Escape Africa (5)

 

5: Anna Maria

Legend has it there is a particular painting stored
somewhere in the Kruger House of Anna Maria, the first lady of South Africa Presidency.
Legend has it very few people know of this painting because, as legend has it,
the painting is believed to be cursed. The first recollection of this supposed
curse was in 1936 when the painting was stolen from Kruger House. A man named
John Gregory planned and executed the theft of what he believed to be another
more valuable painting, an early portrait of President Kruger, but confusing
the shipping crates Gregory grabbed the portrait of Anna Maria. Both portrait
and the body of John Gregory were discovered one week later in Gregory’s
office; the portrait unboxed staring down at the corpse of John Gregory who
died under mysterious circumstances. The painting returned to Kruger House to
storage until 1974 when the Anna Maria went on display. One evening when the
slightly intoxicated wife of a visiting Belgium diplomat passed an unflattering
comment stating the good lady held the composure of a vicious lion staring down
passing prey from between the bushveld grass; the diplomat’s wife would be
mauled by a pride of lions somewhere in the Kruger National Park one month
later. Thereafter the portrait of Anna Maria made extremely rare appearances,
never leaving Kruger House; Anna Maria refused to leave Kruger House for the
National Gallery. Later that year a mysterious fire closed Kruger House for
several months while restoration work was completed, his was her home and the
determined face of Anna Maria, a woman bearing stern features and an unsettling
stare returned to public view in the early 21t century remained in Kruger House
indefinitely. When Kruger House was declared a national heritage site and
opened to the public the unsettling gaze of Anna Maria followed you as you
crossed the portrait room, her piercing eyes studied you in passing. In the
centre of the room a small curious girl stood mesmerized as she stared at the
first lady, wide eyed and silent. Her curiosity intrigued by the portrait
rooted her motionless for hours in front of Anna Maria. Anna Maria herself
seemed uncomfortable by this new found interest; the girl vanished, still
missing. I could tell the painting was under the power of the dark shadow, a
cursed object holding a curse upon Kruger House. The girl’s disappearance
forced the closure of Kruger House. Anna Maria remained in place. I stood alone
in the dark of a dusty Kruger House thinking there’s more at work here, that
little girl disappearing was connected to something more insidious. Anna Maria
never saw me, but the dark shadow did.