Chapter 52

A year later the news came through; the war was over. Three nights later a huge party was organised at the Crater for all the men who had fought for East Africa. Australians, Gurkhas, Matabele, Home Guard, and Hunters, along with their wives and parents, mixed with each other in celebration of the end to hostilities.

Over the next month the Australians and some of the Gurkhas returned back to their homes. The Crater seemed somewhat deserted with their going. The Reserve had been fenced and the gate Check Posts built. The command centre was built near a major watering hole, barracks, and a home for Sultar and Yasmin along with an office had been erected and provision for their livestock made. Slowly the Maasi moved back with some passing through the reserve to cross back across the river.

Sultar was kept busy correlating a census of the animals in the reserve from reports garnered from the Rangers, as the Gurkhas were now called. Martin and Jill were frequent visitors to the reserve, attending to animals that the Rangers found injured. A small medical aid unit was built for the purpose of looking after them.

The Crater settled down to a peacetime environment, the cattle herd stabilised at over six hundred and fifty with a hundred dairy cattle which were sold to farmers and the town for their milk and butter. The horse and mule herds had grown to over six hundred and there was a steady market for them. Patar kept back his breeding stock from being sold to maintain the bloodline.

Guy, who was now sixteen, spent every hour he could when not at school, working with Martin and Jill, whilst Victoria spent her time with her mother working in the hospital. Martin and Jill’s eldest daughter, Barbara, spent her free time with Patar learning about horses. She was an accomplished rider on her mare Tara that was a daughter of Susan’s Tana. The twins David and Susan spent time playing with N’debi’s children at the village.

At one of the dinners with Martin, Jill, Sultar, and Yasmin present, Susan brought up the subject of the children. “They’re growing up fast now and really we must start thinking of sending them to school in England. Guy, Barbara, and Shashi, Yasmin and Sultar’s eldest daughter, are old enough to think of university. The rest of the children are close behind them.”

“Well, regarding education they are all bright enough to get in,” Martin replied.

After a long discussion it was agreed reluctantly, that Susan, Jill, and Yasmin would take the children to England to sort out their education. The decision did not go down well with the children but a month later, David, Martin, and Sultar waved goodbye as the steamer pulled away from the dock in Mombasa.

It was over four months before the women returned. In the train back to Nairobi, Susan disclosed that the three eldest had been accepted into Oxford and the rest of the children enrolled at a private school five miles outside the city. “The eldest have promised to visit the younger ones when they can in case they get homesick.”

‘Well, we have seen to our children, but what about the education of the others at the Crater?” David asked.

“The problem is that none of the schools in Nairobi will sanction mixed races,” Martin said.

“We discussed that on the boat back,” Jill said, “And decided that we should open a private school for those of ability, irrespective of the colour of skin.”

“That won’t go down well in some quarters.” David murmured.

“For god’s sake David,” Jill said angrily, “We’ve just gone through a world war where blacks and browns fought alongside of us.”

“Hey, I know! I was there, remember, but you may have more success if you make it a coloured school,” David replied.

They continued to discuss the ramifications of the school, right up to reaching the Crater, with no decision yet made. As it happened, events overtook them that put the school to the back of their minds. It began with an unexpected visit of Robert Keeling. At a dinner thrown in his honour, where Martin, Jill, Sultar, Yasmin, and Stanley attended, Robert broached the subject of his visit. “What you all did in the defence of East Africa against superior numbers was little short of miraculous. Unfortunately, due to the aftermath of the war and the horrendous losses in men, the Army is a dirty word in the minds of the general public. I put all of you forward for decorations, but this was not considered a major battle by those in Whitehall; not enough dead involved with it,” Robert said bitterly. “I’m thinking of resigning my commission and decided to come out here personally to thank you all for what you did on behalf of his Majesty.”

A stunned silence fell around the table and then David spoke, “I can’t speak for the rest of us, but I didn’t fight for his Majesty or the British Government. I fought for my family and home ... I didn’t fight for gongs.”

“Here, here,” echoed around the table from Martin, Sultar, and Stanley.

Susan reached over and took Robert’s hand in hers. “Robert, don’t resign your commission. The Army needs men like you; men of compassion and honour. In the years ahead a new Army will be formed and it will need officers who care for the welfare of its men.” The men around the table nodded encouragingly.

Robert smiled sadly, “Strangely enough the Prince said the very same thing in London before I left.”

Yasmin looked up and spoke, “You saw my father?”

Robert looked at her perplexed, “Yes, over two months ago. He was on business to see the Colonial Office about Khana, and dropped into my office to invite me to dinner at his hotel.”

“Did he mention what they wanted?” David asked.

“Oh, it wasn’t anything alarming ... only for the supply of horses to the army. He said he would be going up to Oxford to see the children at a later date. He had been to Birmingham to see Henry Cartwright regarding an order he had made with him. He seemed in the best of health and hoped to see you all here soon, he said. But I thought you all knew he was in England?”

Yasmin shook her head, “I’ve not heard from him in months. I wonder how he knew the children were at Oxford.”

Robert frowned, “Well, he sent them there. Prince Izarb is in his first year and Princess Isasar in her second year of modern history.”

“Oh, you mean my brother and sister!” Yasmin exclaimed.

“Robert,” Susan interjected, “Our children started at Oxford over four months ago.”

“I see were the confusion came from,” Robert replied with a smile. “I wonder if they’ll run in to each other.”

“I wrote to father just before we left to let him know what we were doing. But he may have been already in England,” Yasmin replied.

The mystery was resolved two days later by the post office in Nairobi. Martin had called to collect their post from the Crater’s post box inside the post office. A clerk came over to ask him if he knew of a Mrs. and Major Sultar. “We’ve had these two letters for over four months now addressed to them in Nairobi, but no one knows who they are,” the clerk exclaimed.

Martin examined the envelopes noticing the Aster Hotel logo on the reverse side of it, and quickly explained who they were addressed to. Back at the Crater he handed the letters over to Yasmin. “Father’s such an idiot. Normally his secretary addresses his mail, but this is his own handwriting. He must not know the correct address.” She sat down to read them, suddenly jumping up, “It’s the seventh today isn’t it, Martin?” Martin nodded mystified, “He’s arriving in Mombasa in ten days’ time,” Yasmin explained.

Susan, Jill and Yasmin began rushing around sorting out furniture and fittings for Sultar and Yasmin’s old home at the crater. Most of their old belongings had been moved to their new home on the Reserve. David, Martin, and Sultar stood well back, letting the girls get on with it, but despite their protests, Susan soon roped them into painting rooms and moving furniture.