Once the tanks had been filled the noise level grew appreciably, the chuckles became laughter outbursts, neckties were abandoned and some started dancing around the pool. Predictably one fully clothed show-off danced in the pool.
Willy went to that place in his head where there are no gatepostses and he began to slide into a medley of hard rock numbers that made his myopic eyes water.
Beer sipping became beer quaffing then turned to wine guzzling. Wine guzzling later turned to hard stuff requiring mixers and finally the Jagermeisters was scootered in from a neighbouring village.
The engines by then were at full throttle.
Couples became singles as disgruntled partners departed home alone by taxi. Misty heads were cleared by a dip in the freezing pool and early starters to the party were seen dozing contentedly on top of cooler boxes.
A daring attempt to destroy all of the basil in a plant pot, by diving from the veranda, failed.
The neighbours were treated to a free rendition of the Afrikaans Haka performed with gargoyle immitations and grotesque tongue wagging, all at ear perforating decibel levels.
Renditions of ‘I Love A Rainy Night’ and ‘Where Do You Go To My Lovely’, sung by a tipsy wedding singer, were definitely distinguishable from the original versions.
A disorderly debate saw the early departure of one reveller who received a red card and two match suspension.
Members of the Lifebouy Club were seen reviving fallen members of the party by administering mouth to mouth resuscitation and liberal dosages of Jagermeister.
The parking lot resembled the dodgem cars at a funfare as some of the part-goers seemed not to know whether they were coming or going.
And when it was all over Ryan and Jacques sat drunkenly with their barefeet in the pool and watched as the blistering Umhlanga sun rose to torment sleepless crimson eyes.
‘Thanks Ryan’ croaked Jacques ‘its been a blast’.
Chapter 5 The Underbelly
Tony was whistling to himself as he passed Jochen’s Java. Suddenly a tanned arm reached out from the doorway and Tony was yanked inside the restaurant. With eyes bulging he was pushed onto a chair and was confronted by the owner of the tanned arm. ‘Jacques, whaa..t..s up?’ stammered Tony.
‘If it’s all the same to you, I will ask all the questions……….…….when my witness arrives. In a while Ryan arrived and said to Tony in a scowling voice ‘So Tony, what have you been up to’
‘I don’t know wh…aat you mean R…Ryan? stammered Tony.’
‘Tony my boy, Jacques here tells me that you have recently taken up spying far from home. You know that nobody here in the Village gives a damn if you spy because you are invisible. But spying up on the Ridge or in La Lucia – now that is another matter altogether. Care to tell me about it?
‘No I can’t. I promised’ said Tony
Ryan brought his face close to Tony’s and spoke really slowly. ‘Tony, if you do not tell me who you are working for in the next two minutes I am going to see Father Bryce’
‘No, not Father Bryce’ said Tony as he began to cry.
‘Its OK Tony, just tell Ryan here who is paying you’
Sniffling and wiping his nose on his sleeve Tony then admitted…….. ‘The Police’
Jacques and Ryan looked quizzically at each other.
‘Do you mean Detective de Villiers here in the Village’ they asked together.
‘No, not him’ sobbed Tony ‘David Mosenke’
Jacques blew out and rubbed his head. ‘Tony, David Mosenke is not a policeman, he is an ANC Collaborator’. Jacques looked at Ryan and thumbed for him to get Tony out of there. Ryan shoved Tony out of the restaurant and pushed twenty Rand into his hand.
When he returned Jacques said ‘Jeez, Ryan I thought he was giving the information to that guy writing the book. What the hell does Mosenke want with information about people in the Village. He reports way up the tree to big hitters in the African National Congress. You haven’t been sleeping with any of Zuma’s wives have you?
‘Don’t be stupid Jacques, shall we speak to de Villiers? queried Ryan
‘I don’t think so’ said Jacques frowning ‘I don’t know whether he is sympathetic to the ANC or not’
‘Well he should be they pay his bloody salary’ grinned Ryan.
‘Perhaps we should speak to that mate of Daniel’s. The guy that turns tall people into short people’ suggested Jacques.
‘Well, set it up then. I’ll come with you’ said Ryan stroking his two day growth.
‘Shame poor Tony, he probably has no idea. Just enjoys the money’ thought Jacques
***********
Cocaine is a purified extract from the leaves of the Erythroxylum coca bush. This plant grows in the Andes region of South America. Different chemical processes produce two main forms of cocaine – coke which is snorted or injected and crack which may be smoked. It is an expensive way of getting high and has a mystique and an unfortunate cult following. Called the caviar of street drugs, cocaine is seen as the status drug of many movie stars, sports and political celebrities, fashion models and stock market traders. Cocaine has powerful negative effects on the heart, brain, and emotions. Many cocaine users fall prey to addiction, with long-term and life threatening consequences. Even occasional users run the risk of sudden death.
In a euphoric place like the Village highs are made even higher with the recreational use of cocaine.
‘Have you ever done coke’ asked Ryan seriously.
‘Too expensive for me’ replied Jacques ‘once smoked some dagga but I’m not really a fanatic. Have all of the other vices though’.
‘There is plenty of it going on in the Village and the other day the cops bust a gang of drug-dealers right here in Chartwell Drive’ informed Ryan.
‘I am not really surprised considering all of the goofy things that happen in this place’ said Jacques.
‘I battle to afford cigarettes. I wonder how the hell these guys can afford that stuff’ pondered Ryan.
‘You are right. I sometimes wonder how any of us can afford to drink’ said Jacques thoughtfully
‘Well stop pondering Professor Doolittle, I believe that it’s your round’
‘Remember that chick the other day in the ‘Sizzling Steak’ who literally fell asleep at the table after only one drink. Everybody said that it looked like the effects of Rohypnol’ said Jacques returning with the drinks.
‘Isn’t that what you use to pull chicks, old man’ teased Ryan.
‘Even then he can only pull ugly ones’ chirped an arbitrary barfly.
‘Go ugly early is his motto’ chirped arbitrary barfly number two.
‘Lay off you guys I’m serious. How many of you wise guys have sisters?’ challenged Jacques.
The crickets stopped their chirping and the evening grew quieter and more sober, if that were possible.
***********
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Rohypnol, more popularly known world-wide as the "Date Rape Drug", holds a very serious threat for users. It is a drug that is abused more and more especially at teenager’s house parties. Rohypnol's most active ingredient, Flunitrazepam, is an essential part of the dangerous Benzodiazepine drug type which is known world-wide for its use in various cases of rape. This drug was recently reclassified as a schedule 6 Drug and can only be obtained from a registered chemist on a written prescription from a medical professional. The drug is prescribed as a sleeping tablet.
Rohypnol has various street names of which "Rosshies" is the
most popular because of the fact that the producer's name is printed on the face
on the tablet. There are various cases noted in South Africa, where Rohypnol
is obtained by means of forged prescriptions and sold and marketed on the
street by dealers as a recreational party drug.
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It often happens that a person, who is being raped under the influence of Rohypnol, realizes that someone is busy having sexual intercourse with them but that they are unable to do anything to stop it. The next day victims cannot remember any details of how they got drunk nor how they ended up being raped nor who raped them.
It is clear
that Rohypnol presents, not only in South Africa, but world-wide and especially
in the USA, a serious danger to the safety of teenagers and young ladies. The
use of this tablet is growing at an alarming rate and it is the intention of all
legislators to curb the misuse of Rohypnol by placing it in a higher prescription
schedule than the ineffective and outdated current Schedule 6 status.
Because of the random use of this tablet by young men at parties and in pubs,
ladies are warned to make sure they only accept drinks from others whom they
know and trust and do not leave their drinks unattended at any time.
‘The last time I was raped, I simply lay back and enjoyed it’ an arbitrary drunk chirped.
‘Those goddam crickets are back’ said Ryan sagely.
Jacques sat for a long time pondering how much of the euphoric behavior in the Umhlanga Village, was caused by misuse of alcohol and drugs.
Chapter 6 The Drama
‘Do you know what day it is today?’ the Colonel asked Brian the Zulu barmen at the ‘Sizzling Steak’
‘You can’t catch me Bwana Colonel, it is Guy Fawkes’.
‘No that is not correct Brian, Guy Fawkes is on the fifth of July and, before you embarrass yourself any further, it is also not the American Day of Independence even though that is, as you may know, also today’
‘No Brian, it’s the day in history one hundred and thirty five years ago that Zululand became subject to British Rule’ beamed the Colonel. ‘So, get to it then my good man. I expect superior service from you all of today Brian’
Brian chuckled as he poured the first Tom Collins for the Colonel.
‘Was the Bwana Colonel there perhaps at the time’ smiled the affable Brian
‘Bugger off Brian. You Zulus have learned nothing in one hundred and thirty five years’.
The Zulu Kingdom has always been centered on the sub-tropical South East coast of Southern Africa between the majestic Drakensberg Mountains in the North and the warm Indian Ocean in the South. It emerged as a powerful force in the nineteenth century under the astute command of the great Zulu warrior-king Shaka. The Zulu Nation originally had no quarrel with the British Colonialists who had founded a Colony on the southern border of Zululand in the 1840’s.
By the 1870’s Britain’s aspirations in South Africa had escalated following the discovery of huge mineral deposits in this country. As a result the British saw their neighbors in Zululand as a potential threat to their plans of domination in South Africa. When the Zulu’s failed to respond to diplomatic aggression, the British resorted to force.
Lord Chelmsford at first succeeded in overcoming smaller Zulu resistance on the Southern border. This encouraged a much larger British force to be sent into the hinterland of Zululand. This British force was camped the base of a 300 foot sandstone outcrop at Isandlwana, when they were descended upon by 25,000 Zulu warriors.
The British forces were decimated and some 1,300 soldiers lost their lives in three hours of Zulu brutality in defense of their nation.
The Zulu Nation had summoned the audacity to challenge the might of the British Empire!
The response from the colonial British Empire was exceedingly swift, vengeful and uncompromising and by the time the Zulu King Cetshwayo finally surrendered to the British army, under Lord Chelmsford, the Zulus had been decimated and humbled.
The once proud Zulu Nation duly capitulated to be ruled by Britain from the 4th of July, 1879.
‘Why did the British not just leave us alone, Bwana Colonel? Asked the frowning Zulu descendant called Brian.
‘Gold, my friend. The British just wanted the gold’ said the erudite Colonel.
‘Ah yes Bwana Colonel, I see, just like the Zulu muggers of today, they just want the gold. Bwana, nothing has really changed in a hundred and thirty five years’ said Brian thoughtfully as he polished a glass in readiness for the Colonel’s next Tom Collins.
‘But Colonel how come the Zulu’s are back in charge now?’ asked the affable impi.
**************
On the eighth floor of a building in the Durban Central Business District, David Mosenke was being shown into an office by an armed captain. ‘The boss will be with you shortly, do you want something to drink?’
Just then a loud voice boomed out from inside the darkened office ‘Is that you Comrade David. Come in, come in ………………………..is there any news?
**************
Jacques and Linda moved into a townhouse on the edge of the Village. It had a pool, braai area and plenty of tropical plants and vegetation in a beautiful garden setting. With use of garages and a reasonable rental, it was perfect. They furnished the second bedroom as a study where the necessary work needed to keep their jobs going, could be set up. It was the closest they could come to La Boheme with a serious side.
One evening the pair strolled into the Village for supper. At Larry’s Linguini they bumped into Ray.
‘Sit down lovers, join us, we have also just arrived.
Jacques and Linda accepted the invitation to sit with Ray and his stunning date.
‘This is Germaine. She’s in love with me. What will you have to drink – I’m already pissed’. Jacques wondered if Ray had a tape recorder concealed that he secretly activated to announce all of his trivia.
‘I have good news. The lovely Germaine and I, whom I met just a few short days ago, find that we both have a Swiss connection. So, without a minute’s hesitation, we have decided to accept job offers in the same city in Switzerland. She will be moving into my brother’s place with me. Work and pleasure found all on the same bandwidth. How do you like that?’ slurred Ray.
‘Congratulations to both of you’ said Jacques and Linda simultaneously and they shook the new couples’ hands’.