TEN YEARS - DISA

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immediately. I strained to hear scraps of conversation. Now and
then I could make out George's voice and the low, soft Afrikaans
of the rangers. There was also another voice which sounded
feminine, but nevertheless harsh and screechy. My curiosity was
getting the better of me. I climbed out of the sleeping bag and as
unobtrusively as possible joined the group around the fire. The
newcomer was a gaunt, angular white woman, extremely
unattractive, looking incongruous in heavy, ill-fitting mountaineering
clothes. She was the centre of the discussion and enjoying it. She
was in the middle of making a point when she spotted me. Her
finger remained poised in mid-air.
'And who may I ask is that?' She stared at me. I looked back
into her hard, expressionless grey eyes.
'Will someone answer me?'
'Who?' George asked grinning at my obvious discomfort.
'Him. That's who.'
'Oh him?' George laughed. 'He's Paul. He's the greatest literary
genius the coloured people have produced this decade. He's
written a poem.'
'How exciting,' she dismissed me. The others laughed. They
were obviously under her spell. 'Let me introduce you. This is
Professor Paul. First year B.A., University of Cape Town.'
'Cut it out,' I said very annoyed at him. George ignored my
remark.
'And you are? I have already forgotten.'
She made a mock, ludicrous bow. 'Riva Lipschitz. Madame Riva
Lipschitz. The greatest Jewish watch-repairer and mountaineer in
Cape Town. Display shop, 352 Long Street.'
'Alright, you've made your point. Professor Paul - Madame
Riva Lipschitz.'
I mumbled a greeting, keeping well in the background. I was
determined not to participate in any conversation. I found George's
flattering her loathsome. The bantering continued to the
amusement of the two rangers. Leonard smiled sympathetically at
me. I remained poker-faced waiting for an opportunity when I could
slip away. George made some amusing remark (I was not listening)
and Riva snorted and started to laugh. So that was where it came
from. She saw the look of surprise on my face and stopped
abruptly.
'What's wrong, Professor? Don't you like the way I laugh?'
'I'm sorry, I wasn't even thinking of it.'
'It makes no difference whether you were or not. Nevertheless I
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