Veronica Cecil - DRUMS ON THE NIGHT AIR

Review by Corinna Christopher on show 11th August 2011

This is an account by the author of her life and escape from a paradise. Veronica was 25years old when her husband and eleven month old son set off for an adventure in Africa. Her husband David was offered a job in the Congo and Veronica was filled with enthusiasm for a new and exciting life.

However living in the Congo in 1963 did not turn out as envisaged with food shortages and differing neighbours to contend with. The nation was in chaos. Her idea of befriending the native Congolese was not to be and there were many rules and regulations to which she found difficult to cope with. To begin with it was bridge parties and meetings in the white only local club. Her overtures to the black servants were met with suspicion and she felt like an outsider. Having lived some of her life in apartheid South Africa she felt some of her experiences should have helped her.

After six months David who was an accountant was given a new post in Elizebetha at the Company’s Palm Oil plant. Her house overlooked the Congo river and their lives were punctuated by the patter of drums. Veronica was happier here and able to make friends with her servant Nicholas who fitted in well with her domestic arrangements.

A short while later with civil war coming ever nearer they had to be evacuated and leave David behind to join them later. Their escape to Leopoldville in small planes and boat was very scary especially since Veronica was heavily pregnant and in danger of having the baby in a small cramped plane jammed in with the luggage.

Fortunately all was well and she had a lovely little girl and was reunited with David. Horrible events took place in the Congo and although the Company helped all sorts of people – provided they were white many others were left to face the iniquities of a rebel force. Veronica felt deeply for the country and the book opens with an unsettling account of the killing of 12 innocent people caught up in the atrocities.

There is an afterword by the author in 2010 which is interesting. They both went on to live in Nigeria and fortunately managed to get out before the Biafra tragedy .They had four children all of whom have made successful lives for themselves. David sadly died of a heart attack at a quiet early age.

Initially I was not overwhelmed with the book but the writing is lucid and coherent so that soon I was drawn into this couple’s experiences and I anxiously read on to the end. It was an honest attempt to try and understand the complexities of this heartland in Africa.