Andries Hendricks
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Andries Hendricks is known as Dallie. He was 73 years old at the time of the interview and was born on the other side of the Pakhuis Mountain in Kleinvlei.
Andries Hendricks describes in great detail what Clanwilliam was like years ago. He tells of the well-known tree that all the young people spent time under, and how one night he tried to protect his father’s goats from a jackal.
Andries Hendricks is nicknamed Dallie. He was 73 years old at the time of the interview and was born on the other side of Pakhuis Mountain in Kleinvlei. When he was young his family moved to another farm, where he grew up. He worked in a white old age home for eight years, then in a hotel for six years and he was a supervisor at a school for 13 years. When the children did not listen to him as they had before, he decided to resign, because the naughty kids made the job too stressful.
In the past, Clanwilliam did not have cars. People used donkey carts as transport. Andries relates how he and his family would leave for a Sunday’s communion on a Friday, leaving on Monday and arriving home on Wednesday. The church they attended in Clanwilliam has since been demolished. Andries tells of a well-known tree that they called the “lonesome tree”, there since he can remember. People engraved their names into its bark, and then did it again after it shed its bark. Many people found love there. Andries wants the tree to be protected and closed off, because it is a part of Clanwilliam’s history. The old people of Clanwilliam will have stories to share about the lonesome tree.
Andries was one of the first people admitted to the brand new Clanwilliam hospital, with pains in his leg. There were separate white and coloured churches. Andries tells a story he says is better than that of Dirk Ligter. There was a coloured policeman in the town who could find anyone who was hiding from him. He walked with a walking stick, and one day he was looking for a man and found him in the river. He poked his nose with his walking stick as he came up for breath and arrested him. This policeman rode a horse that he could blow a whistle for, and it would come from wherever it was.
Andries tells of his childhood days. His father farmed and he had to tend to the goat kids. At night the kids had to be put in the kraal to be safe from the jackal. One night the jackal dug a hole underneath the fence and killed three or four kids. Andries got a hiding from his father, even though he was at home and nowhere near the kraal. One night he decided to sleep by the kraal with his dog and wait for the jackal. When it came, he set his dog on the jackal. Then Andries saw lights in the distance – it was his father looking for him. That night he got another big hiding for not telling his father where he was. In those days, he says, you had to ask permission to do everything. He did not think of telling his father where he would be that night. He says it still bothers him how he got a hiding that night.
Look, I’m Andries, sorry, I’m Andries Hendricks but they call me Dallie. That is my little name, which I grew up with.
How old are you?
I’m 73. I’m 73 and, if you want to know, I was born here on the other side of Pakkiesberg Mountain, at the small place called Kleinvlei. That is where my father started with their farming, there I was born. But I left there when I was still small and then we went to live on another farm, where I got my wits. Because I heard them say that I’d been born on that side, but I then grew up on that farm, Kellerfontein (?? 01:06), and there I, I mean, I grew up and started to work, and worked. And later on I moved, then I came to work at the Odays (?? 01:22). Remember, at that time, if I may say this, at that time it was still, called them the white Odays. See. So then I worked for the white Odays. I worked there for eight years. Then things were not nice, well then, then I moved on, then I came to work at the hotel. I think I worked there for about six years.
Then I heard that they were looking for people at the school, for a supervisor and that kind of work. And then I applied for that but I didn’t get the job. Someone else got the job but then that person apparently didn’t pitch up. So they approached me. They said if I were still interested… So I said, there you have it.
Then I left the hotel and worked there for 13 years. At the school. When I was, when I turned 60, I retired. They then asked me to work on or off, then I said no, because I’d heard that life was becoming a bit difficult, because the children were not like in those times, they don’t listen, you may no longer do this and you may no longer do that. So I knew, so I said, no, wait, let me leave the school. Enjoy the time I have left, because I stress too much about the children business.
What was Clanwilliam like in the early days?
Look, now they want me to, that time that I was growing up, there weren’t any vehicles like cars and that type of thing. Maybe here and there, I think, a bakkie or a vehicle, but most of the time we rode with the, with the mules and oxen and that type of thing, the donkey wagons. We used to ride from the, there from that farm… Say we had to come to Communion, then we already started out on, let us say you had to be here on the Sunday, then we already started out on the Friday, to get here. Now, here, here where the, above the, where the hospital is, you know where the hospital is? … Just on the other side of the hospital is that piece of land, that was the, they called it the pound. So if your livestock came onto my land, then I took them there, then you had to redeem them there, you had to pay whatever.
Well then, when we came to town with the donkeys, then the donkeys were placed in there and then we were here on Sunday, then on Monday we left again. Then we came back on Wednesday, then we were back again. At home, so.
But the location* wasn’t here. Here where the dam is, this area, the location was there. We used to go there and…
What was the name of the location?
Man, h-o-o-w, now you’re asking me. Man, I can’t remember… I only know it is…
The people there…
The coloured people…
The coloured people lived there…
The coloured people… Location, that’s what we called it, the location, but the people who were there… Our church was here below in the park. What they now call Park Street, that was where our church was. But they’ve demolished the church, I see. I don’t know why, But that is where our church used to be. There.
And, but, but for the rest, this, this Clanwilliam has really expanded, there were not places like there are now. Oh golly, at that time there was little, scarce. Everything was very scarce. And you had to do everything on foot. And so and so.
Look, I don’t know whether you know, as they now… There is a small tree not far from here, they call it the lonely tree. If you’re coming from Grootkloof, then you see this tree standing there. Now, that tree, when I got my wits, that tree was standing there, can you believe it? And it’s, it’s, we called it the lonely tree. You can see, they always, they carved out their names on its bark and then the bark fell off and then it just started again, but it is still standing there. I can’t believe it, that tree, look, it is older than I am, years older than I am, because when I got my wits, it was there. That tree, and many people will tell you about that tree, people often went to sit there, and found their love at that tree. So it is a very… dingese*.
I would really like them to do something with that tree, you know, to fence it, for history. It really is a history of Clanwilliam. That tree. As I know it. Because I think if you maybe go around in Clanwilliam, the older people, like me, they’ll also be able to tell you about that tree. Really, that tree is a… look, at that time the hospital was still the old hospital, below in, here in the park. I don’t know whether you can remember it? You won’t know, but I lay there with a leg. I developed such a dinges in my leg. And then I lay in that hospital, then this hospital, and believe me, when they opened that hospital, this is no lie, it’s the truth, when they opened this hospital, I was transferred from there to this hospital… transferred. I moved from there to here.
Can you remember when that was?
Which, ohh, which, look, that is now one thing about me, I can’t remember the, the…
… the dates…
…the dates and those things, probably because I didn’t, I didn’t have schooling and that type of thing. That is why I can’t, but this type of thing, I won’t be able to remember the years and stuff. But I know, that’s where I’m from. Now, they’ll probably know when that, when this hospital was opened, that they’ll surely have. Now, I came from there, so I was one of the patients who opened that hospital. Is true.
Do you know the prohibited section between Park Street and the coloured… Can you tell us?
The what?
The prohibited section between Park Street and the upper coloured area.
…..
Can you remember it?
…..
The piece of land above the old jail.
Oh, no, no, no, man, I’m, look, we, I’m not really, all I know is… The school was there, and the, the church, that stood there…
Did everyone go into the church, or whose church was it?
No, it was only the coloureds. No, it’s coloureds as well, and also not… how shall I put it, the Dutch Reformed Church. It is now a Dutch Reformed Church. Now, look, like the, the other dinges, church, English church, there below, what is the name of that church? At that time it was still, it was still, and then the, the white church. That now stands where the old church, where they now have, what do they call it?, the, where they have the flower show and that type of stuff, that is in that church. Yes, so.
Have you ever heard of Dirk Ligter?
Man, that was quite another story. I’ve heard a lot about Dirk Ligter’s stories. He was a, that Dirk Ligter, told me that story, I have a better story than, than Ligter, about, what is the… I knew that uncle well. Old policeman. Now, look, you couldn’t hide from him, from this uncle, what was his? … Come on, what was the uncle’s name? I know… oh heavens… I can remember his name quite well… You could hide anywhere, then he would come and get you, didn’t matter where. He came and got you.
Was he coloured?
It was a coloured…
Not Smittie?
No, no. No, man, Smittie was… recent policeman. Smittie…
Tell us what he did.
Now, there was a chappie, he was a terrible guy, this was in my days. Was a young chappie. But he was truly terrible. And sly. Just as I get to the uncle’s name, it escapes me. Now, he’d done something again and the uncle was, they had to get him, then the uncle said, no wait, I’ll go get him. And he walked around here to the dam, you know, there among the, there were a lot of kafsgeskuile*, those dingese, they now call it a kafferskuil*, I don’t know why, probably because people hid so well in there. He was in the water. He lay there, but only his, he had to have at least his nose out of water so that he could breathe. Then this uncle went in there, he had his kierie* with him. So he scratched him on his nose and said, “You can come out now.” So they caught him, they came to get him out of there. And this uncle rode a horse. He, he always had a horse. Now, he only had to blow his whistle, then the horse came.
Oh.
He left the horse somewhere, and then just as he, when he got to the man, he just blew his whistle.
Was he a policeman?
It’s a policeman.
Do you know him?
No, no. No, man, no, it is now, this is, there is. Hey, golly, I want to say the uncle’s name, I can… It is such a klonkie*, such a… stripling.
Yes.
What is the uncle’s…? Hey, golly, you know, you can ask the people, there are people here who’ll remember his name. But that uncle got people, they could be very sly and whatever but he found you, he found you, he found you wherever you were. Now, that was to me one of the, the surprising thing was that we actually, we were there at the dam, at that time there was only the single bridge. Just below it, there were a lot of kafferskuils. Now, we always, on this side there was this pool, we used to swim there a lot. Then the uncle came there, and he didn’t even ask us whether we’d seen someone, or so. He just came and went in, he rolled up his pants and took off his shoes and walked in. Into the water. Now, he had a kierie. Quite a long kierie. He looked around and then he, then he scratched around. He still asked us, “Do you want to see what I’m doing?” I remember it well. He was scratching that guy, that man’s nose. Said, “You can come out of there, you don’t have to go any farther.” Then he came out of there.
And, well, then he shackled the man and then he blew his whistle. I don’t know where the horse had been, but along came the horse, ketakke, takke, ketakke, takke. Then he shackled the man to the horse and then, him on the horse and he walked with the man next to the horse, yes, they walked. They took him. At that time the police station wasn’t close by like it is now, let’s say, there where, just below…
Yes.
…in the, it was just below, there was the police station. It is on that side of the road now, at the time it was at the bottom of the street.
But my, my, dingese, look, my childhood. Now, I just want to tell you one story, and then you really have to excuse me when I’m finished. Look, my pa and them there at Kellerfontein, he, together they used to, he* had pigs together, goats together, sheep. Now, then we had to, I always had to look after the goats. Now, when in the evening you, my brother always took the goats without lambs, when it was lambing season, I took the lambs. We looked after them. But you had to make sure that a goat was in the kraal, and if it wasn’t in the kraal, then, then it was jackal food. That night.
But there were always… Look, at that time people cut the chaff, selfbinders and those things. Well, then you had to make a stack, then the threshing machine came, then it threshed the stuff. Well, then there was a heap of chaff. Now, they, there was a chaff heap. Now, they made the goat kraals* where it was wet, then you just took chaff and threw it into the kraal, and so on. Now, in the evenings you were, oh, our house was about as far as, as Panorama from the goat kraal, and you had to walk there in the evening, and back in the morning to get to the goats. While you were on your way, the jackal came and dug a hole underneath the fence, then it killed the goat lambs inside the kraal. It didn’t kill one and eat it, no, it would kill three or four. So. You know, then my father gave me a hiding, and I’d been at the house. And this is something that up to today I can’t understand, I can’t get over it.
But okay, that is still not the dinges. One day I decided, I said when I got to the kraal, I said, tonight I’m not going home. I’m going to stay here and I’m going to hide in this chaff and I’m going to ambush this thing. The dog was also with me. Me and the dog there in the chaff, the dog did like I told it, it had to lie there with me. Now, later I heard that the goats were beginning to snort, so I knew that it was there. The dog wanted to get out but I said, “No, wait, lie still.” When it was inside and the goat lamb screamed, I said to the dog, “There it is.” I made a rhyme about it.
Say the rhyme for us.
The, the jackal says “I shit”, then the dog says, “I kill”. So the… but now, that business there, I thought, look, my pa was going to be very proud and glad that I killed the thing. I nearly said the bloody thing because it caused me grief. Because I just got hidings because of it and I hadn’t even been there. And when I looked, when I was finished, then I saw lights everywhere. Look, at that time people didn’t have other… only lanterns. Now, my pa and them were coming to look for me, because I hadn’t come home. And I also hadn’t said that I was going to stay there. So I walked, walked downhill on the path, my eldest brother was coming up the path. He found me first. But now you had to throw a match, the one who found me, throw… They kept a lookout for the lights, so they saw that it was okay, then you could see the lights being extinguished. So they knew, they’d seen. Now look, that evening, my pa hit me, phheeww.
Why? I also had the jackal? I should have told them. See, our parents were like that in those days. You couldn’t do something without asking first, or telling, and so on. Can I do this, or may I do this and so on. You had to tell, but the houses were so far, and I had to go and say… You know, you left in the morning, had to say, I’m not coming home tonight, I’m going to catch the thing, it wasn’t in me then, but I then got the dinges. But look, the next morning I was so stiff. My pa tapped me, “Boeta, the goats are in the kraal.” Then with that sick body you had to, you had to go let the goats out, because they were in the kraal. They were in the kraal. But it put an end to the goat lambs being killed by that dinges. That story still troubles me today, because I think it wasn’t necessary. It was surely not necessary that he had to hit me like that that evening. He could’ve been glad and could’ve said, “Look, it’s fine, but don’t do it again. Say when you…”
Andries Hendricks staan bekend as Dallie. Hy was 73 jaar oud ten tyde van die onderhoud. Hy is op Kleinvlei, anderkant Pakhuisberg, gebore.
Andries beskryf in detail hoe die lewe jare gelede op Clanwilliam was. Hy vertel van die bekende boompie in die omgewing waar al die jongmense saam gekuier het, en hoe hy een aand sy pa se bokke teen ’n jakkals beskerm het.
Andries Hendricks se noemnaam is Dallie. Hy was 73 jaar oud ten tyde van die onderhoud. Hy is aan die ander kant van die Pakhuisberg op Kleinvlei gebore. Toe hy klein was het hulle op ’n ander plaas gaan bly, waar hy grootgeword het. Hy het agt jaar lank by ’n ouetehuis vir blankes gewerk, daarna ses jaar lank in ’n hotel, en hy was vir 13 jaar lank toesighouer by ’n skool. Hy het besluit om af te tree want deesdae se kinders luister nie meer soos in die verlede nie en die stout kinders het sy werk te stresvol gemaak.
In die verlede was daar nie motors op Clanwilliam nie. Mense het met donkiewaens gery. Andries vertel hoe hy en sy familie Vrydag al begin ry het om betyds te wees vir Sondag se nagmaal. Maandag het hulle weer vertrek en teen Woensdag was hulle tuis. Die kerk op Clanwilliam wat hulle bygewoon het, is intussen afgebreek. Andries vertel van ’n bekende boompie wat hulle vandat hy kan onthou die “eensame boompie” genoem het. Mense het hulle name op die boompie se bas uitgekrap, en as die bas afgeval het, dit weer gedoen. Baie mense het daar liefde gevind. Andries wil hê die boompie moet beskerm en afgekamp word, want dis deel van Clanwilliam se geskiedenis. Hy sê die ouer mense van Clanwilliam sal stories oor die eensame boompie kan vertel.
Andries was een van die eerste pasiënte wat in die splinternuwe Clanwilliam Hospitaal opgeneem is, met ’n seer been. Daar was afsonderlike kerke vir blanke en bruin mense. Andries vertel ’n storie wat volgens hom beter is as die een van Dirk Ligter. Daar was ’n Kleurling-polisieman op die dorp wat enigiemand kon opspoor, maak nie saak waar hy weggekruip het nie. Hy het met ’n kierie geloop. Eendag was hy op soek na ’n man wat al die tyd in die rivier weggekruip het. Net sy neus het bokant die water uitgesteek. Die polisieman het met sy kierie op die man neus gedruk en hom daar en dan gearresteer. Hierdie polisieman het met ’n perd gery wat gekom het as hy sy fluitjie blaas.
Andries vertel van sy kinderdae. Sy pa het geboer en hy moes die lammerbokke oppas. Snags moes die bokke in die kraal toegemaak word sodat die jakkals nie die lammers vang nie. Een aand het die jakkals ’n gat onder deur die draad gegrawe en drie of vier lammers doodgebyt. Hieroor het Andries ’n pak slae by sy pa gekry, al was hy by die huis en nie naby die kraal nie. Een aand het hy besluit om saam met sy hond by die kraal te slaap om die jakkals voor te lê. Toe die jakkals kom, sit hy sy hond op die jakkals. Toe sien Andries ligte in die verte – dit was sy pa wat hom kom soek het. Daardie aand het hy ’n nóg groter pak gekry omdat hy nie vir sy pa gesê het waar hy was nie. Hy sê in daardie dae moes jy toestemming vra vir alles wat jy wou doen. Hy het nooit daaraan gedink om vir sy pa te sê waar hy daardie aand sou wees nie. Hy sê dit pla hom nou nog dat hy daardie aand so pak gekry het.
Kyk, ek is, ek is, Andries. Jammer, ek is Andries Hendricks, maar hulle noem my Dallie, dit is my kleinnaam, wat ek mee grootgeword het.
Hoe oud is u?
ek is nou, drie-, drie-en-sewentig. Ek is drie-en-sewentig, enne, as u my vra, ek is gebore hier anderkant Pakkiesberg, na die plekkie genoem Kleinvlei. Dit is waar my pa begint het met hulle se boerdery, daar’s ek gebore. Maar ek is toe nog kleintyd daar weg, en toe is ons hier anderkant op ’n ander plaas gaan bly, waar ek my verstand gekry het. Want ek het gehoor toe hulle sê ek is daai kant gebore, maar ek is toe op daai plaas grootgeword. Kellerfontein (?? 01:06), en daar het ek, meen, grootgeword en beginte werk, en gewerk. Enne, toe’t ek later, het ek, geskuif, toe kom werk ek by die Odays (?? 01:22). Onthou nou daai tyd as ek mag so sê, daai tyd toe was dit nog, noem hulle blanke Odays. Sien. Maar toe werk ek by die blanke Odays. Ek het ag jaar gewerk. Toe’t die dinge nie lekker nie, nou ja, toe’t ek nou weer aan, toe kom werk ek by die hotel. Daar’t ek ôk, ek dink ek het seker ses jaar daar gewerk.
Toe hoor ek hulle soek mense by die skool, vir toesighouer en daai werk. En toe het ek daarvoor aansoek gedoen, maar toe kry ek die werk nie, en toe het iemand anders die werk gekry, maar, toe’t dié persoon glo blykbaar nie opgedaag nie. Toe kom nader hulle vir my. Toe sê hulle nou maar as ek nog belang-, belangstel. Toe sê ek, nou ja toe.
Toe los ek daar by die hotel. Enne, toe kom ek, toe werk ek, en daar’t ek nou vir dertien jaar gewerk. By die skool. Toe’s ek nou, toe ek sestig word, toe tree ek af. Toe’t hulle my sommer gevra ôk, aan of af, toe sê ek nee, want toe hoor ek d-o-e-r die wêreld raak bietjie benoud, want die kinders gaat nie nou meer soos daai tyd, hulle luister nie, jy mag nie meer dit doen nie, en jy mag nie dit doen nie. Toe weet ek, toe sê ek nee, wag, lat ek nou maar die skool los. Wat, die tydjie nog geniet wat ek nog oor het, want ek stres te veel by die kindersbesigheid.
Oom Dallie, sê vir ons, hoe was Clanwilliam destyds gewees?
Kyk, nou wil hulle vir my daai tyd wat ek nou kan grootgeword het, toe was daar mos nou nie rygoed, soos karre en daai tipe goed nie. Darem, so hier en daar, dink ek, ’n bakkie of ’n ryding, maar ons het maar die meeste met die, met die, esels, en osse en daai tipe goed, die donkies waens gery. Ons het altyd van die, daar van daai plaas af gery, nou kom ons moet nagmaal toe kom, dan begint ons nou al, sê maar jy moet nou die Sondag hier wees, nè, dan beginte ry ons al Vrydag daarvan af, om hier te kom. Nou hierso, hier waar die, waar die, bokant die, sal ek maar sê, waar die, hospitaal, nè, jy weet mos waar die hospitaal is? Net anderkant die hospitaal is mos daai stuk, daar was die, het hulle genoem die skutkraal. So, as jou vee nou by my kant kom, dan vat ek hulle soontoe, dan moet jy hulle daar loop los, jy moet koop, wat ook al.
Maar nou ja, as ons nou inkom, met die donkies, dan word die donkies nou daar ingesit en dan is ons nou maar hier, Sondag, dan Maandag dan vertrek ons weer. Dan kom ons weer die Woensdag, dan kom ons weer anderkant. By die huis, so.
Maar toe was die lokasie nie hier nie; hier waar die dam is, hierdie streek, daar was die lokasie gewees. Daar’t ons altyd gaan …
Wat was die lokasie se naam?
Man, h-o-o-e-e-e, nou vra jy darem vir my. Man, ek kan nie nou die naam … ek weet net dit is …
Die mense het daar …
Die bruin mense …
Die bruin mense het daar …
Die bruin mense … lokasie, ons het hom so genoem, die lokasie, maar die mense wat daar was … maar dan was onse kerk, was hier onder in die park. Hier wat, ek meen, hulle nou Parkstraat noem, daar was onse kerk, maar hulle het mos nou die kerk afgebreek, sien ek daarso. Ek weet nie hoekom nie, maar dit is waar onse kerk gewees het. Daarso.
Enne. Maar, maar verder gaan dit, dit, dié Clanwilliam, hy het nou so uitgebrei, man, hier was nie sulke plekke soos nou nie. O jene, daai tyd, was maar min, skaars. Alles was baie skaars. En jy moes maar alles te voet gedoen het. En so en so.
Kyk hier, ek weet nou nie of jy weet, soos hulle nou … hier staan ’n boompie hier anderkant, hulle noem hom die eensame boompie. As ’n mens nou van Grootkloof af kom, dan sien jy hierdie boompie wat hierso staan. Nou, daai boompie, toe ek my verstand kry, toe staan daai boompie daar, kan jy dit glo? En dit is, dit is, ons noem hom die eensame boompie, jy kan sien, hulle het altyd sy, om sy bas het hulle name uitgesny en dan het hy die bas afgeval en dan het hy maar net weer beginne, maar hy staan nou nog daar. Ek kan nie glo nie, daai boompie – kyk, hy is ouer as ek, jare ouer as ek, want toe ek my verstand kry, toe is hy daar. Daai boompie, en baie, dis baie mense wat nou vir jou van daai boompie, daar’t die mense nog baie gaan sit, en hulle liefde gevind by daai boompie. So dit is ’n baie, dingese.
Ek wil hê hulle moet daai boompie regtigwaar iets doen, jy weet, om hom toe te maak, vir ’n geskiedenis, hy’s rêrig ’n geskiedenis van Clanwilliam. Daai boompie. Soos ek vir hom ken. Want ek dink as u nou miskien in Clanwilliam rondgaan en die ouer mense, soos my nou, hulle sal vir jou ook van daai boompie kan vertel. Regtigwaar, daai boompie is ’n … kyk, daai tyd, was die hospitaal mos nog die ou hospitaal, onder in, in, hier in die park. Ek weet nie of u sal onthou …? Ken jy nie dit nie, nou maar daarso, ek het daar gelê, met ’n been. Ek het so ’n dinges gekry in my been. Enne, toe lê ek in daai hospitaal, toe’t hulle hierdie hospitaal, en glo, toe hulle daai hospitaal open, dis nie ’n leuen nie, dis die waarheid, toe hulle dié hospitaal open, toe word ek saam daarvan af in dié hospitaal … oorgeplaas. Ek het daar getrek hiernatoe.
Oom onthou neëntien hoeveel was dit?
Waai, joe-e, watte, man, kyk, dit is nou een ding van my, ek kan nie die, die …
… die datums …
… die datums en daai goeters – kyk, omdat ek seker nou nie, ek het mos nie skool gehad nie, en daai tipe van dinge nie. Dis waarom ek nie kan, maar dié tipe goed, maar ek sal nie kan die jare en goeters onthou nie, maar ek weet, ek is daarvan af. Nou, hulle sal darem weet wanneer is die, daai, hierdie hospitaal daar ingewy, en dit moet hulle darem seker hê. Nou, ek is daarvan is ek op, so ek was een van die, van die pasiënte wat daai hospitaal geopen het. Is eerlikwaar.
Ken Oom die verbode strokie tussen Parkstraat en die kleurling-, kan Oom vir ons sê?
Die hoese?
Die verbode strook tussen Parkstraat en die boonste kleurlinggebied.
…
Onthou Oom hom?
…
Dis nou daai stuk bokant die ou tronk.
O, nee, nee, nee man, ek is, kyk ons, ek is mos nou nie eintlik, al wat ek net weet, … daar was die skool gewees, ook, nè, ja, en dan nou die, die kerk, wat daar gestaan het …
Het almal in die kerk ingegaan, of wie se kerk was dit?
Nee, dit was net die kleurlinge, nee dis kleurlinge ôk, en dan ôk nou nie, hoe sal ek nou sê, die NG Kerk. Dis mos nou ’n NG Kerk. Nou kyk, soos die, die, ander dinges, kerk, Engelse kerk nou, daar onder, wat is daai kerk se naam? Hy was nog, hy was darem nog in daai tyd, en dan die, die blanke kerk. Wat nou staan waar die ou kerk, waar hulle hom nou die, wat noem hulle hom nou? Die, hulle hou mos nou die blommeskou en daai tipe van goed is in daai kerk. Ja so.
Oom Dallie, het Oom Dallie al gehoor van Dirk Ligter?
Man, daai ding was ook ’n storie, ek het al baie gehoor van Dirk Ligter se stories. Hy was nou ’n, daai Dirk Ligter, sê vir my daai storie, ek het ’n een storie van beter van, as Ligter, van, uhm. Wat is die …? Daai oom het ek goed geken. Ou poliesman. Nou kyk, vir hom kan jy nie weggekruip het nie, dié oom, wat is sy? … Kom nou, wat is die oom se naam? Ek ken … ai tog, ai tog … ek kan sy naam nog goed onthou … Want jy kan nou enige plek wegkruip, dan sal hy vir jou daar kom uithaal, maak nie saak nie. Hy kom haal vir jou daar uit.
Dis nou ’n kleurling gewees?
Dis ’n kleurling, uhh …
Nie Smittie nie?
Nee, nee. Nee, man, Smittie is dan nou se … nou kort se poliesman. Smittie …
Nou vertel vir ons wat het hy gemaak.
Dit is hy. Nou, hier was ’n outjie, maar hy was ’n vreeslike gruwelike mannetjie, want hy was nou in my dae. ’n Jong mannetjie gewees. Maar hy was vreeslik gruwelik. En skelm. Net soos ek by die oom se naam kom, dan haak hy weer. Nou, toe het hy ook iets en die oom was dan nou, hulle moet hom, toe sê die oom, nee wag, ek sal hom loop haal. En hy stap hier om na die dam toe, jy weet, daar tussen die, dis mos nou baie kafsgekuile, daai dingese, nou noem hulle dit die kafferskuil, ek weet nie hoekom nie, seker maar dat die mense so baie in die goed skuil. Toe’s hy nou in die water, nè. Nou lê hy, maar nou’s dit mos net sy, hy moet mos nou darem sy neus uitkom dat hy asem skep. Toe het dié oom nou ingegaan daarso, het hy nou sy kierie. Toe krap hy op sy neus, toe sê hy: “Jy kan nou maar uitkom.” Toe vang hulle hom, net daar het hulle hom gekom uithaal en nou dié oom het met ’n perd gery. Hy, hy’t altyd ’n perd. Nou hy kan net die fluitjie blaas, dan kom die perd.
O.
Hy los die perd iewers, en dan net soos hy, as hy nou by die man uitgekom het, dan blaas hy net op sy fluitjie.
Was dit nou ’n polisieman?
Dis ’n polisieman.
Ken oom Tinus hom?
Nee, nee. Nee, man, oom Tinus, nee, oom Tinus is nou, hier is, daar is. Haai, jene, ek wil die oom se naam sê, ek kan nou … dis so ’n klonkie, so … ’n opgeskote kind.
Ja.
Wat is die oom …? Haai, jene, weet julle, julle kan laat die mense, hier’s mense wat sy naam sal kan onthou. Maar daai oom het nou mense, kan maar hoe skelm wees, en wat ook al, maar hy loop haal, hy loop haal vir jou, hy loop haal vir jou waar jy … Nou, daai was een van die, vir my, die verbasende ding lat ons eintlik, ons is hier by die dam, daai tyd is hier net ’n enkele brug mos. Nou net onderkant hom, daar’s mos daai baie kafferskuile. Nou ons het altyd daar, duskant is so ’n gaatjie gewees, daar’t ons nou altyd baie geswem. Toe kom die oom daar, en hy’t nie eers vir ons gevra nie, of ons iemand gesien het of so nie. Hy’t maar net daar gekom, en by ons in, en daar sy broek opgerol, en skoene uitgetrek en ingestap daar. So in die water. Nou het hy die kierie. Taamlike lang kierie. Hy’t so gekyk, daarso en toe’t hy, toe krap hy. Hy vra nog vir ons: “Wil julle sien wat maak ek?” Ek onthou dit te goed. Toe krap hy op daai ou, daai man se neus. Sê: “Jy kan nou maar net daar uitkom, jy hoef nie verder te gaan nie.” Kom hy daar uit.
En, nou ja, toe het die man nou toe daardie man geboei en toe’t hy sy fluitjie geblaas. Waar die perd gewees het, weet ek nie, hier kom die perd, ketakke, takke, ketakke, takke. Toe’t hy die man daar aan die perd vasge-… boei en toe, hy op die perd en hy stap met die man nou langs die perd, ja, stap hulle. Vat hulle hom. Daai tyd toe’s die poliestasie nie naby soos dit nou is nie, sê net, daar waar, net aan die onderkant …
Ja.
… in die, hy was net aan die onderkant, daar was die polisiestasie gewees. Hulle het hom mos nou aan daai kant van die pad, toe’t hy nou daai tyd was hy nou aan die onderkant van die, van die straat.
Maar, my, my, dingese, kyk, my kinderdae. Nou wil ek vir jou net een storie vertel, en dan moet jy my regtig verskoon as ek daar klaar is. Kyk, my pa en, en, en daai daar by, Kellerfontein, hy, hulle het mos altyd saam, hy’t saam varke gehad, saam bokke, skape. Nou dan moet ons, ek altyd die bokke oppas. Nou as jy die aand, my broer vat altyd die gusbokke, as dit lamtyd is, ek met die lammerbokke. Nou pas ons hulle op. Maar jy moet sôre dat ’n bok in die kraal is, en as hy nie in die kraal is nie, dan gaa-, dan is hy jakkalskos. Daai nag. Maar nou, daar’s mos altyd, kyk daai tyd het die mense die kaf, selfbinders en goeters gesny. Nou ja, dan moet jy mos nou ’n mied pak, dan kom die dorsmasjien, dan dors hy mos nou die goed uit. Nou ja, nou’s dit ’n kafhoop. Nou sit, nou het hulle die, daar’s mos nou ’n kafhoop. Nou word die bokkrale daar gemaak soos die nat is, dan vat jy net kaf, dan gooi jy dit in die kraal, en so aan. Nou, saans is jy maar, o, ons huis is omtrent net so ver as, as, as Panorama van die bokkraal af, wat jy nou saans moet loop en soggens weer kom om die bokke te kom vat. Terwyl jy nou loop, dan kom die jakkals, dan grawe hy ’n gat onderdeur die draad, dan byt hy die boklammers binne-in die kraal dood. Hy gaan nou nie net een byt en vreet nie, nee, hy byt nou sommer drie of vier dood. So. Weet jy, dan gee my pa vir my ’n pak, en ek is by die huis. En dit is iets wat ek nou tot vandag toe nie kan begryp nie, oor kom nie.
Maar goed, daai is toe nog nie die dinges nie. Ek besluit toe eendag, nou sê ek, toe ek nou by die kraal kom, sê ek, maar ek gaan nie vanaand huis toe nie, ek gat nou hier bly en ek kruip in dié kaf en ek gaan dié ding voorlê. Die hond is ook by my. Ek en die hond dan nou hier in die kaf, hy maak mos nou net soos ek sê, hy moet ook hier by my lê. Nou, later toe hoor ek die bokke beginne proes, toe weet ek, hy’s nou daar. Die hond wil net uit, maar ek sê: “Nee, wag, lê.” Toe hy nou in is dat die boklam skree, toe sê ek vir die hond: “Daar’s hy.” Ek het nou ’n rympie daarvan gemaak.
Oompie, sê vir ons die rympie.
Nou, nou sê die, nou sê die, die jakkals: “Ek kak,” dan sê die hond: “Ek maak vrek”. So die … maar nou die ding daar toe, ek het nou gemeen, kyk, my pa gat mos nou baie trots wees en bly wees, ek het nou die ding doodgemaak, ek het amper gesê, die blêrrie ding, want hy het my so sonde gegee. Want ek kry net slae oor hom en dan is ek nie eers daar nie. Enne, toe ek nou so kyk, dat ek klaar is, toe sien ek net ligte, kyk, daai tyd het die mense mos nou nie ander, net lanterns. Nou, my pa-hulle wat nou kom om vir my te kom soek, want ek het dan nou nie huis toe gekom nie. En ek het ook nie gesê ek bly daar nie. Maar hier loop ekke, loop nou met die pad af, kom my oudste broer, kom met die pad op. Hy kom kry my nou eerste. Maar nou moet jy mos ’n vuurhoutjie gooi, die een wat my gekry het, gooi, hulle hou mos die ligte dop, sien hulle, nee maar, toe kan jy ook sien, daar gaan die ligte dood. Toe weet hulle, nee maar hulle het gesien. Nou kyk, daai aand slaan my pa vir my, mense, phheeww.
Nee, waaroor nie, en ek het die jakkals ôk nog. Ek moet gesê het. Sien, so was ons ouers, dourie tyd, jy kan nie ’n ding doen sonder dat jy nie gevra het, of gesê het, of so nie. Kan ek dit maak, of mag ek dit doen, of so nie. Jy moet sê, maar nou is die huise so ver, nou moet ek afgaan en dan loop sê, jy weet, is mos nou nie die oggend weg, sê, ek kom nou nie vanaand huis toe nie, ek gaan die ding vang nie, dit was toe nog nie in my nie, maar ek het toe nou die dinges gekry. Maar kyk. En die anderdagmôre is ek so styf, tik my pa my so: “Boeta, die bokke is in die kraal.” Toe moet jy met daai siek liggaam, moet jy toe nou die bokke loop uitja, want hulle is in die kraal. Hulle is in die kraal. Maar dit was die einde van die boklammers se doodbyt van daai dinges gewees. Dis my hele, en daai storie, hy spook tot vandag toe by my, want ek dink dit is ’n vernietbesigheid gewees. Dit was darem seker nie nodig dat hy my so geslaan het daai aand. Hy kan mos maar bly gewees het, en gesê het: “Kyk hier, dis reg, maar jy doen dit nie weer nie. Jy sê wanneer jy.”