Anna

Anna is Pieter's cousin. She claims that she is not married because the only man she would have married was Pieter, and he married someone else. Anna is a modern woman who smokes and wears "yellow trousers" that Sophie detests.

Esther

Esther is the elderly woman with whom Stephanie and her child live. Esther is reportedly the oldest woman in the village—more than a hundred years old—and claims to remember when the Boers first came to the area although Sophie doubts this.

Japie Grobler

Japie is a childhood friend of Pieter's who grows up and becomes a social worker. He and Pieter attended school and college together before their careers took them in different directions. When the new Social Welfare Department opens in Venterspan, his hometown, Japie is sent to run it. This delights him, as he holds fond memories of Pieter, Frans, and Tante Sophie...