Ek dink vandag aan my kaalvoet-pa. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ek dink aan die stories wat hy dikwels met \u2019n helder onthou ver in die Karoo, verby Burgersdorp se stofbossies, loop haal het. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pa het lank n\u00e1 sy sibbe gekom. Agtste in \u2019n groep van nege. \u2019n Handvol kwaai susters voor hom in die ry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pa moes altyd tevrede wees met wat padlangs na sy kant toe kom. Ouma het selfs ou rokke in hempies vir hom omgetoor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Klaargeloopte skoene was nooit onder Pa se bed te sien nie. Onnodig, want die Karoo het Pa kaalvoet grootgekry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pa het altyd vertel van sy speeltyd in die klipkoppies buite Burgersdorp. Skoenloos met lang maer skaduwees wat sy tenger seunslyf agtertoe gooi wanneer hy hol soos die wind. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hy het die somer wat van bo op sy borselkop en van onder sy skurwe sole skroei, onthou. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hy het gelag oor die bobbejaanspinnekop wat spring-spring saamhol in sy skaduwee, net om van die bloedige hitte op die ysterklippe te kan ontsnap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pa het grootgeword en in die Kaap gaan leer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Slegs een paar skoene moes vir sewe jaar lank die myle saam met hom deur die kweekskool se gange in Stellenbosch trap. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ek onthou die meelsak in Pa se klerekas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Daaruit het hy elke aand vandat ek onthou, \u2019n blik Nugget-politoer, altyd swart, met twee perdehaarborsels gehaal. Hy het sy opvoustoeltjie oopgeslaan, \u2019n vel koerantpapier op die mat uitgesit en met die blinkmaak begin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Later jare toe ek skool toe is, het my skoene saans langs syne staan gekry, blink gevryf met liefde. Vier skoene in \u2019n ry, reg vir m\u00f4re se reis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Deur die jare het Pa se skoenversameling gegroei. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Die rooibruin Grasshoppers was vir vakansies en naweek-af. Maandagaande is \u2019n paar canvastekkies stokstyf gesmeer met Shoeshine en vir Dinsdagoggend se tennisuur uitgesit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Met Pa se laaste verjaarsdag het ek vir hom skoene gegee. \u2019n Paar grys skaapwolslippers van ver oor die water. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pa het sag en moeisaam deur die huis geslof. Sy voete was koud, al was dit Oktobermaand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ek en Pa loop steeds saam-saam die pad. Op \u2019n moeilike dag draf ek dikwels vir \u2019n paar tre\u00eb agter hom aan, kaalvoet in sy skaduwee, sodat ek vir \u2019n rukkie in koelte kan trap. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Wanneer ek twyfel oor die wysheid van \u2019n besluit, loop ek gang-af en trek vir \u2019n oomblik my blinkgepoetsde skoolskoene van lank gelede aan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dink ek aan Kersfeeste by die see, hoor ek die soesh-soesh van sy Grasshoppers se geel rubbersole oor die gras in die karavaanpark waar ons kamp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
En wanneer ek wonder of hy r\u00e9gtig rustig was in sy laaste uur van groet, voel ek altyd die sagtheid van \u2019n skaapvelslipper om my hart.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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