Die
soektog na Lorna |
The
search for Lorna |
Daisy Hamilton is 'n privaatspeurder. |
Daisy Hamilton was a private detective. |
Sy is dertig jaar oud en is reeds twee jaar lank 'n
privaatspeurder. |
She was thirty years old and had been a detective for
the past two years. |
Elke oggend gaan sy kantoor toe en wag vir
telefoonoproepe of om die deur oop te maak vir kliënte wat haar dienste
nodig het. |
Every morning she went to her office to wait for phone
calls or open the door to clients needing her services. |
Diasy is nog nie baie bekend nie, maar soms bel mense
haar danksy die advertensie wat sy in die plaaslike koerant geplaas het. |
Daisy wasn't very well known yet but occasionally people
telephoned her from the advertisement she had put in the local newspaper. |
Een oggend omstreeks elfuur klop iemand aan haar
kantoordeur. |
One morning at about eleven o'clock someone knocked on
her office door. |
Dit is 'n vet dame wat 'n pels om haar nek dra. |
It was a fat lady who wore a fur around her neck. |
"Hallo, kan ek jou help?" vra Daisy vir die
dame. "Kom asseblief binne en sit." |
"Hello, can I help you?" Daisy asked the lady.
"Please come and sit down." |
"O, ja beslis! Ek het jou hulp desperaat nodig. |
"Oh yes indeed! I need your help desperately. |
"Lorna, my kleintjie, het verdwyn. Ek weet nie wat
om te doen nie." |
Lorna, my little one has disappeared. I don't know what
to do." |
Daisy bied die vet dame 'n koppie kitskoffie aan en wag
vir die besonderhede. |
Daisy offered the fat lady a cup of instant coffee and
awaited the details. |
Die vet dame gaan sit swaar en sit haar groot rooi
leerhandtas op Daisy se lessenaar neer. |
The fat lady sat down heavily and put her large red
leather handbag on Daisy's desk. |
"Vertel my asseblief alles – mev. …?" |
"Please tell me everything - Mrs. ...?" |
"Mev. Edwina Humphries is my naam. Ek is bevrees
hulle gaan my om geld vra – ek is bevrees Lorna is ontvoer!" |
"Mrs. Edwina Humphries is my name. I am afraid they
will ask me for money - I'm afraid Lorna has been kidnapped!" |
"Dis verskriklik, mev. Humphries. Dink mnr.
Humphries ook Lorna is ontvoer?" |
"That's terrible, Mrs. Humphries. Does Mr.
Humphries, too, think Lorna has been kidnapped?" |
"My man gee glad nie om of Lorna ontvoer is of nie!" |
"My husband is not interested if Lorna has been
kidnapped or not!" |
"Werklik, mev. Humphries? Maar is jou man Lorna se
regte pa?" |
"Really, Mrs. Humphries? But is your husband
Lorna's real father?" |
"Ek weet nie wat jy bedoel nie. Ons het Lorna saam
gekoop," antwoord mev. Humphries. |
"I don't know what you mean. We bought Lorna
together," replied Mrs. Humphries. |
"Julle het haar gekoop … mev. Humphries, dis
onwettig, weet jy?" |
"You bought ............Mrs. Humphries, that's
illegal, you know." |
"Nee, dit is nie, nie in Indië nie!" |
"No it isn't, not in India!" |
"Julle het Lorna in Indië gekoop?" |
"You bought Lorna in India?" |
"Ja, inderdaad! En sy is altyd baie goeie geselskap
vir my, weet jy." |
"Yes indeed! And she always keeps me great company,
you know." |
Mev. Humphries maak haar yslike leertas oop om 'n
sakdoek uit te haal. |
Mrs. Humphries opened her huge leather bag to pull out a
handkerchief. |
Met afgryse sien Daisy hoe 'n wriemelende dier uit die
tas kom. |
With horror Daisy saw a wiggling creature come out of
that bag. |
"Mev. Humphries – skuif dit onmiddellik weg!"
skree Daisy. |
"Mrs. Humphries - move that away immediately!"
screamed Daisy. |
"Wat? O, Lorna – oplaas vind ek jou!" sê
mev. Humphries. "Jy het in my tas weggekruip – jou stoute meisie!" |
"What? Oh Lorna - I've found you at last!"
said Mrs. Humphries."You hid in my bag - you naughty girl!" |
"Mev. Humphries. Is dit Lorna?" |
"Mrs. Humphries. This is Lorna?" |
"Ja, ons Bengaalse moerasslang. O, dankie, hartjie.
Nee, ek dink nie ek het jou dienste nog nodig nie!" |
"Yes, our Bengali swamp snake. Oh thank you my dear.
No, I don't think I need your services any longer!" |
Toe Daisy die deur agter mev. Humphries toemaak, maak sy
in haar gedagtes 'n aantekening dat sy in haar advertensie moet skryf:
geen diere nie, geen slange nie. |
As Daisy shut the door after Mrs. Humphries, she made a
mental note to write in the advertisement: no animals, no snakes. |