arrangement.
5
March 16, 1624
The past month Cisco was met with many
challenges from the villagers. He was confronted by other
land owners who did not feel the same as he did in
managing the land. He is exhausted by the continuous
strain but I have faith in him and know he will do the best
for us and our people.
He learns fast and with Franco guiding him I know
he can only succeed. He is now an accomplish rider and he
and Furor are seen all over the estate, dashing over the
plains at breakneck speed. Furor's enthusiasm is
contagious. The other horses, especially Rosa-Lee's pony,
are a struggle to contain in the stable.
The baby is growing fast and I struggle to walk
properly. This is much to Cisco's delight, but he demands
that I rest as often as possible. He even gave the staff
instructions to keep a close eye on me when he is not here. I
miss him when he leaves in the mornings to do his work but
the reunion at night makes up for it.
His tenderness towards me on one particular
occasion reminds me when we were in the heart of Africa.
We travelled for weeks by foot after we left yet another
village. Many of our people, including the captain, had
died of the fever and Cisco was the official leader. By his
estimate we were very close to a fort in Mozambique and
he decided to take several men and walk to the Fort to get
some help. Our food was low and he made sure that there
was enough to eat and drink before he left with eight other
men.
He left Alfonso in charge and the small group of
twenty four people was grateful for the rest. But the
moment they left the fever once again swept through the
group. Soon everyone was in a terrible state, with only
myself, Kayla and Alfonso to tend to the sick. We buried
people and by the fourth week only six remained. Faro
himself was on his last breath and during this time we
made peace. Rosa-Lee visited him often. The once brusque
and impatient man turned into a loving father. I had a hard
time with this. My loyalty and love belonged to Cisco, but I
was still married to Faro. During one night of clarity he
told me he welcomed the fact that I found love. He asked
for forgiveness for the hard and cruel times I had endured
under him. In a sense we made peace, but I could never
love him. My heart was in turmoil because I knew I could
not leave Cisco and never see him again. That was my train
of thought all awhile Cisco was gone.
I missed him. Rosa-Lee missed him. I did the best I
could and placed my feelings and concerns in the back of
my mind while tending to the sick. Starved and tired, we
went on. By then when someone passed away I simply
covered the body, since every man was either dead or too
sick to bury them.
Alfonso got sick and I was busy attending to him
when Cisco and a small group of men appeared out of the
bushes. It was not the same group that left with him. My
heart went on a rampage the moment I saw him. He stood
there, dumbfounded at the sight he saw. He searched for
me and did not recognise me. At that stage I was a walking
skeleton. My beauty had faded, my skin was like sandpaper
and darker than normal. My once soft black hair was all
tangled and without life.
He was rested, and very handsome in a new pair of
clothing. The signs of our ordeal were still visible on him.
But the moment he saw me, he wrapped me in his arms. I
cried, not caring about the people and what they might say.
For the second time since I knew him he kissed me. I would
never forget that kiss. If there was any doubt in my mind
left, he demolished it completely with that kiss.
Later when we calmed down and settled with the
food he had brought, Faro called us over.
He said that he would no longer stand in our way
and gave his blessing. From that day forward Cisco and
Faro became friends until Faro's death at sea weeks later.
We did have a disagreement a few days later on our
way to the fort. I was so weak I could not walk,
5
March 16, 1624
The past month Cisco was met with many
challenges from the villagers. He was confronted by other
land owners who did not feel the same as he did in
managing the land. He is exhausted by the continuous
strain but I have faith in him and know he will do the best
for us and our people.
He learns fast and with Franco guiding him I know
he can only succeed. He is now an accomplish rider and he
and Furor are seen all over the estate, dashing over the
plains at breakneck speed. Furor's enthusiasm is
contagious. The other horses, especially Rosa-Lee's pony,
are a struggle to contain in the stable.
The baby is growing fast and I struggle to walk
properly. This is much to Cisco's delight, but he demands
that I rest as often as possible. He even gave the staff
instructions to keep a close eye on me when he is not here. I
miss him when he leaves in the mornings to do his work but
the reunion at night makes up for it.
His tenderness towards me on one particular
occasion reminds me when we were in the heart of Africa.
We travelled for weeks by foot after we left yet another
village. Many of our people, including the captain, had
died of the fever and Cisco was the official leader. By his
estimate we were very close to a fort in Mozambique and
he decided to take several men and walk to the Fort to get
some help. Our food was low and he made sure that there
was enough to eat and drink before he left with eight other
men.
He left Alfonso in charge and the small group of
twenty four people was grateful for the rest. But the
moment they left the fever once again swept through the
group. Soon everyone was in a terrible state, with only
myself, Kayla and Alfonso to tend to the sick. We buried
people and by the fourth week only six remained. Faro
himself was on his last breath and during this time we
made peace. Rosa-Lee visited him often. The once brusque
and impatient man turned into a loving father. I had a hard
time with this. My loyalty and love belonged to Cisco, but I
was still married to Faro. During one night of clarity he
told me he welcomed the fact that I found love. He asked
for forgiveness for the hard and cruel times I had endured
under him. In a sense we made peace, but I could never
love him. My heart was in turmoil because I knew I could
not leave Cisco and never see him again. That was my train
of thought all awhile Cisco was gone.
I missed him. Rosa-Lee missed him. I did the best I
could and placed my feelings and concerns in the back of
my mind while tending to the sick. Starved and tired, we
went on. By then when someone passed away I simply
covered the body, since every man was either dead or too
sick to bury them.
Alfonso got sick and I was busy attending to him
when Cisco and a small group of men appeared out of the
bushes. It was not the same group that left with him. My
heart went on a rampage the moment I saw him. He stood
there, dumbfounded at the sight he saw. He searched for
me and did not recognise me. At that stage I was a walking
skeleton. My beauty had faded, my skin was like sandpaper
and darker than normal. My once soft black hair was all
tangled and without life.
He was rested, and very handsome in a new pair of
clothing. The signs of our ordeal were still visible on him.
But the moment he saw me, he wrapped me in his arms. I
cried, not caring about the people and what they might say.
For the second time since I knew him he kissed me. I would
never forget that kiss. If there was any doubt in my mind
left, he demolished it completely with that kiss.
Later when we calmed down and settled with the
food he had brought, Faro called us over.
He said that he would no longer stand in our way
and gave his blessing. From that day forward Cisco and
Faro became friends until Faro's death at sea weeks later.
We did have a disagreement a few days later on our
way to the fort. I was so weak I could not walk,
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