Mail Order Bride (Novel)

Chapter 21: Alina Comes Around

Sgt Major Dhlamini arrived within five minutes and was not disappointed to hear that it would be a while before Alina would be ready to talk. He listened to my explanation of what I had deduced and his only response was a grunt before he wandered off to find Nqobile.

After ten minutes or so, he came back into the lounge, where I was sitting and flipping through the satellite channels on my TV, and told me that the sheep spit-braai was ready. He was holding a plate, and obviously ready to eat.

"Typical bloody Sgt Major," I teased him, "always ensure that your stomach is sorted out as a priority."

He laughed at me. "You know your lessons about the most important lessons for soldiers, 'Always eat whenever there is food because you never know when you will get another meal.'"

"Ok, good point I suppose. Why don't you organise that all the others eat, and you too, and I will wait until Daise and Alina are ready and eat with them?"

"Sounds good. By then I will probably be ready for seconds anyway," he said with a grin.

"Probably thirds or fourths."

"True."

He wandered off and I carried on waiting for the girls, trying to war-game possibilities and options in my head while I channel-surfed.

Almost two hours had passed when I heard the girls coming down the stairs. I turned off the TV and waited for them to appear. They were both dressed casually and I could see that Alina had scrubbed the gunk off her face. Her red eyes betrayed the fact that she had done a lot of crying. I guessed, from my past experiences with women, that this meant that she had poured her heart out to Daise. I was happy about that; there was no way I wanted to deal with a weepy woman again, one had been bad enough.

"Hi Ladies," I greeted them, "before we start would you like something to eat? Alina, we prepared a special meal to welcome you."

"Thank you, Rupert. I'm ravenous," Alina replied. Daise just nodded at me.

"Ok, let's help ourselves. Nqobile has put it all out on the counter for us." I picked up plates and handed them to Daise and Alina. We loaded up on salads, and I added mielie-pap and sauce to my plate. Both women looked at it suspiciously and avoided it. I led the way out to the braai area where Sgt Major Dhlamini and Cpl Maseka were standing and talking.

When he saw us coming, Cpl Maseka picked up a carving knife and an over-sized fork and asked the women what they wanted, then cut them slices from the carcass on the spit. I selected my preference and once my plate was loaded so much that it groaned, I pulled up a chair. The rest all joined me, Sgt Major Dhlamini with his umpteenth helping, and there was only the sound of mastication for a while.

Once all the plates had been cleared, I prompted Alina, "Time to tell us your story, Alina."

Alina gulped, looked at Daise for reassurance and, apparently satisfied with what she read from her expression, launched into her tale.

"Rupert," she said, "I'm really sorry about the way I acted earlier. I have been so scared. Daise has been telling me about you and your friends and the way that you have treated her since she got here, and I felt a little better about things now."

"No need to apologise, Alina," I told her, "just tell us what happened to you please."

"You were right; I was beaten and I did betray you. I was in the departure hall at Schipol and I had just spoken to you and Daise on the new cell-phone I had bought. When I hung up, Dimitri appeared suddenly behind me and grabbed me by the hair. I didn't know exactly who he was at first, but he soon told me." She glanced at the Sgt Major and Corporal, then obviously made up her mind that as they were part of what was happening, that they should hear what she had to say.