following morning, they had an early breakfast at their hotel. Then, Clara drove down to the harbor area, and at a dockside office, Christine confirmed her ticket and went through the procedures that one goes through before making a departure for another country. They then sat on a bench along the sunny wharf for quite some time until an official indicated that departing individuals could board the ship. Freighters don’t carry many passengers, and Christine soon discovered that only two older men would be embarking with her on the Tropical Sun.

Christine had promised to write to her mother as soon as she had an address through which she could receive mail. They shared a last embrace and kiss, and then, Christine headed toward the appropriate gangplank with her luggage. A courteous crewman saw that she could use some help, so he took her luggage, and Christine followed him onto the ship, and another crew member directed them to the part of the vessel where there were quarters for several passengers. They found the door to Christine’s assigned cabin was unlocked, and Christine quickly saw that her accommodations contained only the basic necessities. The young seaman set down her luggage, and after offering him her thanks, he departed. She noted that her cabin had a single bed, a chest of drawers, a small dressing table, and a stool.

There was a place to hang clothes, a bedside lamp, and a porthole. The adjacent lavatory had a stool, a sink above which was a small mirror, and behind a long plastic curtain was a small corner area where one could take a shower. She glanced around the cabin again, but there was nothing more to see. This uninteresting tiny utilitarian space was to be her quarters for the next few weeks. Of course, she knew that somewhere on the vessel there would be a dining room and a lounge where one could enjoy whatever amenities the Tropical Sun had to offer.

She ventured back along the narrow corridor and soon stepped out onto a deck that overlooked the wharf. She waved to her mother and gestured toward the cabin area, showing with her hands that her quarters were very small. Her mother responded with an open-handed gesture that conveyed the idea, “That’s the best I could get you—so what can I do?”

They could have spoken more to each other, but there was little left to say. Soon, dockhands were drawing up the gangway or were throwing off the ropes that had kept the freighter tethered to the wharf. Deep blasts of the ship’s foghorn reverberated across the busy harbor, and moments later, the voyage commenced as the freighter eased away from its mooring place.

Christine mouthed things like “I love you” and “I’ll miss you.”

Clara nodded in agreement. They exchanged waves several times, and Clara found it hard to take her eyes off the ship that was taking her daughter to America. Perhaps, Christine could not see that tears were now streaming down her mother’s cheeks. She had held her tears in check because she had wanted to be strong for her daughter’s sake, but the ship had now departed. She watched the Tropical Sun until she could no longer see Christine, and then, she headed to the car to commence the long, lonely trip back to Tavani.

Christine had not seen her mother’s tears, but perhaps that was because she was looking upon their departure through tears of her own. She remained on deck for some time, watching the wake that trailed behind them toward Lourenço Marques. It was a sunny day and the breeze was pleasant, but she wasn’t feeling excited or happy. She was very uncertain about what would happen in the next phase of her life, and she was mindful that she might not see many of her friends ever again. She had been missing Jim for several weeks, and now, she was going to be missing her mother. Before long, the coast of Mozambique had receded into the hazy distance. Christine felt unhappy and lonely. Did Mother feel the same way? No doubt she did.

After a while, Christine returned to her cabin and organized some of the clothes that she planned to use during the long voyage. Later, she left her cabin and discovered that passengers were confined to a rather small part of the ship. In addition to the area where the cabins were located, they had free access to a couple of outside decks, two lavatories, a lounge and reading area, and the dining room where all the meals were served. Before lunchtime had arrived, Christine had already discovered that there was little to see—and not much to do—on the Tropical Sun, and she quickly concluded that her voyage to America would be about as pleasant as spending a fortnight or two in a floating prison.

Around noon, those who came for lunch were offered soup, sandwiches, a slice of cake, and a choice of beverages. The food was passable, but the fare and the plain dining area suffered in comparison to the fine meal and the splendid room where she and Mother had dined on the previous evening. From her seat at the table, she could see the southern coast of Africa in the distance, but it wasn’t very interesting. Eventually, of course, they would be heading northwestward across the Atlantic Ocean, and there would be nothing to see for many days. After lunch, Christine returned to her cabin and stretched out on her bed. Without doubt, the trip to America was going to be both long and boring, and she was asking herself, “How can I ever endure this?”

Later in the afternoon, she went to the reading area by the lounge and looked for something that she might enjoy reading. There were a number of novels available, and she finally selected a book by Emily Brontë called Wuthering Heights. She took it back to her cabin, and before long, she was drawn into the intriguing love story that is set in the bleak Yorkshire moors of northern England. By the time dinner was to be served, she was so involved in the book that she hardly wanted to have a meal. Nevertheless, she knew that the reading could wait, so she went to the dining room and was invited to sit with the captain at his table.

Captain Stevens was an amiable middle-aged fellow with a trimmed gray beard. A few other crew members were also sitting at the captain’s table. As they began their meal, the captain had those present introduce themselves, and he acknowledged that he had been working at his job for twenty-two years. He also acknowledged that he had a family in Cape Town. Before long, it was Christine’s turn to speak, and she disclosed that she had recently finished her schooling in Swaziland and was going to the United States where she hoped to find employment and earn some money so that she could continue her education. She also acknowledged that she had grown up on a mission station in Mozambique and that she enjoyed reading.

“Have you found our little library?” asked the captain, as he was cutting a forkful of meat from a piece of roast beef.

“Yes,” Christine replied. “I’ve just begun a novel called Wuthering Heights.”

“Ah yes, I’ve read that novel years ago,” said the captain. “It’s a book I won’t forget, but I won’t comment on it and spoil the story for you. I’ll just wager it’s a book you’ll never forget. Do you see all those lights off in the distance?” He continued, “That is the port of Durban. We aren’t stopping there or in Port Elizabeth, but in two days we will be in Cape Town for at least twenty-four hours, I should think. You’ll want to go ashore there and have a look about. It’s quite a fascinating city.”

The captain talked about various things that one could do in Cape Town, and then, he took a sip of coffee.

“I understand several passengers will be coming aboard in Cape Town,” he continued. “Eleven, I believe. With a few more on board, it won’t be quite so lonely for you.”

“That will be nice.” Christine smiled. “The more the merrier, I suppose,” she quipped, not knowing what else to say.

“Indeed.” The captain smiled. “We seldom have more than twelve passengers on this ship. That’s it!”

They continued with casual conversation, and when it appeared that everyone had finished their bread pudding dessert, the captain finished his coffee, excused himself, and rose to his feet.

“I must return to my duties now and let some of the others come to dinner, but I should tell you to be prepared for rougher seas in the days ahead. Down here where the two oceans come together, we get what we call the cape rollers. You might get a bit seasick, but just remember that after we leave Cape Town, the sailing is usually pretty uneventful. So, I’ll wish you a good evening, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

After dinner, Christine returned to her room to read her book, but before turning in for the night, she put on a light jacket and went out on deck. The sea was quite smooth, and to the north, she could see occasional clusters of lights along the distant shoreline. She looked skyward to note the stars and easily located the Southern Cross. In previous centuries, seamen had used the stars to guide them on the oceans of the world, but navigation now was done entirely differently. She couldn’t imagine how Captain Stevens and his crew did their jobs, but as she returned to her cabin, she instinctively knew that she was in good hands.

On the following morning, Christine was aware of the ship’s movement, and when she looked out of her porthole, the sea swells were quite noticeable. These were the cape rollers of which the captain had spoken. The endless expanse of whitecaps and the rugged coastline looked quite beautiful in the light of the morning sun. Despite the motion of the ship, Christine arose, dressed, and made her bed before she went to the dining room for breakfast. The two men who had boarded the ship in LM smiled at her when she came into the dining area, but they were speaking Portuguese, and she was not invited to sit with them. Some crewmen were having breakfast, and they acknowledged her with smiles, but Christine sat at an unoccupied table near a window. When a crew member asked what she would have for breakfast, she asked for scrambled eggs, bacon, toasted bread, and hot tea. Several minutes later, her food arrived on a tray, and she began to eat. The gentle movement of the ship was quite noticeable, but the motion wasn’t bothering her, and she dared to hope that she would not suffer from seasickness on the long voyage to the United States. She had crossed the Atlantic on four occasions, and she could not recall that she had ever been seasick. She dared to hope that this trip would be accomplished without bad storms or rough seas.

She wondered what kind of passengers would be boarding the ship in Cape Town. Perhaps there would be some interesting conversationalists—or possibly some attractive young men! Clearly, the two men from LM were too old for her, and it did not seem that they would care to mingle with anyone else. Of course, time would tell.

As she ate her breakfast, she studied the distant coastline. In the far distance, she could see a rocky promontory that rose dramatically up from the sea. She vaguely remembered seeing that point of land on her last trip to and from America. That rocky promontory had first been seen by some Europeans in 1488 who had ventured to the southernmost tip of Africa with a Portuguese seaman named Bartolomeu Dias. Later, he had given the location a name which meant the Cape of Good Hope because he believed that he had finally found an all-water route from Europe to Asia.

Around 1498, Vasco Da Gama and his expedition had passed this coastline and had eventually sailed on to India before returning by the same route to Portugal. The Portuguese subsequently opened up a trading route that helped make Portugal a prosperous nation, and Mozambique had served as a useful way station that soon became a Portuguese colony in southern Africa. Later, the Dutch and the English wanted to use this same trading route, and both countries had tried to colonize this southern part of Africa. The Dutch had held the land for some time, but after deposits of gold and diamonds were discovered in a region called the Transvaal, the so-called Boer Wars occurred, and the British managed to gain control of a large portion of southern Africa. Christine recalled that her paternal grandfather, David Cartwright, was one who had left England to make a life for himself in South Africa, so she realized that she had roots in this part of the world.

Later in the day, she stood on deck as the ship rounded the Cape of Good Hope and steamed on to the port of Cape Town. Long before they had reached the city, she had seen the famous landform that rises up majestically behind the city. What city could be more beautiful than Cape Town as it edges a lovely broad harbor and rises up on various hills to overlook the sea? And the rising up steeply behind the city is a seemingly flattop formation that is known as Table Mountain. As the freighter made its way toward the harbor where the Tropical Sun would dock, it was hard to imagine that there could be any city in the world that was as captivating as Cape Town.

Although she didn’t know a specific location, she knew that her grandparents had lived in this city, and that her father, Paul Cartwright, who was half English and half Indian, had lived in this place during the early years of his life. Christine was not personally familiar with the city, but in a sense, she almost felt like she was coming home. During the time that they were in port, she was determined to see a bit of this city where some of her Cartwright ancestors had lived.

Shortly before they arrived in the harbor, Captain Stevens had announced that they would be in Cape Town for at least twenty-four hours, so everyone on board would have plenty of time to visit the city before their time of departure on the following day.

After docking, Christine disembarked, passed through customs, and exchanged a bit of money. Then, she walked out to a nearby street and hailed a taxi. She indicated that she was interested in seeing some of the area’s highlights, and she asked what the driver recommended. The options sounded interesting, and so they agreed on a price. After Christine took a seat in the back of the taxi, the driver began to show her the city.

The first point of interest was a monument dedicated to Jan van Riebeeck, the founder of Cape Town. They then drove past the parliament building where the laws for South Africa are made. They saw the cathedral and the commercial center of the city and then viewed the city from a hill called Lion’s Head.

The driver pointed out a number of lovely old Dutch-style homes that are characterized by having graceful rounded gables and tall chimneys with rather ornate flues. The finest example of this gracious architectural style was seen in a lovely mansion called Groote Schuur which had once been the home of Cecil Rhodes, the diamond tycoon who once governed the Cape Colony and had eventually established the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship, which has helped many individuals to afford a fine college education. The property surrounding the grand residence has colorful manicured flower gardens that were the most beautiful ones that Christine had ever seen.

Later, Christine was driven along the scenic coastal highway that leads down the rocky promontory that is known as the Cape of Good Hope. After viewing this world-famous landmark from various spots, the driver returned to Cape Town through the peaceful rural countryside that was graced with small farms and numerous groves of orange trees. In time, the driver brought her to a place where one could take a cable car to the summit of Table Mountain. The driver indicated that the experience was well worth the small fee, so Christine decided to leave the driver, for a time, and make the trip by cable car to the top of Cape Town’s famous mountain.

As the cable car began its ascent, Christine was amazed that she was actually being brave enough to venture into this first-time experience. As she looked through one window, she could see the shadow of the cable car as it moved along the ground below and gradually continued on a course that was moving slowly up the rugged face of the mountain. Through another window, she could look down upon the city that was now receding further and further into the distance. She could see the hill called Lion’s Head where they had been earlier in the day. She also saw the downtown area, and noted how the city stretches from the harbor to the base of the mountain. In the distance, she could even see the Tropical Sun docked along a wharf. Beyond that, the blue ocean stretched toward the horizon where it seemed to meet the cloudless blue sky. In the far distance, she saw a few small recreational sailboats and a couple of freighters that were heading to who knows where.

A few moments later, the cable car eased up into the station at the summit, and after the doors were opened, she stepped out with the other passengers and walked with them to various breezy overlooks which offered views that were too magnificent for words. Surely the views from the summit of Table Mountain made for a memory that Christine would recall for the rest of her life! After she had descended from the summit and returned to the taxi, she acknowledged to the driver that she wouldn’t have wanted to miss visiting the top of Table Mountain.

“You are very lucky, young lady,” said the driver. “Today, we are having perfect weather. Frequently, it is sunny down here, but clouds can often linger around the summit. We call such clouds the tablecloth, but fortunately there is no tablecloth today.”

They then returned to the harbor area, and Christine paid the driver the amount upon which they had agreed. She also gave him a small tip because he had proven to be such a pleasant guide. The driver was pleased with her tip, and he wished her a good day before she got out of the taxi and he drove away.

In the vicinity were a number of shops, so Christine decided to browse in some of them.

After visiting two or three, she realized that she had no need of colorful African apparel, animal skins, carved wooden animals, postcards, or other kinds of souvenirs. There was no point in buying anything, because it would only increase the weight of her already crowded luggage, and also, she had no home yet—so where would she keep such things? To use up the rest of her South African currency, Christine bought some snacks for herself.

There seemed little point to do any shopping or to eat out because all of her meals were included on the ship, so she returned to her cabin on the Tropical Sun and ate some of the snacks that she had purchased. She then arranged some pillows at the head of her bed and spent an hour or two reading Wuthering Heights.

During the afternoon, other passengers boarded the Tropical Sun, and everyone met for the first time at a seven thirty dinner that was hosted by Captain Stevens. Hors d’oeuvres were served in the dining room, and the evening’s meal featured South African lobster tails. It was the first time that Christine had eaten lobster, but she enjoyed it very much. She also enjoyed the butterscotch pie that was served for dessert.

The new passengers included three American couples who were returning to the United States. The Carlsons and the Fieldings were returning to Louisiana after spending four weeks sightseeing in South Africa. The Jordans were returning to Colorado after visiting the area where they had once served as missionaries, and the Vonderbergs were a South African couple who were intending to visit their daughter and son-in-law who were living in Texas.

The three single fellows were Mr. Easton, Mr. Englekes, and Mr. Kent. Of these three men, Christine found herself quite attracted to Mr. Englekes, who was a mining engineer from Montana.

Mr. Englekes had attracted her attention because he was an amazingly handsome young man who smiled easily. He had sandy-colored hair and a complexion that suggested he spent a lot of time outdoors. While some of the men had come to dinner wearing a white shirt, a tie, and a jacket, Mr. Englekes had come casually dressed in an attractive plaid long-sleeved flannel shirt. He seemed to be a strong man who was used to being independent. Christine had noticed his large hands, and she had observed that he was not wearing a wedding band!

However, she had mostly admired his beautiful blue eyes and been attracted to him because of his handsome face and his pleasant smile. His easygoing, friendly demeanor had suggested that talking with him would be easy.

As Christine glanced around the dining room, she made an initial appraisal of the passengers who would be traveling together across the Atlantic Ocean with her. She found that she was unique in that she was the youngest passenger and the only female who was traveling alone. She felt rather sorry for the two older men who had boarded the ship in LM, for they only spoke Portuguese while everyone else spoke English. There would be opportunities to visit with others over the duration of the voyage, and she saw that the Vonderbergs were an older couple who did not seem to be in the best of health. Being South Africans, she wondered if they would mingle with the Americans or prefer to keep to themselves. Time would tell.

The Fieldings and the Carlsons appeared to know each other quite well, and they all seemed very outgoing and friendly. The Jordans seemed pleasant enough, but Christine had not yet formed any opinions about them. Mr. Kent and Mr. Easton were both sixtyish and seemed like seasoned travelers. She had seen that neither of these men were wearing wedding bands, but she felt no attraction to either of them. She had only seen these passengers for a brief time, and she was amazed that she had so quickly been attracted to Mr. Englekes. She had long known, however, that she had a strong attraction to good-looking men.

After dinner, several of the people lingered to visit in the lounge, while others appeared to have gone back to their cabins. Mr. Englekes had approached Christine and engaged her in conversation. He had learned that she had finished her education in Swaziland and was going to the United States to find some employment before continuing her education. He also learned that Christine had grown up on a mission station where her widowed mother was continuing with her various responsibilities.

Christine learned that Mr. Englekes, who wished to be called Greg, had grown up in western Montana and had studied engineering. He had worked as a mining engineer for a copper mining company in Butte, Montana, and he had gained enough expertise in his field to serve as a consultant. Because of this, he had been in southern Africa to share his expertise with some mining engineers who were opening a copper mining operation in Southern Rhodesia. He had completed several months there and was now returning to Montana with the expectation that he might soon be sent to some other mining area to offer his expertise.

Not surprisingly, Greg and Christine visited easily. Christine wondered how old Greg was, but she didn’t want to be so bold as to ask him at this time. Perhaps, she would learn that on another occasion.

“I am planning to go back into town for a couple of hours,” said Greg. “Would you care to join me?”

Christine faced a decision. On the one hand, she was attracted to the young man from Montana, and she would like to have gone with him into the city, but she didn’t know him very well, nor did she know his intentions. Perhaps he just wanted to take a walkabout, or perhaps he planned to visit some bars. Dare she risk setting out into an unfamiliar area with someone who was a virtual stranger? She had felt a strong attraction to this handsome man, but she wondered if she could handle things in the unlikely event that a romantic opportunity presented itself. What counsel would Mother give in such a situation?

“I’d love to go with you,” Christine replied with complete honesty, “but I’ve had a very full day here in Cape Town, and I believe I’d better decline your offer. However, I do appreciate your invitation very much.”

“I understand,” Greg said, smiling. “I’ll say goodbye, for now, and I’ll see you in the morning.”

After Christine had returned to her cabin, she dressed for bed. After turning off the lamp, she looked out the porthole and admired the city lights that stretched all the way to the base of Table Mountain. Somewhere out there was Greg Englekes. She could have gone with him, and they might have had a wonderful time. Such an opportunity was not likely to reoccur. In a sense, she regretted her decision, yet it seemed a caution to head off into an unfamiliar city with one who was virtually a stranger. He was a good-looking guy, and she realized how easily she was attracted to good-looking men. Not surprisingly, as she drifted off to sleep, she was thinking about Greg and was wondering if a relationship with him would develop.

On the following morning, the Tropical Sun left port, and for some time, the passengers had a lovely view of Cape Town and Table Mountain. Before long, however, the distinctive mountain and the coast of Africa had disappeared from sight. What did the future now hold for Christine? She simply did not know.