Chapter 4.
1974.
Since David had immigrated to Southern Rhodesia things hadn't gone so well. He was drafted into the army in 1965 and in November of the same year Ian Smith the Prime Minister at the time declared independence (UDI) from Britain. In the first six week that he did the basics he got to meet two guys in his barrack room that he became very friendly with, Copper Pretorius and Peter Harris. He lost contact with both of them and thought he would never see them again...
Later the bush war started with Robert Mugabe's ZANU terrorists which meant David was going to spend more time in the bush than he wanted. Don't get him wrong. David loved the bush he just didn't want to be in the bush against his will, in uniform and sleeping in trenches, with his hair being cut like a toilet chamber had been put on his head and his hair shaved around it.
In 1969 as much as he didn't want to leave Rhodesia he had no option. Either he stays in Rhodesia or he go back to South Africa. ( It was a case of either the boiling pot or the fire ) He couldn't go any where else in the world because he held a South African passport.
There were many reasons why his parents left South Africa but the one he remembered, the deciding factor was when he was eight years old and his dad went to put fuel in his car at a garage in Cape Town. They were parked behind a car when suddenly two little girls got out. It was awful for him and his brother and sisters to see the two little little girls crying. The girls looked around to see if anybody was watching. Then in desperation they pulled up their little dresses, pulled down their panties and on their haunches went down quickly, if it was possible to do it quickly, then urinate on the forecourt.
"Mommy. Look at that!" David remembered saying.
"Yes, I can see my child."She replied.
"But mommy why don't they go to the toilet?"
"Because they're not allowed to use the same toilets as the whites people."
"Davy, that's why all the signs say. WHITES ONLY. At these places. Don't you read?"His eldest sister said. "It means only white people can use it."
When they had finished they looked around again, then pulled up their panties and jumped in the car. They had just closed the car door when the owner, a big guy with a fat stomach came out the building waving a stick and shouting."You Kaffirs get out of here." The car drove off and left behind two streams of urine running down the forecourt like little rivers.
Davy's dad followed the other car."I won't be filling up here." He said.
"David."His mother had turned to his father and said,"David, we have to get out of here. I can't stand these apartheid laws any longer. It's not fair to let the children see things like this."
It was that incident and many more that were reasons for Mr.and Mrs.Paterson to immigrate to Northern Rhodesia.
David often thought about those little girls and wondered what had happened to them. If like many other black children, they also grew up hating the white folk.
Later when he thought of that incident he really felt bad but he felt better that he had chosen to come back to South Africa because he knew he had chosen the best of the two evils. Robert Mugabe who became president of the new country Zimbabwe turned out to be a tyrant and not only had a lot of his own people murdered but also bankrupted the country.Farms were taken away from the owners and given to government officials who knew nothing about farming and eventually went to ruin. What was regarded as the bread basket of Africa became like many of the countries further up north, bankrupt. The Zimbabwe dollar became worthless and a lot of the people who had voted for the government fled the country.
David couldn't find any occupation or company that stimulated, motivated or gave him the feeling, yes this is what I want to , this is the company I want to work for, where I can make my future until he joined Modern Life Assurance Co in 1972.
From the first day he was employed he fitted into the company. He liked the job he was doing in the pensions division, he liked the people with whom he worked and least important to him at that stage, he was happy with the money he earned. He could see there were lots of opportunities for those who were prepared to offer their pound of flesh. After being there two months he started on a part time B. Com university degree.
He went on holiday in 1974 two years after joining the company and eighteen years after last seeing the Barnards.
The sun was just setting when he arrived in Cape Town. Even though he had broken the drive down by staying overnight in a little country hotel he felt it was a long drive down. If I ever come here again I'm going to fly. Stuff sitting in a car for all those hours.The hotel he was staying in was like any semi luxury hotel in the world: concrete, steel, glass, carpeting, gift shops and travelers.The porter brought his luggage up to the room. David noticed that he was waiting for a tip. He gave the youngster a couple of Rands.
The first things he did was to visit Attie Barnard and his wife Marianne who lived in Constantia one of the up market suburbs at the foot of Table Mountain.
They had not seen each other since 1955, eighteen years ago. Mr. Barnard was unmarried when him and Kim came to stay at David mom's boarding house. David guessed he must now be sixty six years old. He was always a big man with broad shoulders and if one didn't know him you sure took notice the minute he walked into the room.
Then Mrs. Barnard came in. David hadn't met her before. He stood up and greeted her. "Hello Mrs. Barnard."
"Ma this is Davy. This is the young kid I used to brag about."
"Oh, is it. Davy, he has told me so much about you. You're a lot bigger than I imagined." She looked at him then said smiling."Let me kiss you." She kissed him on both cheeks like the Europeans do.
"Yes I'v grown since we last saw each other."David said then grinned.
Thank goodness for that, hey Davy. Imagine if you stayed the same height." Then Mr. Barnard burst out laughing."Yes imagine yourself walking in here the same size as I last saw you."
David sat on the edge of the sofa and looked at the two of them. I can see they're happy. He thought. She was a lovely looking women for her age. She had Dark hair with not a so much as a grey hair and as her husband she also got people to turn their heads and look twice even at her age which David guest was about fifty six.
"David you make us feel really old, please call us by our first names, Attie and Marianne?" Mr. Barnard asked.
David spent a couple of hours with the two of them, had a lot of laughs and really felt good that he had taken the time to go and see them. Before he left he asked about Kim.
"She's married to an architect. Michael is his name but I don't think she's really happy." Marianne said.
"Why do you think that, Marianne?" David asked.
"Just the vibe we get. I think she only married him because she didn't want to become a spinster."Marianne replied. "In fact I think it applies to both of them.They never say anything nice about each other."
"Do you think if I phoned her, she would see me?" David asked.
"Phone her. I'm sure she'd like to see you. Here's her number." Mr. Barnard said.
David phoned the number he got from Attie. His heart was beating faster than normal What am I going to say to her. He thought.
"Hello," She answered.
"Kim, is that you?"
"Yes, who's speaking?"
"Kim it's David. You said if I ever come back to Cape Town I must come to see you."
"Davy, is that you?" She asked.
"Yes Kim." His heart was beating a little faster than normal."Is it possible to see you?"
"I would love to see you. Just a minute, let me ask Michael when it would suit him."
David heard her call Michael and ask when it would suit him that David comes around.
"Make it Tuesday evening because tomorrow I have a meeting." David heard him say.
"What about Tuesday at 7.00 o'clock PM. Would that suit you.?"Kim asked.
"That's great." David replied.
He had wrapped a bottle of Single Malt Scotch Whisky and picked up the bouquet of flowers he had ordered from the florist. He wondered how he would be greeted and was a bit apprehensive of the meeting. But he shouldn't have because when she opened the door her arms were open to receive him.
"Hi Davy, please come in." She kissed him on his cheek. She was as beautiful as he remembered her.
"Hi Kim and nice to see you."David said as he stared at her like she was an oil painting.
"Hi Davy, you can come in now." She said smiling at him.
Then he handed her the bouquet.'God, she is even more beautiful than I thought.' He said to himself.
"This is beautiful Davy." Then she kissed him again. David felt a tinge that he had never felt before.
"Kim, please call me David."He said, slowly.
"Oh sorry."She said.
She led him through to the lounge where Michael was sitting in one of the easy winged back chairs facing a large window. From there he had a lovely view of the Atlantic Ocean. As David approached he looked out and could see the lights of ships waiting to enter the harbor. Michael stood up and Kim introduced them and then excused herself to go put the flowers in a vase.
"Hello Davy." Michael said sticking out his hand.
"Please call me David." He replied, then handed him the gift. "What a beautiful view you have." David said."I hope you drink whisky?"
"I love whisky." He replied surprised.
Kim came back with the flowers in a vase. "Aren't they beautiful Michael." Hmmm he nodded his approval without looking to see what Kim was talking about.
"Thank you David." He said."Malt Whiskey. Other than wine that's all I drink. Kim can you get David a drink please."
"What would you like David?" she asked.
"I see you're drinking wine. I'll have the same thank you." David replied.
While Kim got David a glass of wine, he watched Michael looking at the present."This is nice David, how did you know I had a passion for Single Malt?" He asked as he held the bottle in his outstretched hand looking at the label.
"Intuition."
"Oh is it. What do you mean?"Michael asked.
"Well I thought if a gentleman was married to a beautiful woman like Kim, he must surely enjoy a good Whisky."
Michael looked at Kim then they smiled at each other. "So true."
"So how long have you two been married?" It was a question he was forever asking when he met a couple.
"About three years." Michael answered then looked at Kim just to verify his answer.
"Yes."Kim said, "about three years. We met when the company had a cocktail party to show off the model and designs of the new building we were going to move into once it was finished. Michael was the architect. He had come into the office on several occasions before the cocktail party." Kim said.
"What about you David, are you married?" Kim asked.
"No. Unfortunately no women has ever wanted to go that far with me." He said."Just as soon as I am ready to pop the question they ditch me. It's so frustrating." He burst out laughing and Michael and Kim joined him even though Kim didn't believe a word he said.
They had another glass of wine together then David stood up to leave. He promised to visit again when he came back to Cape Town. He shook Michael's hand and when he kissed Kim's cheek he felt his heart skip a beat. He stood back and then she smiled at him like she did when they both were kids. At that moment he felt something that he never experienced with any other women before. He felt absolute love, the very thing he had been looking for all his grown life.
He got back to the hotel and decided he wouldn't have an early night, he would spend a few hours in the bar.
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