excitement. It was easy to forget how lucky we were. How would an occasional outing change anything very much in those orphans’ broken lives?
We were greeted with warm flannels and glasses of juice; it was cool inside, and the cottony balls of a large bunch of mimosa on the front desk filled the lobby with almond scent. The damp cloth was soothing on my sweaty face. Kabo signed us in as visitors while Zoë twirled round and round on the shiny wooden floor in front of a Christmas tree, holding out the edges of her shorts. Alice was by the window at the back, studying the garden.
‘They’ve got rooms available, Em,’ Adam said. ‘How about staying here overnight to break the journey? Kabo says it’s at least two more hours to Kubung.’
Sam began to struggle and whine. The thought of stretching out in a bed after the night on the plane with Sam on my lap was compelling.
‘Okay,’ I said.
Zoe clapped her hands and the girl behind the desk smiled.
We found a table in the shade by the pool. Sam drank from his bottle as I sat with Kabo, a jug of fresh orange juice between us. The girls flung themselves into the water as Adam waited to catch them, Zoë shrieking with joy. The orphaned children stood together in silence in the shallow end, one or two jumping up and down cautiously.
‘They seem so subdued,’ I remarked to Kabo, ‘not like kids in a pool should be.’
‘They have no idea how to play,’ he replied. ‘Some of them have been in charge of families themselves or were found sleeping rough.’ He shook his head. ‘Orphanages aren’t ideal, but the alternatives are far worse.’
The younger children from the minibus filed past us. No one was talking. As she walked by, the blonde woman glanced down at Sam, and her sunburnt face creased into a friendly smile. ‘Beautiful,’ she said.
Perhaps the birthmark was less visible to someone dealing with tragedy every day, but as her gaze lingered on his face I felt for the first time that a stranger was truly acknowledging him. The girls, as pretty
babies, had garnered praise everywhere, but I’d been too busy to take Sam out, too tired to invite anyone in, too ashamed.
‘That mark will vanish within a year, and then he really will be beautiful.’ I could hear the eagerness in my voice. It could take nearer four years but it was hard to admit that even to myself.
‘Welcome to Botswana. My name’s Claire. Claire Stukker. Here on holiday?’ She gestured to the hotel. Her South African accent gave her voice a hopeful, friendly edge.
I shook my head. ‘Just overnight.’ As Sam began to splutter, I stood up to wind him.
Kabo took over. ‘We’re setting up a joint research project to look at the risk of cancers in AIDS patients.’ He nodded towards Adam and the girls in the pool. ‘Dr Jordan’s just arrived with the family from the UK.’
‘Anything that could make a difference would be good.’ She turned to me. ‘These kids have lost everything.’
‘Looking after them must be hard.’ I watched as she glanced towards a couple of her charges tussling near the pool’s edge. She seemed calm but vigilant, as she would need to be.
‘We do what we can,’ she replied, ‘but it’s not nearly enough. I have help, of course. My partner Daniel and a small team of girls. I couldn’t manage without
them.’ She looked down at Sam again, and touched him lightly under the chin. ‘You’ll find people here want to help. I’d accept when you can. They love children and they need the money.’ With a nod at both of us, she turned to go.
‘Any more advice for us newcomers?’ I didn’t want her to leave.
‘Depends where you’re headed.’ She looked back at me. ‘Town or country?’
‘Right out in the bush, I’m afraid,’ Kabo told her, glancing anxiously at me. ‘A few kilometres from Kubung on the Thamaga road.’
‘In that case, snakes.’ She started to walk away, calling over her shoulder, ‘They hide in the long grass. Tell the
We were greeted with warm flannels and glasses of juice; it was cool inside, and the cottony balls of a large bunch of mimosa on the front desk filled the lobby with almond scent. The damp cloth was soothing on my sweaty face. Kabo signed us in as visitors while Zoë twirled round and round on the shiny wooden floor in front of a Christmas tree, holding out the edges of her shorts. Alice was by the window at the back, studying the garden.
‘They’ve got rooms available, Em,’ Adam said. ‘How about staying here overnight to break the journey? Kabo says it’s at least two more hours to Kubung.’
Sam began to struggle and whine. The thought of stretching out in a bed after the night on the plane with Sam on my lap was compelling.
‘Okay,’ I said.
Zoe clapped her hands and the girl behind the desk smiled.
We found a table in the shade by the pool. Sam drank from his bottle as I sat with Kabo, a jug of fresh orange juice between us. The girls flung themselves into the water as Adam waited to catch them, Zoë shrieking with joy. The orphaned children stood together in silence in the shallow end, one or two jumping up and down cautiously.
‘They seem so subdued,’ I remarked to Kabo, ‘not like kids in a pool should be.’
‘They have no idea how to play,’ he replied. ‘Some of them have been in charge of families themselves or were found sleeping rough.’ He shook his head. ‘Orphanages aren’t ideal, but the alternatives are far worse.’
The younger children from the minibus filed past us. No one was talking. As she walked by, the blonde woman glanced down at Sam, and her sunburnt face creased into a friendly smile. ‘Beautiful,’ she said.
Perhaps the birthmark was less visible to someone dealing with tragedy every day, but as her gaze lingered on his face I felt for the first time that a stranger was truly acknowledging him. The girls, as pretty
babies, had garnered praise everywhere, but I’d been too busy to take Sam out, too tired to invite anyone in, too ashamed.
‘That mark will vanish within a year, and then he really will be beautiful.’ I could hear the eagerness in my voice. It could take nearer four years but it was hard to admit that even to myself.
‘Welcome to Botswana. My name’s Claire. Claire Stukker. Here on holiday?’ She gestured to the hotel. Her South African accent gave her voice a hopeful, friendly edge.
I shook my head. ‘Just overnight.’ As Sam began to splutter, I stood up to wind him.
Kabo took over. ‘We’re setting up a joint research project to look at the risk of cancers in AIDS patients.’ He nodded towards Adam and the girls in the pool. ‘Dr Jordan’s just arrived with the family from the UK.’
‘Anything that could make a difference would be good.’ She turned to me. ‘These kids have lost everything.’
‘Looking after them must be hard.’ I watched as she glanced towards a couple of her charges tussling near the pool’s edge. She seemed calm but vigilant, as she would need to be.
‘We do what we can,’ she replied, ‘but it’s not nearly enough. I have help, of course. My partner Daniel and a small team of girls. I couldn’t manage without
them.’ She looked down at Sam again, and touched him lightly under the chin. ‘You’ll find people here want to help. I’d accept when you can. They love children and they need the money.’ With a nod at both of us, she turned to go.
‘Any more advice for us newcomers?’ I didn’t want her to leave.
‘Depends where you’re headed.’ She looked back at me. ‘Town or country?’
‘Right out in the bush, I’m afraid,’ Kabo told her, glancing anxiously at me. ‘A few kilometres from Kubung on the Thamaga road.’
‘In that case, snakes.’ She started to walk away, calling over her shoulder, ‘They hide in the long grass. Tell the
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