History

Meraai

Meraai

Mrs Maria Smith with family on the  Stoep of her new house.


Mrs Smith from Generaal Street,Utrecht, KZN
This is what "others" record about the old lady
that lives in this small town ind the Midlands.
This image was taken from the Stoep of her new Home,
that her children built for her. The Old Home.her husband built
still stands and is rented out. The old things are dear to her. her
memories in brick and stone and metal. She holds on to them with
grim determination and quite rightly so. She told me how the Boere
allowed her Husband to build the house in the white area in Town
after a kindly Councillor spoke up about the woman living
with all her children in a small abode. That was Apartheid South Africa
and her husband, Oom Flip was respected and accepted by the whites.
He was a builder and he loved Rugby. He was the only non white allowed
to watch rugby in the stands, while his children had to watch through the outer fence.
No one knows why, but they allowed him to build a proper house in the white part of town.
She recalls how they came and recorded every single item she owned,every knife spoon and fork.
Every piece of cloth and clothes and appliances.
Her husband built the house with his own hands
with money he earned as an out of town builder.
There was a bucket system and the toilet was built separate from the house.
Years later a septic tank was built and a flush toilet was installed.
It still stands. The outhouse still stands although she now
has three modern toilets in her new home.

She has a master bedroom with en suite bathroom and walk in wardrobe. Two other rooms with their own bathroom and a separate toilet. Two lounges, a spacious kitchen and dining room.She is comfortable and secure. I built her a chicken coup and a room for the gardener,who lived in a shack on the property. I fenced the huge property and was scolded because I put in "so many gates". This I must tell. She was amazed,when the new house was completed and that damn extra gate was exactly in the right place, as if it was planned. It could not be because the new home was but a dream her children had when I built the fence.
That chicken coup I built now is home to wild guinea fowl just like I told her. I told her they would come and sleep in the tree. I could not have known but they are still there.
They come and go as they please during today but faithfully return at dusk to roost.
her husband was 27 years older than her and died in his forties. She raised twelve children on her own and took in many extra children being their foster mother. She did all this while working as a clerk at a local General dealer. Soon she will be blessed with her 42nd great grandchild. her children and grandchildren are all successful in their own right but return often to visit Mom in the place they know as home.

Even the old bath,she used for her washing all those years is still there next to the grapevine. She cannot let go.the memories are fond and cherished. The whole town knows and respects this wise old Matriarch that forms an indelible part of the history of this town.
She is 82 and I call he mom like so many others.



1 comment:

  1. Even the old bath,she used for her washing all those years is still there next to the grapevine. She cannot let go.the memories are fond and cherished. The whole town knows and respects this wise old Matriarch that forms an indelible part of the history of this town.
    She is 82 and I call he mom like so many others.

    ReplyDelete