Retief said nothing. He knew Jan Joubert. Joubert was already orchestrating the running of the two farms, and on the lookout for a place for Diena and Lourens.
Word of Roeloff’s arrival got to the women inside and they came out. It was Sanna, breaking the rules, who ran from the stoep to meet him.
‘Roff!’
The wagon came to a halt and Roeloff got down. He had travelled in his working clothes, but had put on his jacket shortly before they arrived. He cut a grand figure in his boots and long hair, and everyone was staring at him.
‘You’ve come back!’ Sanna embraced him. ‘Look at you, you’ve become rich?’ She looked at the girl in the wagon. ‘Who’s that?’
‘My wife, Neeltje, and Beatrix and Harman.’
‘You are married?’
‘Yes. And those are my children. There are many people here, Sanna—what’s going on? The kraal’s empty. Where are all the sheep?’
‘He took it to his place. And the horses.’
‘Joubert?’
‘Yes.’
‘And all these people?’
Sanna looked at him. Her eyes told the whole story.
‘Oh, no …’
‘He’s very sick, Roff. Oubaas Retief and his grandson brought the … they brought the …’
‘The coffin?’
‘He’s not like he was when you last saw him. The disease has eaten his flesh.’
‘Is that Vinkie over there next to Drieka? She’s grown tall.’
‘That’s her. She’s taking it very hard.’
‘What happened to David?’
Sanna nodded sadly.
‘Your father shot him.’
‘What?’
‘The morning after Christmas. David woke up with the devil in him and hit Soela in her parents’ home, took the mirror to her head. Your father stopped him from killing her. When it was discovered that she—well, you’ll soon hear. That child standing next to Diena, Bessie, it’s Soela’s. Diena’s married now. That’s kleinbaas Lourens, her husband, next to oubaas Retief.’
‘What happened to Soela?’
‘She sits all day looking out the window. Doesn’t speak. Diena looks after her. It’s sad what’s happened here, Roff. Your father changed after you left, and after David, he went downhill. I’m glad you’re back.’
From where she sat on the wagon, Neeltje looked at the large Koi-na woman talking to Roeloff. Sanna had the same sallow complexion as the workers on her father’s farm, and wore a red cloth wound round her head. Neeltje took an instant liking to her, and handed Beatrix down to her.
‘Welcome back, Roeloff. It’s good to see you.’
Roeloff turned and greeted Jan Joubert, who had come up behind him. Joubert had changed only in weight; his smile was buried under a bushy beard, only a hint of it reaching his eyes.
‘Good to be back. This is Neeltje, my wife. Her father be Wynand Roos. And my son, Harman, and daughter, Beatrix. Hello, Oom Piet, Hennie.’
Pietie Retief grabbed hold of him.
‘Welcome, welcome. You’ve come back for good?’
He understood the question.
‘I don’t know.’
‘Glad you’re back, man. This place was dead without you and the bosjesman.’
Roeloff smiled. You could always count on Pietie Retief to call the devil by his name.
Then Joubert spoke again. ‘You know your father’s sick?’
‘Yes.’
‘Drieka has had her hands full since the illness. Diena and Lourens moved in to give her a hand.’
‘That was good of them.’
