Nuuskierig. Dit is ek \u2013 al van kindsbeen af \u2013 en sal ek seker altyd bly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ek was die kind wat, as die kinders buitentoe gestuur is omdat hulle nie moet \u201ctande tel\u201d nie, gesorg het dat ek styf agter die rusbank gaan sit en soet met wat ook al speel terwyl ek lekker luister na stories en gesprekke wat ek dalk liewers nie moes gehoor het nie. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Die grusaamste stories het my juis gefassineer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Om groot te word in \u2019n dorpie soos Oshakati in Namibi\u00eb (toe nog Suidwes) in die tydvak van milit\u00eare operasies in Angola het hom geleen tot heerlike \u201ctandetelstories\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Het ek hier my eerste smake gekry van wat ek as misdaadverslaggewer in my loopbaan sou ervaar? Of was dit die oorgeklankte reekse soos Derrick<\/span>, die stuurse Duitse speurder Stephan Derrick en sy lojale assistent, inspekteur Harry Klein, wat allerhande misdade moes ontrafel en uitpluis, wat gemaak het dat ek juis di\u00e9 rigting kies?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Destyds het ouers nie geweet van ouderdomsbeperkings en inhoud wat dalk onvanpas vir jonger kinders sou wees nie. So is ek en my boetie Hano ook toegelaat om saam te kyk na Angelique<\/span> met sy (vir daardie tyd) gewaagde tonele en volwasse dilemmas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n En toe volg \u2019n boks vol boeke van iemand af, met onder meer ou Konsalik-boeke en verskeie wie-het-dit-gedoen-boeke \u2013 gewis ook nie vir kinders nie. Ek het dit egter verslind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As jong joernalistiekstudent is ons na die lykshuis geneem as deel van ons opleiding. Die eerste lyk wat ons gewys is, was di\u00e9 van \u2019n tweejarige kind . . . sy het so rustig gelyk, soos \u2019n poppie. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Ek het daardie oomblik respek vir die dood gekry op \u2019n ander manier as die keer met Oumagrootjie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ouma se kis het gegly toe dit uit die lykbesorger se wa gehaal word, waarop die bopunt oopgespring en haar lang, grys hare uitgetuimel het. Ek het haar gesig so skrams gesien.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Grootmenshande het my vinnig weggeruk en t\u00e9 laat aanges\u00ea om \u201cnie te kyk nie\u201d. Ek het egter klaar gekyk en haar rustige, geliefde gesig gesien. Sy het nie soos \u2019n poppie gelyk nie \u2013 sy het moeg gelyk. My oumagrootjie, wat nog vertel het van die konsentrasiekamp; almal wat sy daar verloor het; die mini-porseleinteestelletjie waarvoor sy lank moes spaar, en waarvan sy toe een koppietjie laat stukkend val het met die oorsteek van \u2019n stroompie terug huis toe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Die harde werklikheid is veel anders as in storieboeke en flieks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Om as buitestander met geliefdes te moet praat net nadat hulle iemand aan die dood afgestaan het, is nooit maklik nie. Sommige mense is nog kwaad en haal dit op jou as joernalis uit. Dit is te verstane. Iemand moet hul hartseer ontgeld.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ek laat net nie meer toe dat mense histeries op my skree, vloek of my van onwaarhede beskuldig nie. Dan laat ek maar liewers die storie begaan met net die nodige, kriptiese inligting. Geen skets van die gestorwene sodat lesers \u2019n blik kan kry van wie die mens was toe hulle nog gelewe het nie; net nog iemand wat vermoor is of in \u2019n ongeluk omgekom het. Geen besonderhede oor hoe geliefdes hom of haar sal onthou en waardeer het nie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ander beskou juis di\u00e9 kans om weer die storie te vertel as \u2019n ontboeseming, \u2019n geleentheid om deur die gebeure te werk. Amper genesend, is eenkeer ges\u00ea, om met iemand anders wat die storie nog nie gehoor het nie, te kan praat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Baiekeer huil ek saam. Ek moet myself inleef in die gebeure om die verloop daarvan sinvol te kan deurgee; seker maak ek verstaan, stap vir stap. Lesers moenie met vrae gelos word nie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tog sal dit altyd \u2019n voorreg bly om s\u00f3 in mense se harte en huise toegelaat te word. \u2019n Mens vergeet nooit die slagoffers \u00f3f hul geliefdes nie. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Die merke bly vir ewig op jou hart.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Tot die bodem toe 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