I had a wonderful time looking after Bea while Daddy worked in the garage. At first we played with her play dough. Just after eleven Daddy came in to have a cup of coffee. Bea took Daddies hand and led him to the bedroom. She wanted to ride on the rocking horse.
Bea helped Daddy to carry the horse to the lounge.
Then it was time for the ride.
Bea loved the soft hairy mane of the horse. She kept on touching the mane forgetting that she was riding the horse.
Then she got tired, turned the horse on its side and curled up next to it. I covered them with her blanket.
IF YOU WANT TO LIVE ON THE EDGE OF LIFE, YOU NEED TO BE FLEXIBLE.” ~ KIM NOVAK
“I just can’t do it! I can’t,” he implored. Manfred was clearly beside himself.
Holly paused to let the tension digest before replying, “Can’t you negotiate with them, Mannie?“
Manfred looked sad, then stubbornly fixed his jaw, explaining, “No, I just can’t go back. It won’t work.“
Holly decided Manfred wasn’t going to budge. It was hard to understand why he was so fixated on quitting the job he’d started just a day or two before. After all, working in a food truck was good work experience, even if the Manager had indeed abused him and rostered him on at weekends.
Holly also suspected that if Manfred quit this job, he’d find it difficult to survive and worse still, he’d lose the routine and direction he sorely needed in his life. Teenage boys with time on their hands created trouble; something Holly had witnessed with her own brothers.
“So, ah – what’s your plan now?” she ventured, after letting the silence hang for a minute.
“Well, I’ve been thinking about doing street entertainment, so I can start my own business,” Manfred began enthusiastically. “I’d love to remodel shipping containers as cheap accommodation.” “They’re portable, cheap – everyone wants one.”
“A business, hey? thought Holly. “You could call it, Home, ship, Home,” she joked.
Manfred’s face lit up, giving Holly a warm feeling inside. Since meeting Manfred on the park bench months before, she’d grown to like his confidence and enthusiasm. He’d charmed her with easy conversation and a good dose of charisma, but she knew he was dangerously impulsive. And that was worrisome.
After promises to meet again, they parted ways. Holly back to her family in the suburbs, and Manfred to who knows where. Holly wondered where he’d sleep that night. He said it was often safer to walk the streets at night and ‘crash’ in the park, when daylight came. Holly also knew on those nights, he used pills to cope with his inner demons. She resolved to find help for him, when they met again, the following week.
It was whilst clearing the dishes from Mum’s lamb casserole; the 6 o’clock news blaring in the background that Holly’s legs suddenly collapsed – her head hitting the floor.
“MAN FALLS from the CITY BRIDGE in DARING STUNT.”
When Holly came to, it was easy to forget the news story. Surely, she’d see Manfred’s smiling face again, at the end of the week.
After work on Friday, Holly rushed down to the City Bridge, anxiously looking for Manfred’s slouching figure, waiting as he did, in their usual spot.
Nothing.
An empty seat.
A gut wrenching, tearing despair mixed with utter hopelessness blinded her thoughts. Was Manfred really gone?
With trepidation, Holly peered over the police tape cordoning the City Bridge’s narrow railing, her throat filled with bile.
A wilted flower was forlornly tucked in the wires. As Holly pulled it out, a gum wrapper fluttered to the ground. Her heart broke as she read the words scrawled thereon:
“Home, ship Home”
Something different for Sunday Sayings this week
Appreciate and treasure the moments with others.
There isn’t always a second chance.
“The things which are most important don’t always scream the loudest” – Bob Hawke
My Heart Belongs To A Schnauzer Bushy, flowing moustache, With eyes that pierce your heart Protective and intelligent – A friend right from the start. A dog who loves to romp and play, so spirited and fun, Yet always there to listen To your cares when day is done. A charming disposition – Affectionate and sweet A Schnauzer shares my world each day, And makes my life complete. (author: unknown)
Schnauzer Friends South Africa schnauzerfriends@gmail.com
1967 Wag-‘n-Bietjie-Koshuis. Ek het ‘n selfgemaakte rooi linne rokkie aangehad en my eerste hangertjie wat ek vir my gekoop het.
Skoolhou Hennopsrivier Laerskool 1968-1971. Ek het self die truie gebrei.
1972 Laerskool Potgietersrus koshuis. Die hare is ‘n haarstuk wat ek nog steeds het. Dis regte mens hare
1979 besluit ek om ordentlike fotos te laat neem om aan korrospondente te stuur. Swart truitjie met rooi kraletjies om die nek. Ek het in 1974 alle kleure stringetjies kraletjies gekoop in London op ‘n vlooimark
30 Augustus 1980 trou ek met ‘n “wonderlike” man. Satyn bandjie en astertjie om die nek. Spesiaal my hare laat groei vir die geleentheid.
Trompie het vir al sy maters ook n klomp stukke uitgesoek. Wie is ek wat Scrapy is om hom teen te staan!
Ek stel Graag Trompie aan die woord.
Geliefde viervoetiges en geveerdes, dan ook die twee-beniges:
Welkom, welkom, welkom.
Die eerste is vir die mense-harte wat so uitgaan na ons as dierekinders.
Volgende is spesiaal vir Bytjie met haar bye wat wil wegvlieg.
Nou is dit Carike Keusenkamp wat in my Ma se derde jaar as joolkoningin gekies is. Almal was nogal afgunstig op haar en tog het sy goed gedoen met haar kinderliedjies. Die Lappop is spesiaal vir al my nuwe vriende hier op Rebusfontein. Al voel jul soms weggegooi, hier kan jy jouself wees.
Eintlik wou ek ‘ek’s ‘n dapper muis’ vir al die katvrinne speel, maar nou ja.
Die volgende is vir Danie en al die honde wat so lekker saamwerk.
Die beste een is vir my liewe Ma Scrapy. My hart se punt en liefde net vir almal wat lief vir ons dierekinders is.
Dis n heerlike aand op Rebusfontein. Almal het ‘n kombers, kussings en ‘n piekniekmandjie saamgebring. Die amfiteater is reg vir ‘n heerlike konsert.
Ek gaan vyf stukke musiek aan jul voorstel en hoop dit val in almal se smaak. Die kunstenaars is spesiaal met ‘n hercules helikopter hier afgegooi. Hul is so besig dat hul na die optredes weer vertrek om op die volgende plek te wees.
Die eerste stuk le my na aan die hart omdat my man kennis van die lewe in die gevangenis gehad het. Hy het nie ‘n enkele stuk gemis nie. Hy was nooit ‘n ou wat kon stil sit en net kyk nie. Tog het hy elke episode wakker gebly.
Mede Rebusfonteiners Trevor Nasser
Nog n gunsteling by ons beide was
Op n ligter noot
Hul bly maar immergroen.
Die volgende persoon het ook ‘n spesiale plekkie in my hart. Ek het hom saam met Laurika Rauch in Pietersburg sien optree. Hy was so plat op die aarde en het tussen ons beweeg terwyl hy gesing het.
Lucas met Miljoen!
Jammer vir die Engelse byskrifte!
Dan my beste een neem my terug toe hy in Potties opgetree het. Soos Lucas was hy ook plat op die aarde.
Dit dan my geliefde stukkies. Baie dankie aan die kunstenaars en ook aan die gehoor wat so rustig gesit en luister het.
