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‘Look, Sara! What are those?’ Lobengula shouted excitedly. ‘Great buck carrying their young on their backs?’ Sara straightened up and looked. Suddenly her heart was pounding in her head, the blood rushed from her face and there was a terrible drumming in her ears.
She swayed and sat down as a host of distant memories burst painfully upon her. People, scenes, events she had thought were dreams, unreal and half-forgotten, now appeared sharply etched in her mind. Those men, she knew, with a sudden, terrible knowledge, were her people. And they had come to fetch her.
‘Sara, what are they?’ Lobengula repeated once more.
‘They are white people,’ she answered faintly. ‘My people.’
‘White people?’ he asked incredulously. uMncumbata had once told him stories about the white people and of how they had fought the Matabele with sticks that spat out stones that killed, and of how assegais were useless against these sticks. These people, uMncumbata had said, were to be greatly feared. Never had he imagined that Sara could be one of them! White was white, and she was brown as the earth. Her hair was different, of course, and her eyes, but she was no more white than a brown heifer was white. He was confused and puzzled. ‘I must tell uMncumbata,’ he decided, and hurried down the rocky path that led to uMncumbata’s small settlement.
‘No! Lobengula, wait! Wait! You must not … Wait!’ But her words were lost on the wind. There was nothing she could do but follow him. She met them halfway down the path. uMncumbata had been on his way up, when Lobengula had nearly knocked him over. Now they sat in the shade of a rock and talked excitedly.
‘The time has come,’ the old man was saying, patting the ground beside him for Sara to sit down. ‘The time has come for me to take you, Lobengula, back to your father. As you know, he thinks you are dead – so he might be very angry – but I think,’ and the old man drummed his fingers on the boy’s knee, ‘I think if you were to warn him about these people you have seen coming into our country, I think if you were to tell him that they might surprise him, he will be ready in case of an attack. Then he might be very pleased with you, and keep you in the royal kraal. Then you will be the next king and you will be good to your old friend uMncumbata.’
Lobengula jumped up. ‘Show me the way to my father! Quickly! If what you say is true, then I must go to tell him!’
‘Lobengula!’ Sara called. ‘Wait! Stay! Don’t leave me here!’
But he was already running down the path. ‘I’ll come back, Sara!’ he called over his shoulder. ‘It could be dangerous for you to come with me. Go now, and wait for me on the mountain.’
Slowly Sara turned and walked back, her mind in turmoil. Who was she? And where lay her destiny? Would she always belong to a great booming bearded man, who had picked her up and hugged her and given her toys and told her stories? Or did she belong to Nyumbakazi, who had fed and cared for her when she was lost and afraid? Or to Ngwali, who had sheltered her so kindly? Or to Lobengula – first her child – and then her companion and brother? But her father’s people and his father’s people were enemies, and he was Mzilikazi’s son, the prince of the tribe – and the future king. And so who was she – and where could she go?
When Sara reached her hut she entered through the small low door and blinked in the gloom inside. She felt for her calabash. It was full. Then she selected a small basket, filled it with millet meal, wrapped it carefully in a leather pouch and tucked it into her rolled-up kaross. Holding her possessions tightly, Sara crept through the doorway, stepped out onto the sunlit path, and walked into the forest.
In March 1870, Lobengula was installed as king of the Matabele.
Lily reached for her handkerchief up her sleeve, wiped her forehead and settled back, hands folded. No-one said a word, they all just sat and looked at her. Eventually Victoria broke the silence. ‘Is that a true story, Lily?’
Lily shrugged. ‘Perhaps, perhaps not. Nobody knows, and nobody ever will. It’s word-of-mouth. History.’
‘Sjoe! Now I need a coffee,’ said Sophia.
They nodded, pulled on their jerseys, folded their notebooks and put away their pencils. And with Victoria leading the way they walked down the street, straight past The Coffee Shop, and into the ladies’ bar at the Corriebush Arms.
Bibliography
Not much has been much written about Sara and, due to some conflicting facts and opinions, a story such as this could only be woven and cobbled together by the author with the help of exploratory reading, the use of relevant research books – and personal imagination. Grateful acknowledgement goes to the following.
Becker, P. Path of Blood. Longman’s Green & Co Ltd, 1962.
Brett, BLW. Makers of South Africa. T Nelson & Sons Ltd, 1944.
Bulpin, TV. The Great Trek. Books of Africa, Cape Town, 1969.
Cloete, S. African Portraits. Constantia Publishers, Cape Town, l969.
Cowley, C. Kwazulu. C Struik (Pty) Ltd, Cape Town, l966.
De Klerk, W. The Puritans in Africa. Rex Collings, London, 1975.
De Villiers, A. Stage Coach Adventures and other South African Tales. Afrikaanse Pers Boekhandel.
Fisher, J. Die Afrikaners.
Hole, HM. The Passing of the Black Kings. Rhodesiana Reprint Library and in particular his book, Lobengula. P Allan & Co Ltd, London, 1929.
Howcroft, P. South African Encyclopaedia: Prehistory to the year 2000. Unpublished papers with SA History Online. [http://www.sahistory.org.za/pages/people/mzilikazi.htm].
Meintjies, J. The Voortrekkers. Cassell & Co Ltd, London, l973.
Moffat, R. Matabele Journals. Chatto & Windus, London, 1945.
‘Mziki: Mlimo. Natal Witness, Pietermaritzburg, l926.
Nathan, M. The Voortrekkers of South Africa. Central News Agency Ltd, South Africa/Gordon & Gotch Ltd, London, 1937.
Omer-Cooper, JD. The Zulu Aftermath. Longman’s Green & Co Ltd, l966.
Preller, G. Lobengula. Afrkaanse Pers Boekhandel, Johannesburg, l963.
Ransford, O. The Great Trek. J Murray (Pty) Ltd, London, 1972.
Raper, PE. New Dictionary of South African Place Names. Jonathan Ball Publishers (Pty) Ltd, Johannesburg & Cape Town, 2004.
Roberts, B. The Zulu Kings. Hamish Hamilton Ltd, 1974.
The Diary of Erasmus Smit: Minister to the Voortrekkers (HF Schoon) translated by WGA Mears. C Struik (Pty) Ltd, Cape Town, 1972.
Summers, R & Pagden, CW. The Warriors. Books of Africa, Cape Town, l970.
Theal, GM. History of the Boers in South Africa. Struik (Pty) Ltd, Cape Town, l973.
Walker, EA. The Great Trek. A&C Black, London, 1938.
Desserts
Cinnamon Poached Pears with Nut Liqueur
Fruit Flops
Cheesecake Pots
Frankly Fruity
Spicy Poached Nectarines with Amarula Cream
Pears in Phyllo Baskets with Sabayon
Poached Vanilla Peaches
Roasted Peaches
Frozen Citrus Creams
Litchi & Amaretto Cheesecake
Special Chocolate Bavarian Cream
Butternut Pecan Pie
Lemon Meringue
Apple & Mango Crumble
Orange Bavarois with Hot Chocolate Sauce
Creamy Rummy Fruit Salad with Crunchy Pecans
Orange Liqueur Chocolate Truffles
Baked Apple Puff
Chocolate Fudge Cups
Cinnamon Poached Pears with Nut Liqueur
A memorable dessert, this one, supremely elegant and yet so easy to prepare – plus there are options: you can use either Amaretto and almonds, or Frangelico and hazelnuts; you can serve the pears plain to relish the fine flavours; with crème fraîche to offset the sweetness; or with a blob of mascarpone piled into the hollows. Very special, any which way.
4 large pears (700–800 g), unblemished and not quite ripe
fresh lemon juice
500 ml (2 cups) water
125 ml (1⁄2 cup) sugar
2 fat sticks cinnam
on
45–60 ml (3–4 Tbsp) Amaretto OR Frangelico liqueur
toasted almonds OR roasted hazelnuts*, coarsely crushed
Peel the pears as smoothly as possible, halve, and nick out the pips and core. Brush the rounded sides with lemon juice. Bring the water, sugar and cinnamon to the boil in a wide-based frying pan. Add the pears, rounded sides up, in a single layer. Cover and simmer gently for about 30 minutes. Test with the tip of a skewer – they should be soft but definitely not mushy. Using a slotted spoon, remove the pears from the poaching liquid and arrange them in a shallow dish to fit snugly, rounded sides up. Discard the cinnamon. Turn up the heat and boil the poaching liquid rapidly, uncovered, for 10–12 minutes, or until very bubbly, a pale toffee colour, and reduced to about 150 ml (2⁄3 cup). Remove from the stove, stir in the chosen liqueur, and slowly pour the syrup over the pears. Leave to cool, basting a few times, then cover and refrigerate for a few hours. Sprinkle with the nuts before serving. Serves 4–8.
* If using hazelnuts, remove the loose skins after roasting by rubbing the nuts in a clean kitchen towel.
Fruit Flops
These are top favourites on the dessert menu and even those who shy away from rich mousses always flip for flops – tropical fruit under a blanket of cream, yoghurt and a tipple of alcohol. Another plus is that they need to be assembled hours in advance, and then just left to do their thing in the refrigerator until dinner time. Important points: use a bowl or goblets that are wide at the top; the cream mixture should be thick, but still pourable; and in order to soften and melt, the sugar must be sprinkled on thinly and evenly.
Very Simple Flop
2–3 large, firm but ripe bananas, peeled and cut into small dice
fresh lemon juice
2–3 large, firm but ripe mangoes, peeled and cut into small pieces (400 g prepared weight)
125 ml fresh cream
a few drops of vanilla essence OR extract
60 ml (4 Tbsp) thick, low-fat plain Bulgarian yoghurt
5 ml (1 Tbsp) dark rum
40 ml (8 tsp) soft brown sugar
Toss the bananas in a little lemon juice, mix with the mango flesh, then spoon into four glass bowls or wide goblets, dividing equally. (Glass is preferable to pottery, so that you can see the layers.) Whip the cream with the vanilla, then fold in the yoghurt and rum. Pour over each serving of fruit, and sprinkle each with 10 ml (2 tsp) soft brown sugar (use your fingers.) Refrigerate for 4–6 hours, or until the sugar just starts to melt. Serves 4 and is easily doubled.
Elegant Flop
3 large, firm but ripe mangoes, peeled and cubed (500 g prepared weight)
1 × 565 g can pitted litchis, drained, patted dry and slivered
1 large knob preserved ginger, finely chopped
1 × 175 ml tub thick, plain Bulgarian yoghurt
30–45 ml (2–3 Tbsp) Amaretto liqueur
a few drops of vanilla essence OR extract
200 ml (4⁄5 cup) fresh cream, whipped
45 ml (3 Tbsp) soft brown sugar
toasted almond flakes to decorate
Mix the prepared fruits and ginger and spoon into one glass bowl or divide between six small bowls or goblets. Fold the yoghurt, Amaretto and vanilla into the whipped cream. Pour over the fruit to cover completely. Using your fingers, sprinkle the sugar over evenly. Refrigerate for 4–6 hours, or until the sugar starts to melt. Sprinkle with almonds before serving. Serves 6.
Cheesecake Pots
These are light, novel and, dressed as they are in red and magenta, they make you feel cheerful even before you dip in your spoon. Similar to cheesecake, but without any crust to interfere with the delicate flavour, and no egg yolks. Remember that the cottage/cream cheese must be at room temperature (or else the gelatine could make strings when added) and the egg whites at room temperature as well, or they won’t whip. Another point: when a recipe requires vanilla, use either essence or extract. The latter is excellent, but far more expensive, and many cooks do not have it in their store cupboards, but if you do, use less than essence.
Strawberry Pots
250 g strawberries, rinsed and hulled
90 ml (6 Tbsp) castor sugar
1 × 250 g tub smooth, low-fat cottage cheese
12 ml (21⁄2 tsp) gelatine
60 ml (1⁄4 cup) water
125 ml (1⁄2 cup) fresh cream
a few drops of vanilla essence
2 XL free-range egg whites
extra strawberries to decorate
strawberry coulis and extra cream
STRAWBERRY COULIS
Blend 250 g strawberries with 30 ml (2 Tbsp) castor sugar until smoothly puréed. To spark the flavour you could add a tipple of orange liqueur, but this is optional. Makes about 350 ml (12⁄5 cups).
Slice the strawberries and place in a processor fitted with the metal blade. Add half the sugar and leave to stand for 10 minutes to draw the juices. Add the cottage cheese and pulse just until smoothly combined. Don’t purée to a mush – the mixture should be pale pink and flecked with little bits of berries. Turn into a large bowl. Sponge the gelatine in the water, dissolve over simmering water, and slowly stir into the cheese mixture. Whip the cream with the vanilla, and fold in. Whisk the egg whites until fairly stiff, then slowly add the remaining 45 ml (3 Tbsp) sugar to make a glossy meringue mixture. Stir a spoon of this through the strawberry mixture, then fold in the remainder gently but thoroughly. Pour into eight rinsed ramekins (about 6 cm diameter, 5 cm deep) or moulds and refrigerate until set. Unmould onto individual serving plates. Decorate each with one fresh berry, pour the coulis around each little pud, and run a ribbon of the extra cream through the bright coulis. Serves 8.
Cherry Amaretto Pots
Pot and unmould, or use wide-brimmed glasses or bowls – either way it looks beautiful.
2 × 250 g smooth, low-fat cottage cheese
125 ml (1⁄2 cup) castor sugar
a small pinch of salt
75–90 ml (5–6 Tbsp) Amaretto liqueur
a few drops of vanilla essence
20 ml (4 tsp) gelatine
60 ml (1⁄4 cup) water
250 ml (1 cup) fresh cream, whipped
3 XL free-range egg whites
extra 60 ml (4 Tbsp) castor sugar
TOPPING
1 × 425 g can stoned black cherries, drained (reserve syrup)
2 ml (1⁄2 tsp) cornflour
60 ml (1⁄4 cup) reserved cherry syrup
whipped cream to decorate
Whisk together the cottage cheese, sugar, salt, liqueur and vanilla until smooth. Sponge the gelatine in the water and dissolve over simmering water, then slowly drizzle into the cheese mixture, whisking rapidly. Fold in the whipped cream. Whisk the egg whites until peaking, then gradually add the extra castor sugar while whisking to a stiff meringue. (If you do this first, and work quickly, you won’t have to wash the beaters.) Stir a spoonful of the meringue into the creamy cheese mixture, then fold in the remainder. Pour or spoon levelly into 8–10 ramekins (about 6 cm diameter, 5 cm deep) or glasses and refrigerate until set. To prepare the topping, dry the cherries with paper towels, then carefully halve them, using a sharp knife. Unmould the cheesecake pots, or leave in the serving bowls. Arrange cherries, rounded sides up, on top of each dessert. Slake the cornflour with the reserved cherry syrup, then boil for a few minutes until thick, while stirring. Cool briefly, then use to glaze the cherries, using a pastry brush. Pipe rosettes of cream in the open spaces and refrigerate until serving time. Serves 8–10.
Frankly Fruity
Serving fresh fruit with cheese (instead of a dessert) is in good taste and becoming increasingly popular, because it’s so much better for everyone. One step further is to serve Fruidites (a selection of sliced fresh fruit) with a creamy dip such as gingered mascarpone; the third option is to start off with fresh fruit and then doll it up. The following desserts fall into this category, and they are both best served with a top-quality vanilla ice cream, rather than crème fraîche or
whipped cream. And – good news – they need to be made at least 24 hours in advance and refrigerated, so that the flavours can marry and mellow.
Minted Watermelon With Gin
ripe watermelon
250 ml (1 cup) water
30 ml (2 Tbsp) sugar
about 15 fresh, new mint leaves (not big old ones)
gin
extra fresh mint
This is for 4 large or 6 small servings. Use a melon baller to scoop the watermelon flesh into little globes, discarding the pips. Divide between glass dessert bowls or wide goblets, allowing 200–250 ml (4⁄5–1 cup) balls per serving. Bring the water and sugar to the boil in a small saucepan, stirring at first to dissolve the sugar. Boil rapidly for 4–5 minutes. The mixture will be very bubbly but only slightly reduced, as it’s a really light syrup – watermelons are so sweet that a heavy syrup would be quite wrong. Cool the syrup, then add the mint leaves and mix very briefly in a blender – don’t blend well, you want to see the flecks of mint. Spoon 7 ml (11⁄2 tsp) gin over each serving – this may seem very little, but it just adds something special to the flavour. Then spoon 30–45 ml (2–3 Tbsp) syrup over each – the syrup will be enough for 4 large or 6 smaller servings. Finally snip 1 extra mint leaf over each, then cover and refrigerate for about 24 hours. Serve with ice cream.
Oranges Van der Hum
4 large or 6 medium, sweet, navel oranges (about 800 g)
125 ml (1⁄2 cup) sugar
125 ml (1⁄2 cup) fresh orange juice
45 ml (3 Tbsp) Van der Hum liqueur
CANDIED ORANGE PEEL
Julienne the peel of 2 large oranges (having removed all the white pith). In a small saucepan, melt 60 ml (4 Tbsp) sugar in 60 ml (1⁄4 cup) water. Add the orange strips and cook over high heat until caramelised, then just cover with cold water and a lid and simmer slowly until soft. Leave to cool; the juices will slowly be absorbed. Sprinkle over the oranges before serving.
Peel the oranges, remove all the white pith, and slice across into thin rings. Arrange in a flattish, heatproof dish – a 23–26 cm pie dish is ideal. Some slices will overlap, just squish them in gently until they’re all lying flat. Spread the sugar out into a heavy, medium frying pan and allow to caramelise over low heat. You can stir occasionally just to spread it out, but mainly you should just shake the pan – it takes a while over low heat. Remove from the stove when it’s a really deep toffee colour (no more, or it will scorch) and slowly and very carefully stir in the orange juice. The mixture will seize immediately, and make all sorts of weird tentacle-like shapes, but keep stirring and, if necessary put back on a low heat and stir until all the lumps have melted. Pour over the oranges, and then sprinkle the liqueur over evenly. Cool, cover and refrigerate for 2 days. Serve as is, or sprinkle with candied orange peel. Serves 5–6 with ice cream.