Hoofstuk 1

Chapter 1

Die son steek op haar vel. Die teer blink in die hitte en sy buk vir ‘n oomblik om daaraan
te raak, bly dat sy nie met haar kaal voete daarop hoef te staan nie.
The sun shines on her skin. The tar shines in the heat and she bends for a moment to
touch it, glad she doesn't have to stand on it with her bare feet.

Daar’s ‘n slaggat in die pad en die water wat ná die vorige reën daarin versamel het, het
opgedroog.
There is a pothole in the road and the water that had accumulated in it with the
previous rain, had dried up.

Sou die droogte in Elia se tyd ook so erg gewees het?

Would the drought in Elijah's time also have been so bad?

Sy het begin om die Bybel van voor af deur te lees ná die biduur daardie aand en sy trek
nou al by die Tyd-sonder-reën in Konings: Elia beveel hulle toe: “Gryp die profete van
Baäl. Moenie dat een enkele persoon wegkom nie!” Die volk het hulle gegryp en Elia het
hulle na die Kisonspruit toe geneem en hulle daar doodgemaak.
She began reading the Bible from the beginning, after the prayer night that night, and
she is now reading Kings where it is in the Time without rain. Elijah then commanded
them: “Grab the prophets of Baal. Don't let a single person get away!” The people
grabbed them and Elijah took them to the Kishon River and killed them there.

Wat ‘n wreedaardige spul! Hoekom preek die dominee nooit daaroor nie?
What a cruel thing! Why doesn't the pastor preach about it?

Agab het toe gaan eet en drink, maar Elia het tot op die top van Karmelberg geklim.
Daar het hy met sy kop tussen sy knieë op die grond neergebuig. Hy sê toe vir sy
dienaar: “Gaan kyk oor die see.” Dit het sy net gisteraand gelees.
So Ahab went to eat and drink, but Elijah went up to the top of Carmel mountain. There
he bowed down with his head between his knees. He said to his servant, "Look over the
sea." She just read it last night.

Eienaardig. Waarom sou hy met sy kop tussen sy knieë gesit het? Wat het hy gesien of
gehoor?
Strange. Why would he put his head between his knees? What did he see or hear?

Die hitte slaan op van die pad. As sy nie binne ‘n halfuur ‘n lift kry nie, sal dit ‘n teken
wees. Dan draai sy om en gaan leer verder by Rising Star. Vir ‘n plaasskool is dit baie
goed, almal sê so.
The heat hits up from the road. If she doesn't get a lift within half an hour, it'll be a
sign. Then she will turn around and continue learning at Rising Star. For a farm school it
is very good, everyone says so.

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Daar is ‘n deinserige spieëling verder aan en in die spieëling is daar ‘n rooierige vlek,
soos bloed op water. Die vlek word groter, onttrek hom uit die deinserigheid en word ‘n
rooi motor in volle vaart op die N1.
There is a rainy reflection further on and in the mirror there is a reddish stain, like
blood on water. The spot gets bigger, withdraws from the swamp and becomes a red car
in full speed on the N1.

Sy lig haar hand huiwerig. Dit lyk altyd so maklik om te hike.

She lifts her hand reluctantly. It always seems so easy to hike.

Met die ander hand voel sy weer die papiertjie met Rosy se adres in die Kaap. Rosy is
ant Sanna se droëpram wat haar en oompie Ketôt op hulle oudag kom bly maak het. Sy
werk by Slamse wat goed is vir haar en sy bel gereeld.
With the other hand she feels for the paper with Rosy's address on in Cape Town. Rosy
is ant Sanna's dry boar that surprised her and Oompie Ketôt. She works for Moslems
who is good to her and she regularly calls.

Rosy het dit gemáák in die lewe.

Rosy made it in life.

Miskien kan sy vir die Slamse in die winkel werk. Net nie in die huis soos Rosy nie. Dan
kan sy oor die pos leer. Die advertensie van die kollege wat sy uit die tydskrif geknip
het, is saam met die papiertjie in haar sak.
Maybe she can work for the Moslems in their store. Just not in the house like Rosy.
Then she can study through the post. The ad from the college she'd cut from the
magazine is with the paper in her bag.

Sy kon nie te veel in die sak sit nie. Die kleintjies is so oplettend hulle sou gaan klik het
by Ma Lettie dat sy ‘n tas aan die pak is.
She couldn't put too much in the bag. The little ones are so attentive they would have
told Ma Lettie that she is packing a suitcase.

Toe die motor met skreeuende remme langs haar stilhou, is Tina nie onthuts nie. In die
duiseling van warm swart teer en die gedagte aan bloed by die Kisonspruit is alles
moontlik.
When the car stops next to her with screeching brakes, Tina is not disappointed. In
the mirror of hot black tar and the thought of blood at the Kishon river, anything is
possible.

Maar sy maak ‘n verskrikte geluid wat sy dadelik met ‘n hoesie probeer verbloem toe die
deur oopgaan en ‘n seun uitklim.
But she makes a frightened sound that she immediately tries to hide with a cough when
the door opens and a boy gets out.

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Dís nie hoe ‘n lift werk nie.
This is not how a lift works.

Die seun se gesig is net-net herkenbaar as ‘n mensgesig. Die vel is droog en

aanmekaargetrek, droë rowe hang tussen sy neus en sy lippe, hy het geen ooghare of
wenkbroue nie en sy een skeefgetrekte oog traan.
The boy's face is just recognizable as a human face. The skin is dry and contracted,
dry scabs hang between his nose and his lips, he has no eyelashes or eyebrows, and his
one skewed eye is teary.

Die rooi motor trek weg, versigtig, maar vining, asof die bestuurder baie duidelik bly is
om van sy vrag ontslae te wees. En geen wonder nie, want Tina kry die ryp reuk van
iemand wat dae laas gewas het. Sy broek is met ‘n tou vasgebind, ‘n kakierige ding wat
nie vuil genoeg is om heeltemal swart te wees nie. Wat die hemp se oorspronklike kleur
was, het sy geen idee nie.
The red car pulls away, cautiously, but fast, as if the driver is very glad about getting
rid of his load. And no wonder, because Tina gets the ripe smell of someone who has not
been washing for days. His pants is tied with a rope, a khaki type of thing that is not
dirty enough to be completely black. What the shirt's original color was, she has no
idea.

“’ensekind,” sê hy. Tina se oë vernou. Hy praat nasaal en sy woorde is slordig gevorm. Sy

staan effens terug. Hy herinner haar vaagweg aan iemand, maar sy is te verskrik om te
dink wie.
" ‘ibling," he says. Tina's eyes narrow. He speaks nasally and his words are carelessly
formed. She stands back slightly. He reminds her vaguely of someone, but she is too
scared to think who.

“Kyk,” sê hy en draai effens sodat sy verby hom kan kyk. Aan die oorkant van die pad is
die plaashek van Engelsplaas. Stefaans Marais se plaas.
"Look," he says, turning slightly so that she can look past him. On the other side of the
road is the farm gate of Angels farm. Stefaans Marais's farm.

Sy kyk terug na hom en gril. Daar is ‘n nattigheid wat van sy neus afloop op sy bolip.
She looks back at him and shudders. There is a wetness running down his nose onto his
upper lip.

“Ek het nie geld nie,” sê sy bot. Padlopers pla gewoonlik ryk mense vir geld. Aan die
ander kant … Sy kyk wild om haar. As hy moeilikheid soek, kan sy hardloop. Hy lyk nie of
hy haar sal kan inhardloop nie. Sy staan terug, weg van die reikwydte van sy arms.
"I don't have money," she says bluntly. Walkers usually bother rich people for money.
On the other hand ... She looks wildly around her. If he is looking for trouble, she can
run. He doesn't seem to be able to run her in. She stands back, away from the reach of
his arms.

3
Dit lyk of hy probeer glimlag. Sy mond trek effens skeef, maar die vel is so styf oor sy
wangbene gespan dat sy onseker van sy uitdrukking is.
He seems to be trying to smile. His mouth is slightly skewed, but the skin is stretched
so tightly over his cheekbones that she is unsure of his expression.

“Ga’ ‘ra geld ‘ir Stefaa’s ‘arais,” sê hy.

“Ask money from Stefaans Marais,” he says.

“Vra geld vir Stefaans Marais? Hoekom dink jy sal hy vir my geld gee?” vra sy. In
hierdie onverwagte situasie vra sy nie eens hoe hy weet van Stefaans Marais nie.
“Ask money from Stefaans Marais? Why do you think he'll give me money?” she asks. In
this unexpected situation, she didn't even ask how he knew about Stefaans Marais.

“V-ra” Hy trek sy bolip met sy botande om die “v” gesê te kry.

"A-sk" He pulls his upper lip with his front teeth to get the "a" said.

“Maar…”
“But…”

Hy draai om. ‘n Vragmotor van die Kaapse kant rat af en kom regoor hulle tot stilstand.
Die bestuurder leun by die venster uit. “Wil djy ry of wil djy bly? Komaan! Dis ‘n
gevaarlike plek om stil te hou, dié!”
He turns around. A truck from the Cape side gears off and comes to a stop opposite
them. The driver leans out the window. “Do you want to go or do you want to stay? Come
on! This is a dangerous place to stop!"

Dit lyk of die padloper een been effens sleep toe hy oor die pad loop met lang tree. Tina
wonder hoe die bestuurder geweet het die seun wil ‘n lift hê.
The road runner seems to be dragging one leg slightly as he crosses the road with long
steps. Tina wonders how the driver knew the boy wanted a lift.

Sy hardloop agter hom aan oor die pad. “Jy ry nou terug soos jy gekom het. Jy ry in die
verkeerde rigting!”
She runs across the road after him. “You are driving back as you came. You're driving in
the wrong direction!”

Hy draai terug. Dit lyk asof hy sukkel om net sy nek te draai. “Kla’ gewerk,” sê hy en
draai weer vorentoe. Hy begin onhandig om die trappie na die oop deur van die
stuurkajuit te klim.
He turns back. It looks like he's struggling to just turn his neck. "Done working," he
says, turning back. He clumsily climbs the stairs to the open door of the cabin.

“Hoe roep hulle jou?” Tina weet nie wat haar dié vraag laat vra nie.
"What do they call you?" Tina does not know what makes her to ask this question.

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“Djaakô,” sê hy terwyl hy ongemaklik met sy elmboog op die sitplek stut en op sy knieë
by die voetplek skuifel.
"Djaakô," he says as he uncomfortably struts his elbow on the seat and shuffles on his
knees to get onto the seat.

Tina word yskoud.

Tina turns ice cold.

Jakob.
Jacob

Hy kry uiteindelik sy sit langs die bestuurder en slaan die deur toe. Die vragmotor trek
weg en die hitte van die uitlaatpyp reg langs haar laat Tina steier.
He eventually got to sit next to the driver and shuts the door. The truck pulls away and
the heat of the exhaust pipe right next to her make Tina to stagger.

Sy kyk hom agterna totdat hy oor die bult net voor Van Noodt verdwyn.
She follows him with her eyes until he disappears over the hill just before Van Noodt.

Haar kop voel lig toe sy omdraai en die slingel van die hek oor die paal lig. As sy nou
begin dink, weet sy, draai sy net hier om.
Her head feels light as she turns around and lifts the swing of the gate over the pole.
If she starts thinking, she knows, she will turn around.

Sy trek haar sandale met die dun bandjies uit en pak hulle in haar rugsakkie. Hulle is vir
hike, nie vir stap nie.
She takes her sandals with the thin straps off and puts them in her backpack. They are
for hiking, not for walking.

Die grondpad brand haar voete. Dis ‘n meer genadige hitte as dié van die teerpad.
The dirt road burns her feet. It's a more gracious heat than that of the tar road.

Nie dink nie. Loop. Maak soos die seun gesê het. Soek nie hike Kaap toe nie. Gaan nie
terug huis toe nie.
Don't think. Walk. Do as the boy said. Don't look for a hike to Cape Town. Don't go back
home.

Doen die ondenkbare.

Do the unthinkable.

Vra vir Stefaans Marais geld.

Ask money from Stefaans Marais.

Wie is die padloper?

Who is the road runner?

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Jakob.
Jacob

Moenie dink oor Jakob nie.

Don’t think about Jacob.

Jakob.
Jacob.

Hoekom wil ‘n mens se kop nie vir jou luister nie?

Why does your head not want to listen to you?

Sy besef eers sy is by Stefaans Marais se huis toe sy bewus word van die koelte om
haar. Sy staan in die oprit van die tuin met die reusagtige bome. Dit lyk soos ‘n prentjie
uit ‘n boek in die biblioteek.
She only realizes she is at Stefaans Marais's house when she became aware of the
coolness around her. She stands in the driveway of the garden with the giant trees. It
looks like a picture from a book in the library.

Daar is ‘n mooi biblioteek by die Rising Star. Die Engelse vrou wat daar werk, is altyd
vriendelik en sy laat Tina toe om meer boeke as die ander uit te neem.
There is a nice library at the Rising Star. The English woman working there is always
friendly and she allows Tina to take out more books than the others.

Sy lui die voordeurklokkie.

She rings the front door bell.

Na ‘n lang ruk lui sy dit weer.

After a long while she rings it again.

Net die feit dat die padloper haar hierheen gestuur het, laat haar ‘n derde keer lui. Sy
weet hoe kwaai die boere oor hulle middagslapie is.
Just the fact that the road runner sent her here, lets her ring a third time. She knows
how serious the farmers are about their afternoon nap.

Dis ant Lya wat oopmaak. “Hoei, wat maak djy hier, Tina?”
It's ant Lya who opens. "Hey, what are you doing here, Tina?"

“Ek wil vir meneer Stefaans sien.”

"I want to see mister Stefaans."

“Die baas slaap.” Ant Lya glo nie sy’t nodig om vir die boer “meneer” te sê nie. Die
kinders kan dit maar anderster leer, sê sy altyd, sy’s ‘n ou hond wat nie nuwe maniere
gaan leer nie.

6
"The boss is sleeping." Ant Lya doesn't believe it's necessary to call the farmer "sir".
The children can learn it differently, she always says, she's an old dog that won't learn
new ways.

“Ek sal wag.”

“I will wait.”

Ant Lya staan met haar hande op haar heupe. “Het djou mamma vir djou gestuur?”
Ant Lya stands with her hands on her hips. "Did your mother send you?"

Tina skud haar kop. Sy vertrou nie haar stem nie.

Tina shakes her head. She doesn't trust her voice.

“Nou kom sit maar innie kombuis by my. Djy kan vir my help lat ek vining klaarkom.”
"Now come sit with me in the kitchen. You can help me so I finish earlier.”

In die kombuis was Tina onhandig die skottelgoed. Ant Lya klik en stop die afdroogdoek
in haar hande. “Droog djy liewer af. En moenie iets laat val nie!”
In the kitchen, Tina clumsily washes the dishes. Ant Lya clicks and puts the drying
cloth in Tina’s hands. “You must rather dry. And don't drop anything!”

Tina kyk rond. Vroeër jare was sy saam met haar ma in die kombuis as hulle kom uithelp
het met slagtyd in die winter. Soms het haar ma kom help huisskoonmaak voor Krismis.
Toe dit nog Stefaans se ma se kombuis was. Oumies se kombuis.
Tina looks around. Earlier years she was with her mother in the kitchen when they came
to help with slaughtering in winter. Sometimes her mother came to help with spring
cleaning before Christmas. When it was Stefaans mother's kitchen. Oumies’s kitchen.

Toe het dit geruik na gemmerkoekies en appelkooskonfyt. Nou ruik sy net jikwater. Ant
Lya is gesteld op haar vadoeke.
Then it smelled of ginger biscuits and apricot jam. Now she just smells jik water. Ant
Lya is set on her dishcloths.

“Djinne, maar djy het grootgeword,” sê ant Lya. Sy pak koppies in die hoë rak. “Ek het
djou laas gesien toe die predikant van die Sendingkerk nog hier kom kerk hou het. Nou
kom hy mossie meer nie.”
"Sho, but you grew up," says Ant Lya. She packs cups in the high shelf. “I saw you last
when the minister of the Mission Church still came to church. Now he doesn't come
here anymore. "

“Hy kom nog daar by Coetzeesrus.”

“He still comes to Coetzeesrus.”

“Lyk my hy en baas Stefaans het stry gehad, dié lat hy nie meer hier kom nie.”
"Looks like he and boss Stefaans had a fight, so he doesn't come here anymore."

7
“Hoekom kom Antie-hulle nie daar na ons toe nie? Die dominee kom een keer in die
maand.” As hy kom, vertel hy altyd hoe nodig dit is om jou Bybel te ken. Tina dink nie sy
sou begin lees het as sy geweet het hoe dik die Bybel regtig is nie.
"Why does n’t Auntie come to us? The pastor comes once a month.” When he comes, he
always tells us how necessary it is to know your Bible. Tina thinks that she wouldn’t
have started to read if she knew how thick the Bible really was.

“Baas Stefaans sê nie vir ons nie, dan weet ons nie om oor te kom nie.”
"Boss Stefaans does not tell us, then we do not know to come over."

Toe Stefaans Marais die deur oopmaak, kan sy sien hy het geslaap. Sy oë is rooi en sy
ruik die fyn nádraai van die alkohol.
When Stefaans Marais opens the door, she can see he slept. His eyes are red and she
smells the fine turn of the alcohol.

“Wat maak die kind dié tyd hier?” Hy’s vererg vir Lya.
"What is the child doing here at this time?” He's annoyed with Lya.

Lya verplaas die teiken. “Dié kjind soek die baas. Sy kom van Coetzeesrus af.”
Lya moves the target. “This child is looking for the boss. She comes from Coetzeesrus.”

“Lya, sit solank die water vir die koffie op. Ek sal dit nou kom kry.” Hy draai na Tina.
“Wat wil jy hê?” Hy begin al deur se kant toe stap.
“Lya, put on the water for the coffee. I'll get it now.” He turns to Tina. "What do you
want?" He starts to walk to the door.

“My naam is Tina Louw, Meneer. Ek wil die meneer alleenag sien, Meneer.”
“My name is Tina Louw, sir. I want to see sir privately.”

Hy verstil ‘n oomblik, draai toe en beskou haar.

He staggers for a moment, then turns and looks at her.

Tina weet wat hy sien. Geelpienk gesig soos al hulle Karretjiesmense. Kort soos haar ma.
Bruin amandelvormige oë. Puntneus, nie mooi rond en plat soos haar maats s’n nie.
Tina knows what he sees. Yellow pink face like all of them. Just like her mother. Brown
almond-shaped eyes. Pointy nose, not pretty and round and flat like her friends.

Uitstaanneuse! Terg die kinders. Olifantneus! Ou Grootneus!

Pointy nose! The children tease. Elephant nose! Big nose!

En die dun lippe. Nie een van die seuns wil met haar agter die kunsklas vry nie. Ouma
Rebekka van Perdefontein sê hulle sal nog jammer is. Sy sê gelukkig het Tina hulle
familie se sterk wit tande gekry. Ouma Rebekka het nog al haar tande.

8
And the thin lips. None of the boys wants to kiss behind the art class with her.
Grandma Rebekka from Perdefontein says they will be sorry oneday. She says that Tina
luckily got their family's strong white teeth. Grandma Rebekka still has all her teeth.

Al die meisies beny haar omdat haar hare ligbruin is en nie kroes nie. Dit vleg nie so
lekker patroontjies op haar kop soos die ander s’n nie, maar sy kan dit in ‘n poniestert
maak sonder dat sy nodig het om dit in bruinpapier te stryk.
All the girls envy her because her hair is light brown and not frizzy. It does not plait
nice patterns on her head as the others, but she can make it into a ponytail without the
need to iron it in brown paper.

Die ander probleem is haar kieriebeentjies. Maar ouma Rebekka sê sy’s nog jonk;
miskien kry sy darem later dik boude soos haar ma. Ouma Rebekka sê haar ma het ook
eers lyf gekry na sy vir Tina gebore het.
The other problem is her stick like legs. But Grandma Rebekka says she's still young;
maybe she gets thick buttocks like her mom. Grandma Rebekka says her mother first
got her body after she had born Tina.

“Nou kom dan saam,” sê hy kortaf. Tina is nie seker of hy kwaad is en of hy net nie
gewoond is bruin kinders vra om hom te sien nie.
"Now come with," he says abruptly. Tina is not sure if he is angry or whether he is not
used to colored children asking to see him.

Sy loop agter hom aan deur ‘n donker gang tot in ‘n vertrek waar daar ‘n groot lessenaar
staan. ‘n Foto van ‘n stoetbul, so groot soos ‘n tafel, hang teen die een muur. Daar is ‘n
boekrak vol boeke en Tina stap sonder om te vra soontoe. Dis nie storieboeke nie, sien
sy teleurgesteld. Dit lyk soos goed oor boerdery.
She follows him through a dark hallway into a room where there is a big desk. A
photograph of a stud bull, as big as a table, hangs against one wall. There is a bookcase
full of books and Tina walks towards it without asking. It's not story books, she sees
disappointed. It is about farming, it seems.

Toe sy omdraai, staan die man haar met ‘n frons en bekyk. “Wat soek jy … Tina?”
As she turns around, the man frowns and looks at her. "What are you looking for ...
Tina?"

Sy dink aan die padloper. “Ek wil geld hê.”

She thinks about the road runner. “I want money.”

Hy snuiflag. “Hoekom? Hoeveel?”

He snorts. "Why? How much?"

“Ek wil dorpskool toe gaan.”

“I want to attend the school in town.”

9
“Hoekom? Rising Star is ‘n baie goeie plaasskool. Daar ry glad ‘n bus van die dorp af met
mense wat daar in engels wil skoolgaan.”
"Why? Rising Star is a very good farm school. There is a bus going from town with
people who want to go to school in English.”

Tina aarsel vir ‘n oomblik. So. Hy weet wie sy is. Hy weet waar sy skoolgaan.
Tina hesitates for a moment. So. He knows who she is. He knows where she goes to
school.

“Ek wil nie in Engels in skoolgaan nie. Ek wil in Afrikaans in skoolgaan.”

“I don't want to go to school in English. I want to go to school in Afrikaans.”

Hy maak ‘n kassie teen die muur oop en haal ‘n bottel uit. Vir Tina is dit ‘n pragtige
bottel. Dit het ‘n dik glasboom en hy loop effens wyer met ‘n amper golwende beweging
na bo, voor dit vernou in ‘n dun nek met ‘n glansende roesrooi prop. Die etiket het
dieselfde kleur as die prop. Glenmorangie, lees Tina. Eighteen years old.
He opens a cupboard against the wall and takes out a bottle. To Tina this is a beautiful
bottle. It has a thick glass bottom and it runs slightly wider with an almost wavy
upward movement, before it narrows into a thin neck with a glossy rust-red lid. The
label has the same colour as the lid. Glenmorangie, Tina reads. Eighteen years old.

Hy skink daarvan in ‘n dik glas wat lyk of daar patrone in uitgesny is. Net ‘n klein bietjie
onder in die glas. Hy kyk daarin, neem ‘n klein sluk. “Hierdie whiskey,” sê hy, “is vyf jaar
ouer as jy.”
He pours some of it into a thick glass that looks as if there are patterns cut out from
it. Just a little bit in the bottom of the glass. He looks at it, takes a small sip. "This
whiskey," he says, "is five years older than you."

Hy weet hoe oud sy is.

He knows how old she is.

Hy draai die glas in sy hande. “Maar jy gaan dan al vir sewe jaar in Engels skool in Rising
Star.” Hy neem weer ‘n sluk.
He turns the glass in his hands. "But you have been taught in English for seven years at
Rising Star." He takes another sip.

Sy trek haar skouers op. “Ek praat Afrikaans in die huis in. Die ander kinders praat
Afrikaans of Xhosa. Niemand praat Engels nie, maar die klasse is in Engels in. Ons kry
swaar om te weet wat sê die onderwysers. Rising Star gaan net tot by graad nege, dan
moet ek dorpskool toe gaan. Die kinders sukkel by die dorp se skool, want daar is als
weer Afrikaans, dan het hulle nou by Rising Star in Engels geleer. Nou dan is als
deurmekaar.” Tina is uitasem verduidelik.
She shrugs her shoulders. “I speak Afrikaans in the house. The other children speak
Afrikaans or Xhosa. No one speaks English, but the classes are in English. We find it
hard to understand what the teachers say. Rising Star only goes to grade nine, then I

10
have to go to school in town. The children are struggling at the town's school, because
there everything is in Afrikaans, they have studied at Rising Star in English. Well then
everything is confused.” Tina is out of breath the way she explained.

“Ek verstaan die dorpskool gee darem julle boeke en toetse in Engels.”
"I hear that the school in town gives your books and tests in English."

Sy knik haar kop. “My tjommies wat verlede jaar by Rising Star graad nege klaargemaak
het, sê hulle raak agter as hulle by die dorpskool kom. Hulle sê die onderwysers daar
praat meeste Afrikaans in die klas in. Hulle praat net Engels as jy vra. Nou ek dink dan
sal dit beter is as ons van die begin af in Afrikaans geleer het.”
She nods her head. "My friends who finished grade nine last year at Rising Star say
they are falling behind when they arrive at the town school. They say the teachers
mostly speak Afrikaans in class. They only speak English when you ask. Now I think it
would be better if we studied in Afrikaans from the beginning.”

“Maar eendag moet jy kan Engels praat as jy verder studeer.”

"But someday you should be able to speak English if you want to study further."

Tina trek haar skouers op. “Die ander kinders studeer nie verder nie. En daar is plekke
waar mens in Afrikaans kan leer. Die koerant sê so. En ek dink dit is beter in Afrikaans
in.”
Tina shrugs. “The other children are not studying further. And there are places where
one can study in Afrikaans. The newspaper says so. And I think it's better in
Afrikaans.”

Hy vee met sy hand oor sy ylerige hare. “Waar kry jy die koerant om te lees?”
He brushes his hand over his ferocious hair. "Where do you get the newspaper to
read?"

“Mevrou Coetzee gee hom Maandae vir my ma om huis toe te bring.”

"Mrs Coetzee gives it to my mother every Monday to bring home."

Hy kyk vir haar met sy geelbruin oë. “In Bloemfontein is daar ‘n Engelse hoërskool. Wil
jy nie liewers soontoe gaan nie?”
He looks at her with his yellow-brown eyes. “In Bloemfontein there is an English high
school. Wouldn't you rather want to go there?”

“Dis die Xhosa-kinders wat Bloemfontein toe gaan. Hulle sukkel met Engels én
Afrikaans.”
“It is the Xhosa children who go to Bloemfontein. They struggle with English and
Afrikaans.”

11
“Jy moet miskien maar tot by graad nege klaarmaak by Rising Star. Jy word aangery
met ‘n bakkie. As jy dorpskool toe gaan, is dit twee jaar se ekstra koshuisgeld en
skoolgeld.”
“You must maybe rather finish at Rising Star up to grade nine. You have transport to
school. When you go to school in town, it is two years of extra residence fees and
school fees.”

“Dis hoekom ek die geld vra.”

“That’s why I’m asking for money.”

“Wat sê jou ma?”

“What does your mother say?”

“My ma sê nie iets nie.”

“My mother says nothing.”

“Het jy met haar daaroor gepraat?”

“Did you talk to her about it?”

Tina skud haar kop.

Tina shakes her head.

“Hoekom nie?”
“Why not?”

“Sy sal nie verstaan nie.”

“She won’t understand.”

Hy skink weer ‘n bietjie Glenmorangie onder in die glas. Tina wonder hoekom hy nie maar
die glas vol skink nie. So arm soos hulle is, skink hul ‘n glas vol Sweeto.
He pours some Glenmorangie into the glass. Tina wonders why he doesn’t pour the glass
full. As poor as they are, they pour a glass full of Sweeto.

“Hoe lyk jou punte?” vra hy.

“What does your marks look like?” he asks.

Sy haal die rapport uit. Vandag gekry by die skoolbyeenkoms. Die beste in die klas.
Punte ver meer as enigiemand in die skool. Juffrou het onderaan geskryf: “Tina is
promoted to Grade 8. Congratulations!” Al die vakke is 80% of meer, behalwe Life
Orientation. Juffrou Manoto het haar vererg toe Tina sê sy dink nie safe sex werk nie,
want Xoliswa in graag nege is swanger en Juffrou het ook die mistyk gemaak, want
Juffrou het ‘n bybie sonder ‘n pa.
She takes the report out. Got it today at the school assembly. The best in class. Marks
far more than anyone in the school. Teacher wrote at the bottom: "Tina is promoted to
Grade 8. Congratulations!" All the subjects are 80% or more, except Life Orientation.

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Miss Manoto got angry when Tina said she didn't think safe sex works, because Xoliswa
in grade nine was pregnant and Miss Manoto also made the mistake, because Miss
Manoto has a baby without a father.

Sy weet nie hoekom almal altyd so aangaan oor ‘n mistyk nie. As dit dan so vreeslik is,
hoekom máák hulle die mistyk? Sy wat Tina is, is ook ‘n mistyk en haar ma gaan aan met
haar asof sy reken Tina was aspris om gebore te raak.
She doesn't know why everyone is always talking about a mistake. If so, why are they
making the mistake? She, who is Tina, is also a mistake and her mother goes on with her
as if she thinks Tina was spiteful to be born.

Die man gaan sit agter die lessenaar en lees haar rapport van bo tot onder deur.
Tussenin sluk hy aan sy Glenmorangie. Sy verwonder haar dat hy so lank kan teug aan so
‘n klein bietjie. As Pa At, haar grootmaakpa, ‘n bottle Old Brown vasvat, is hy nou-nou
leeg.
The man goes and sit behind the desk and reads her report from top to bottom. In
between he sips on his Glenmorangie. She is in awe that he could sip for such a long
time on so little. If Pa At, her father, seizes a bottle of Old Brown, it won’t be long
before it is empty.

Hy sit die rapport neer. “Hoeveel geld het jy nodig?” vra hy.
He puts the rapport down. “How much money do you need?” he asks.

Tina kyk onseker na hom. Jakob het gesê vra geld. Sy het geen idee hoeveel om te vra
nie. “Ek weet nie,” sê sy naderhand. “Dis die skoolgeld en die boekegeld en die
koshuisgeld en die kleregeld. En die kinders praat van toiletries en sakgeld.”
Tina looks at him uncertainly. Jakob said ask money. She has no idea how much to ask.
"I don't know," she says after a while. “It's the school fees and the book fees and the
hostel fees and the money for school clothes. And the kids talk about toiletries and
pocket money.”

Hy sug. “Ek sal die skool en die koshuis betaal. Ek sal dat my prokureur dit reël. Maar jy
moet met jou ma reël. Ek vat jou nie skool toe nie; sy moet teken vir jou. Die prokureur
kan vir haar die geld vir die klere en toiletries en sakgeld ook gee.”
He sighs. “I will pay the school and the hostel. I will let my lawyer arrange it. But you
have to arrange with your mother. I don't take you to school; she must sign for you.
The lawyer can also give her the money for the clothes and toiletries and pocket
money.”

Tina skud haar kop. “Gee vir ant Lya die geld. Ek sal saamgaan as sy Mabel se goed gaan
koop vir die skool, dan kan sy myne ôk koop. My ma sal die geld vir die kleintjies
gebruik.”
Tina shakes her head. “Give Ant Lya the money. I'll go along if she's going to buy
Mabel's stuff for the school, then she can buy mine too. My mother will use the money
for the little ones."

13
Sy blik verskerp. “Het sy nie genoeg geld nie?”
His gaze sharpens. "Doesn't she have enough money?"

“My pa syp partykeer baie.”

“My father sometimes drinks too much.”

Sy gesig word styf. Die effense dubbelken verdwyn en die punt van sy neus lyk skerper.
Hy kyk vir die glas in sy hand en sit dit neer.
His face becomes stiff. The slight double-chin disappear, and the tip of his nose looks
sharper. He looks at the glass in his hand and puts it down.

Tina kyk by die venster uit. Die grasperk is groen, maar daar is nie meer so baie blomme
soos toe Oumies hier was nie.
Tina looks out the window. The lawn is green, but there are not so many flowers as when
Oumies was here.

“Nou toe, dan is dit afgehandel. Jy sal die geld kry.“

“Well then, it is sorted. You will get the money.”

Tina beskou hom oplettend. Nie eers geld vir ‘n lekkertjie nie. Niks meer as wat sy voor
gevra het nie. Sy wens sy het nie nodig om iéts van hom te vat nie.
Tina watches him attentively. Not even money for a sweet. Nothing more than she
asked for. She wished she didn't need to take anything from him.

Toe sy in die warm pad af loop, al etende aan ‘n toebroodjie van ant Lya, dink sy daaraan
dat hy baie uitgevra het.
As she walks down the hot road, eating a sandwich from Ant Lya, she thinks he had
asked a lot.

Maar daar was een vraag wat Stefaans Marais nie gevra het nie: Hoekom kom vra jy
juis vir mý?
But there was one question Stefaans Marais didn't ask: Why do you ask the money
from me?

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