Truth Be Bold

TRUTH BE BOLD

"Gold! I've found gold!" Hans de Beer drenched himself with the pan of water, it trickled down into his unkempt beard. He danced about clutching 3 gold nuggets. 

“Look!” He thrust his open hand toward his companion. “We’re going to be rich Gert!”

Gert grabbed a nugget and threw his battered hat into the air, “It feels so good Hans, ou maat”. They danced about barefoot! 

Wealth and power go together like bread and jam. You can't have one without the other. The Transvaal of South Africa attracted gold diggers from all over the world looking for “bread and jam”.

British soldiers arrived. They were all shapes and sizes clad in a variety of uniforms unsuited to the South African climate. They wore red coats and white helmets, khaki jackets and trousers with khaki helmets. Some wore skirts with khaki tunics. The skirts were called kilts. Britain saw Transvaal's gold as theirs' for the taking. The British Empire was clocking up it's successes around the world and sending Queen Victoria the spoils of war. The British Empire was the greatest power in the world. 

During the Napoleonic Wars the Cape Colony officially became a British colony. The changing image of the Cape from Dutch to British excluded the Dutch farmers in the area, the Boers, who started their Great Trek to the northern areas of modern South Africa. They loaded up ox carts and trekked to north of the Vaal River and named their land, Transvaal.

The British heard about the gold and followed the farmers to the Transvaal . What happened? The Boers were expert guerilla fighters so they fought the British soldiers and defeated them.

Toward the end of it a young British war correspondent arrived to report on events. Two weeks later he was captured and confined in a Prisoner of War Camp. He was marked as a spy for execution. The fair skinned Englishman managed to escape over the prison wall. Two Boer soldiers found him starving, thirsty and lost in the bushveld. They revived him and helped him on to a cattle truck bound for Durban. Hans said he was too young to be shot . 

“You are right Hans!” 

“And Gert, where’s the evidence that this pretty boy is a spy in the first place, hey?” 

“Here you are Engelsman” Hans fitted his khaki kerchief to the red head to protect him from the sun. 

As a child William was small for his age, freckled and florid. His red hair made him stand out in a crowd. If it hadn’t been for his hair he probably wouldn’t have stood out at all. He wanted to be somebody, a soldier, a hero. He fought battles with his toy soldiers in his room.

“Mother, I believe I am going to be a great man one day. I will make my mark among men. You will see. You’ll be proud of me”. 

“Yes dear, now eat your broccoli”. 

The boy read everything he could find about great battles. He manouevred his toy soldiers to invent strategies for decisive victories. 

“I’m studying the Napoleonic Wars you know Father. I’m going to be a great soldier one day.” 

“Yes, son. Study all you can at school. Do your homework and now go and help Mother with the dishes”.

William had read about the Cape Colony that officially became a British colony and the Great Trek of the Dutch farmers. 

He said to himself, I must go to South Africa. I will make a name for myself there!

William Chesterfield arrived safely in Durban and met up with his countrymen. Cleaned up and in a new uniform, he felt like a new man. He gave a rousing speech from the Town Hall steps. This was his claim to fame at last. He had dreamed about power and glory. This was the beginning. His speech excited tremendous interest. 

“Friends, I tell you today that I am grateful to be here. The past two months have been the most dangerous in my life. I have seen so much bloodshed, hatred and hostility. War is destructive. People die and hatred grows. To be locked unlawfully in a prison does not yield love for an enemy. It fosters enmity and a desire for revenge. There is no good that comes from greed and domination. It took all of my strength and my faith to escape from the camp. I persevered so that I could return to England and tell them that they will not conquer by destroying. They will conquer by restoring health and prosperity for everyone. I thank God that I found the cattle truck that brought me here. Friends, I was close to death. They were going to execute me because they said I was a spy. For what purpose? What would killing me accomplish for the good of the British Empire? What good would it be for the settlers in this country? What would it do for the good of the indigenous inhabitants of this land? 

I escaped from certain death and I am going to return to my country England. I will speak about the futility of war.” 

The crowd that gathered to hear this, applauded vigorously. They congratulated and praised William for his heroism. Newspaper men and women descended upon him for interviews. They were planning wireless broadcasts. 

England received their hero with accolades and celebrations. Queen Victoria awarded William with a knighthood, praises and gifts. 

“So this is England? Hans and Gert were on deck as the ship berthed. Hans rubbed his hands and blew on them to thaw them.

“Gert, we must find lodgings for tonight before we freeze”.  

A few days later the two men arrived in London. 

“Where can we find Mr. William Chesterfield?” 

“Who? Nobody here by that name”, the bartender wasn’t helpful. Hans and Gert wandered around London, intermittently asking about William Chesterfield.

“Hans look at this! Headlines on the paper over there”. He pointed excitedly.

“My word, Gert! William Chesterfield to be presented to Her Majesty Queen Victoria. Let’s go to the Newspaper Office and ask them where we can find him.”

“Gentlemen, it is against the Newspaper's policy to divulge confidential information of this nature. However, I can suggest that you have a look in a telephone directory. You are welcome to ask the young lady at the reception desk if she will kindly assist you.” 

“Hans, there are a lot of Chesterfields in this book”. 

“Ag nee man Gert. Look for William Chesterfield”. 

“I am! I’m making a list of them. We will have to phone them one by one. You know, A progress of animation, they call it…” 

“A process of elimination! Try now Gert. You must learn to speak English better. If we’re going to see William, we had better talk posh. I think he’s moved up in the world since we knew him in South Africa”. 

“Man, this Chesterfield House looks like a posh place, hey Gert!” 

“Walk this way please Gentlemen.” A tall, spindly man in white tie, waistcoat and tails led the way.

Hans and Gert were seated in the stately reception room. William entered.

“What a wonderful surprise, after all these years! You are both looking well. Will you have tea?” 

The three friends drank tea, ate scones with cream and jam and reminisced about South Africa. It was a pleasant reunion. 

Hans and Gert browsed a London book shop and found copies of books about the daring and heroic escape of William Chesterfield from a South African prisoner of war camp. They were disappointed and a little irritated to find that no mention of their part in rescuing William appeared. 

Gert fumed. “The bliksem! We risked our lives to save that rooinek. And he pretends to the world that he did it all by himself. Without you and me Hans, they would have shot him. That’s for sure!”

Hans was upset too. “Do you think we should go and talk to him about it?” 

The butler led them to the reception room. They waited. William entered. The two men were reticent for a while. After tea and scones they broached the reason for their visit. 

“Look here, old man” Hans tried to sound British. “Gert and I are disappointed that you seem to have forgotten that we could have been shot by our own people for helping you to get away in that cattle truck to Durban. Don’t you remember?” 

William stared at the floor for a few seconds. He hung his head. He looked up slowly and said “No, I have not forgotten. You two Boere saved me and here I am today. Safe and sound and Queen Victoria has invited me to Buckingham Palace. No, I have not forgotten what you two did for me. 

When I arrived back in England everyone acclaimed me. I had become what I had dreamed of becoming, a hero, someone important! People looked up to me. I was feted in one place after another. It was wonderful. I was immensely proud. Women sought my favours. I married a rich , highborn lady. I was somebody at last! It went to my head. When I was interviewed by news reporters, I didn’t think I was lying. I did tell the truth up to a point. I merely omitted to mention my two South African rescuers. “

Hans and Gert were still angry. They understood but could not accept what William had done. They saw a blatant lack of integrity. After all they had done…only to be discarded like weeds from the garden. It was too much. 

Hans spoke up…”William, I feel justified in going to the press and telling them the truth about what happened the night we found you starving, thirsty, frightened and cold in the bush. We should have handed you over to our countrymen, our fellow fighters against the British. But we saw you were just a boy and we thought about your mother, your father – waiting for their son to return home! We thought of the people who loved you and the people you loved. You thought only of yourself”. 

Gert added: “William, you wanted to be a great man. What does it mean to be a great man? Have you thought about it? I don’t think so. The greatest man who ever walked on earth was at the same time the most humble man. He was the finest hero ever known to mankind. Did he take all the credit, the glory to himself? No. He glorified his Father in heaven and told everyone that he did nothing on his own strength. He received strength from his Father and taught people to praise him. 

William was silent. Deep in thought. He realized agonizingly : These simple farmers are right. They make me feel so ashamed of myself. They are God fearing men! They are devoted to the Most High God. That is why they showed mercy and compassion toward me. Am I forgetting that it is by the grace of God that I am where I am today?  

William had tears in his eyes when he gazed at his rescuers. He had a lump in his throat and his complexion was a shade ruddier that usual. He apologized profusely and asked for forgiveness. He was sincere. He realized that speaking truth is what makes a man trustworthy, and a trustworthy man is a great man. A morally powerful man.

The two men got up and excused themselves. William stood up with them. They shook hands firmly and soundly. They parted with a stronger bond of friendship among them than before. They had become brothers. 

A few days later Gert and Hans received a gilt edged invitation from Buckingham Palace to be presented to Her Majesty Queen Victoria along with Sir William Chesterfield. 

The three men dressed in their finery for tea with the Queen, the Empress of the British Empire. Her Majesty was intrigued by their adventure in South Africa. William told all, truthfully and accurately.

News of this remarkable event was soon on every front page of every newspaper in the country. 

Queen Victoria addressed the nation and told the story about Hans and Gert. She emphasized that they were the enemy during the war. Yet, out of compassion they delivered the British hero from certain death. 

The announcement broke all records for headline news on the British press.

Hans and Gert returned to the Transvaal. They delivered a letter from Queen Victoria to the Boer leaders. She commended the Boere for their humaneness. 

Relationships softened and there were smiles and friendly nods on both sides of the ocean. Peace prevailed. 

Two months later Hans received a parcel from England. It contained a note of thanks from the Chesterfield family…and his khaki kerchief.