The Promise

Amor flies to Pretoria, planning to stay for only two nights. When Anton picks her up at the airport, he is surprised to see how much older and less beautiful she looks than the last time he saw her. Before long, he finds himself confiding in her about his recent efforts to write a novel. When the pair arrives at the farm, Amor notices it looks unkempt. Once inside the house, she brings up the subject of Manie’s promise. Irritated, Anton insists that he still intends to give Salome ownership of her house, but that there is no reason to rush it.

That evening, Anton, Amor, and Desirée go to Astrid’s funeral service. Marina is there, but her husband, Ockie, has died in the intervening years since Manie’s death. Father Batty gives a strange sermon, inexplicably focusing on the story of Cain and Abel.

Back at the farm, Amor brings up Salome’s house again over a drink with Anton. He tries to convince her to sell some of their land next to Simmers’s church in exchange for taking care of Salome’s house. She refuses, saying it should not be an exchange given that Salome is already owed the house and that Anton only wants to make problems for Simmers.