DIE GEBOORTE

Ek onthou weinig van my geboorte. Eintlik niks om eerlik te wees. Maar as ek my moet voorstel het dit min of meer as volg verloop:

Dit was 'n smartlike nag op die hoëveld. Donder en bliksem vlek die hemel oop en versteur die rus en vrede van die bewoners van Bethal.

Depressielyers, geestesongesteldes, mielies en graansuiers bewe van die naderende onheil. 'n Belustige kat se onheilspellende gemiaau is in die verte hoorbaar.

Elsabé gil benoud toe haar water breek en die louwarm vrugwater soos 'n klein tsunami by haar 33 jarige dye afstroom. 

Ek moet ophou suip sê Eddie vir homself. Op 38 is hy waaragtig nie lus vir nog 'n vierde bondel skreeuende frustrasie nie. Dis nou die gevolg van 'n bottel brandewyn en 'n roekelose nag van passie op die harde spons matras in Loskop Dam se karavaanpark tydens Paasnaweek.

Elsabé se klein hospitaal tassie staan al vir 'n week klaar in die ingangsportaal, gereed vir die geboorte van haar jongste telg.  Oppad na die voorhuis strompel sy verby die telefoon. Kromgetrek van kraampyne, lui sy met bewende vingers Ouma Bella se nommer.

Op die plaas Weltevreden buite Middelburg het Ouma Bella al vroegdag die onheil voel broei. Sy het kort na oggend koffie 'n baksel beskuit en twee melkterte met gedraaide repies op in die oond gedruk. Hande besighou om die senuwees te bedaar.

Die plaaslyn lui twee langes en 'n korte. So vinnig as wat haar stywe knie dit toelaat storm sy uit die kombuis eetkamer toe om die noodroep te antwoord.

Elsabé is skaars hoorbaar tussen die kontraksies en krakende plaaslyn deur. "Dis tyd" prewel sy deur saamgeperste lippe. Sy plak die gehoorbuis neer terwyl Ouma haar oë opslaan na boven en wonder waar gaat haar hulp vandaan kom. "My hulp is van die Here wat hemel en aarde gemaak het" troos sy haarself.

Buite ref Eddie angstig die groen Valiant VIP, terwyl hy moerig wonder of hy haar betyds by die hospitaal gaan kry. Aan 'n bevalling in sy nuwe kar het hy geen sin nie.

Die Valliant verdwyn met gillende bande om die hoek.

Klein Eddie is nouliks bewus van al die drama, waar hy agter sy toe kamerdeur lê en fantaseer oor die buurdogter se lekker tiete. Baie ervare vir sy 10 lewensjare. Van sigarette, skelm drink en die buurdogter weet hy baie meer as wat Elsabé haar ooit sal kan indink.

Nadat Isabel die groot verleentheid verwerk het van haar Ma wat 12 jaar na haar geboorte waarragtig al weer swanger is, voel sy opgewonde oor die onafwendbare geboorte van die ou babatjie. Sy hoop dat hierdie kind 'n ligpunt sal word in die donker familie tonnel. Miskien sal hierdie een haar verstaan.

Op 5 het Elmundé al reeds die babakas in die babakamer geinvetariseer. Tot haar skok en ontsteltenis vermoed sy dat die ongeborene al reeds met meer babaklere, poeier, teddies en Fisan Paste bederf word as wat sy ooit gehad het. Sy besef 'n lewe van bittere onregverdigheid lê vir haar voor as die kind eers huistoe kom.

Met 'n ruk en 'n sidder kom die Valliant tot stilstand voor Bethal Hospitaal se ongevalle. 'n Verblindende bliksemstraal gevolg deur 'n oorverdowende donderslag. Die reuk van swael, angs en medisyne hang swaar in die lug.

Twee senuweeagtige portiere hardloop vervaard met 'n rolstoel die Valliant en sy kosbare inhoud tegemoet. Dis half nege die aand op 20 Januarie 1970.

"Vir wat sukkel jy so" brom Eddie terwyl Elsabe moeisaam haar sit probeer kry in die rolstoel.

Dokter Albertyn staan verveeld en wag by die teater ingang. Hoeveel kinders gaat nou nog gebore word voordat hierdie 2 begin geboortebeperking toepas? Miskien is dit tyd vir 'n minder taktvolle weergawe van sy "Voordele van Sterilisasie" gesprek. 

Ondersteun deur Suster Applegryn spring hy onmiddellik aan die slag. Elsabe hyg en haal hortend asem. Suster Appelgryn bring 'n skottel kookwater. Geboorte apparate lê netjies uitgepak in 'n ry naas die teater trollie.

Eddie staan buite die teater. Hy stress en vloek. Soms hoorbaar en soms nie. Verbygangers kyk geskok om wanneer 'n hoorbare "fok" met gereelde tussenpose uitglip.

Dit word 'n pynlike geboorte wat oor etlike ure uitgerek word. Klein Piet wil nie gebore word nie. Dis of hy weet van die opdraande stryd wat vir hom wag. Hy verkies die baarmoeder se beskutting. Sy piepklein gebalde vuisies trek krampagtig saam en klou beangs aan die naelstring vas - sy laaste anker voor hy die koue wrede wêreld moet in.

Dis 'n futiele poging. Sy eerste gewaarwording post geboorte is die helder teaterligte wat sy ogies verblind. Van pure skok begin hy hartstogtelik te huil. En dit sonder die gebruiklike klap. Dis 02h23 op 21 Januarie 1970. 

Die susters neem hom weg. Elsabé huil. Eddie slaak 'n sug van verligting. Buite het die storm eensklaps opgehou. Al wat hoorbaar is, is klein Piet se jammerlike geween wat tot dagbreek sny deur murg en been en broeikas.

Eiffel - vir Sus

Rondom die voete van die Eiffel

het ek jou tone bloed geloop

om en om

straat op en af

sodat ek weer en weer 

en nog een keer


vanuit elke hoek en kant

dié wêreldwonder in kon adem

nooit sal ek Parys besoek

sonder 'n hart vol herinnering

gevul met lof en dank

vir my engel sus

met hart van blomme

deur dik en dun

vreugde en smart

ons liefde 'n toring

wat die aardse pad meer draagbaar maak

Debbie

At North Beach in Durban Debbie worked as a car guard. All the years I lived in Durban I went to North Beach most mornings at daybreak to catch a few early morning waves before work. 

I took great care to ensure that I parked in the section of the parking lot that Debbie guarded. We would always have a pleasant little chat whilst I changed before and after hitting the water.

Debbie was loved by many of the surfers who frequented North Beach. She had an earthiness and gentleness about her that made her easy and pleasant to engage in conversation. 

Debbie worked for a group of car guards who called themselves the Guardian Angels. Not  only did she make sure our cars were always safe, she also kept our car keys which of course you could not take with you into the sea. I regarded Debbie as a special person who made a positive contribution to my every day life.

Debbie had a tough life apparent from the many years of hardship etched on her face. But she always held her head high and welcomed all those who parked in her area with a warm and friendly smile. I don't know much about her history. She once eluded to having been addicted to drugs at some point, but I don't know the details and she clearly overcame that, which must have been quite a painful struggle.

My mother always used to say it does not matter what you do in life as long as you do it properly. And that was what Debbie did. She made a respectable career out of watching cars from which she earned enough to live independently. I gladly paid Debbie every morning since she rendered a service I needed and valued.

One particular morning I got out of the sea to find Debbie very much in a state of distress. In fact she was near to a complete panic. I enquired as to what went wrong? Debbie explained that one of the surfers arrived earlier with his laptop and asked if she would watch it whilst he was in the sea. She felt really uncomfortable since she does not normally take care of laptops, but obliged since it was one of her regular customers who that day for some reason arrived without his car.

She carried the laptop in her arms, but at some point she got really busy and the laptop started feeling very heavy.  She decided to put the laptop down on the back of the bakkie of another customer for a few minutes to just give her arms a break. A few cars further up one of her other customers was leaving and Debbie directed him out of his parking bay. 

And it was exactly at that moment that the owner of the bakkie returned and reversed out of his parking bay. As Debbie turned around from directing her other customer, she saw the bakkie driver driving off with the laptop on the back of his bakkie. Debbie ran screaming and waiving after him, but he was totally oblivious and off he went, unknowingly taking the laptop with him.

Poor Debbie. "What am I gonna say to him" she kept saying over and over. "That laptop costs more than I earn in a month. I am never  going to be able to repay him." 

My heart ached for her. She was so upset and there was nothing much I could do to help her.

I got dressed and went for my coffee at the Wimpy. On my return Debbie had a big smile and looked visibly relieved. It turns out the  bakkie driver noticed the laptop when he arrived home. He immediately drove back to the beach to enquire from Debbie if she knew anything about the laptop.

This all happened before the owner of the laptop finished his surf. By the time he did so, Debbie could with a sigh of relief hand his laptop back to him, he being none the wiser to the recent loss and recovery thereof.  

So I asked from Debbie after all that stress how much did she get paid for looking after the laptop? To which she rather disgustedly replied "R2 thats it"! That was all she got for all the pain and agony she had just been through.

That made me think how often do we take on other people's  problems which knowing very well we should not do? Is it not exactly those professional favours we do, the work for free or at greatly reduced rates that often comes back to haunt us?

Going into the new year I remember the lesson learnt from Debbie and the laptop incident. I will in the year ahead take more care to avoid taking on problems that I should not.

I recently visited Durban and was saddened to learn that Debbie has since passed away. I will always miss her welcoming smile at North Beach, but fortunately the lessons we learn from those we have blessed encounters  with, continue to live in our hearts forever.