Vir 57 Kersfeeste het \u2019n vrou van Blue Downs gewonder of haar pa nog lewe en waar hy is, nadat sy op tweejarige ouderdom deur haar ma van hom weggeneem is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hierdie Kersfees gaan die 59-jarige Brenda Meyer en haar 100-jarige pa, Andries Amsterdam, om dieselfde Kerstafel sit, nadat sy haar pa n\u00e1 meer vyf dekades in Hankey in die Oos-Kaap opgespoor het.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meyer se lewensverhaal lees soos \u2019n topverkoperboek, met drama, intrige, hartseer en uiteindelike vreugde. Die een ding wat sy as \u2019n tweejarige onthou, die tyd toe sy en haar suster saam met haar ma uit Hankey is, is dat sy eendag gesien het hoe haar pa iemand met \u2019n byl kap. Kort daarna is hulle vort en het in \u2019n ander dorp nesgeskop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Op sesjarige ouderdom is Meyer ontvoer, of gesteel, soos sy s\u00ea, en het op Caledon beland. Daar is sy deur haar ontvoerders mishandel en moes soms saam met honde in \u2019n hondehok slaap, waar sy deur vlooie en ander insekte gebyt is. Sy het meer pak as kos gekry en was verslete en ondervoed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2019n Buurman van die ontvoerders het hom oor haar ontferm en gesorg dat sy eet. Tot sy eendag haar ma en suster in die pad sien aankom het. Hulle het haar kom soek nadat iemand hulle \u2019n wenk gegee het oor sy waar sy kan wees. Hulle het by haar weldoener aangebly, wat later met haar ma getroud is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEk is eers op 12-jarige ouderdom skool toe, maar die kinders het my gespot omdat ek altyd ouer as die kinders in my klas was. Op 14 het ek die skool verlaat en op 15 het ek in die Kaap by \u2019n Moslem-gesin kom werk,\u201d s\u00ea Meyer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By die gesin is sy soos \u2019n slavin behandel en ook daagliks verneder en mishandel. Uiteindelik het sy vir haar \u2019n lewe in die Kaap begin bou en is getroud met \u2019n man van die Oos-Kaap. \u201cWanneer ons by sy familie gaan kuier het en ons ry verby Hankey het ek altyd ges\u00ea ek kom van daar af en wil nog eendag weer daarheen gaan. Dit het egter nooit gebeur nie,\u201d s\u00ea sy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Haar man het \u2019n paar jaar gelede op haar verjaarsdag sy eie lewe geneem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Binne-in haar was daar altyd die hunkering na haar pa. \u201cAs kind het ek my ma gevra waar my pa is en sy het net altyd ges\u00ea hy het van \u2019n brug in die Oos-Kaap af gespring en is dood. Ek moes dit net aanvaar, maar die hunkering het gebly. Eendag het ek \u2019n droom gehad dat my pa lewe en die droom het so eg gevoel en daardie gevoel wou my nie los nie.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vroe\u00ebr vanjaar was sy by die daghospitaal en het met \u2019n ander vrou oor geestelike goed gepraat en sy vertel toe die vrou dat sy oorspronklik van Hankey af is en dat sy steeds wonder oor haar pa. Die vrou s\u00ea toe sy kom ook van daar en het nog familie in daai geweste. \u201cSy belowe toe om navraag te doen. N\u00e1 \u2019n rukkie het \u2019n vrou van die dorp my gebel en ges\u00ea my pa lewe nog en woon alleen in sy huis. Daarna kon ek nie slaap nie en het met my kinders die inligting gedeel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sy verjaar op 29 November en hoewel sy vir haar kinders ges\u00ea het sy wil nie geskenke of \u2019n partytjie h\u00ea nie, het hulle haar verras met \u2019n buskaartjie, Hankey toe. Daar het sy in die donkerte voor haar pa se huis aangekom en moes lank roep voor iemand antwoord gegee het. \u2019n Verbyganger het haar in sy agterplaas ingeneem waar hy met \u2019n ander man staan en gesels het.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cToe ek voor hom staan het ek ges\u00ea ek is sy kind, Brenda. Hy was aanvanklik onkant betrap en toe ek verduidelik het \u2019n traan oor sy wang geloop. Ek en hy het mekaar omhels en het gehuil en gehuil. Daardie nag het ek en hy tot 02:00 gesels en ek het baie vrae gevra wat hy eerlik geantwoord het. Ons was weer vroeg uit die vere en het verder gesels rondom bekers moerkoffie,\u201d s\u00ea sy verheug.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Haar pa het haar vertel dat haar herinnering van die bylkap waar is, want haar pa het die vermeende man met wie haar ma in \u2019n buite-egtelike verhouding was met \u2019n byl gekap. Daarvoor is hy vir agt maande tronk toe gestuur. Dit is toe dat haar ma die kans gebruik het om saam met die kinders die hasepad te kies. Toe hy by die huis kom, was sy hele gesin weg. \u201cHy het jare gewag dat ons huis toe kom.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meyer het Amsterdam oorreed om saam met haar Kaap toe te kom en hy kuier nou by haar. \u201cDit is die beste tyd van my lewe. Ons het ook nou met \u2019n langverlore broer van hom kontak gemaak en ek het ander familie leer ken van wie ek nooit geweet het nie. My hart is vol.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Vir 57 Kersfeeste het \u2019n vrou van Blue Downs gewonder of haar pa nog lewe en waar hy is, nadat sy op tweejarige ouderdom deur haar ma van hom weggeneem is.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":42414,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_linkdex":"","_yoast_wpseo_content_score":"","_yoast_wpseo_inclusive_language_score":"","_yoast_wpseo_is_cornerstone":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image-id":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image-id":"","newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","_crsspst_to_novanewscoza":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozabloemnewsexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozacityvision":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozadistrictmailhelderberg":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaeikestadnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozahermanustimes":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakomani-karoo":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozakougaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozamthathaexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozanoordkaapbulletin":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapaarlpost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozapeoplespost":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaswartlandgazette":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaudexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavistanews":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavrystaatkroon":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweskusnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweslander":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaworcesterstandard":false,"_EventAllDay":"","_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":"","_EventShowMapLink":"","_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":"","_EventVenueID":"","_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":"","_VenueShowMapLink":"","_application":"","_batch_id":"","_company_name":"","_company_tagline":"","_company_twitter":"","_company_video":"","_company_website":"","_custom_id":"4f770963-0828-4f33-8427-f7cff29342be","_EventDuration":"","_EventOrigin":"","_EventTimezoneAbbr":"","_featured":"","_filled":"","_job_expires":"","_job_location":"","_media_credit":"","_media_credit_url":"","_menu_item_menu_item_parent":"","_menu_item_object":"","_menu_item_object_id":"","_menu_item_target":"","_menu_item_type":"","_menu_item_url":"","_menu_item_xfn":"","_navis_media_can_distribute":"","_navis_media_credit_org":"","_OrganizerOrigin":"","_provider":"","_pum_built_in":"","_pum_default_theme":"","_pum_form_conversion_count":"","_remote_id":"","_remote_name":"","_remote_position":"","_report_frequency":"","_report_reference_dates":"","_send_attempts":"","_site_id":"","_sitemap_exclude":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","_sitemap_priority":"","_source_url":"","_subscription_period":"","_subscription_period_interval":"","_subscription_price":"","_tec_slr_enabled":"","_tec_slr_layout":"","_template_type":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_ticket_start_date":"","_tribe_aggregator_allow_multiple_organizers":"","_tribe_aggregator_content_type":"","_tribe_aggregator_file":"","_tribe_aggregator_finalized":"","_tribe_aggregator_hash":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_id":"","_tribe_aggregator_import_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_interactive":"","_tribe_aggregator_origin":"","_tribe_aggregator_post_status":"","_tribe_aggregator_preview":"","_tribe_aggregator_source_name":"","_tribe_aggregator_type":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_hide_attendees_list":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":"","_tribe_ticket_version":"","_type":"","_VenueOrigin":"","_wp_attachment_context":"","_wp_attachment_image_alt":"","_wp_font_face_file":"","_wp_old_date":"","_yoast_wpseo_estimated-reading-time-minutes":"","_yoast_wpseo_focuskeywords":"","_yoast_wpseo_focuskw_text_input":"","_yoast_wpseo_keywordsynonyms":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_block-catalog":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_job_listing_type":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_nova_retailer":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_publication":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_tribe_events_cat":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-duration":"","_yoast_wpseo_videositemap-rating":"","_menu_item_classes":[],"_tribe_modified_fields":[],"_wp_attachment_backup_sizes":[],"_wp_suggested_privacy_policy_content":[],"_yoast_post_redirect_info":[],"_yoast_wpseo_video_meta":[],"activation_date":"","archive_insertion_is_repeating":"","archive_insertion_posts_count":"","article_feature_media":"","article_feature_type":"","article_main_image_caption":"","article_media_icon":"","article_template":"","author_byline":"Brenden Ruiter","background_color":"","block_editor":"","byline":"","cmplz_hide_cookiebanner":"","competition_end_date":"","contact_advertise_email":"","contact_advertise_phone":"","contact_editorial_email":"","contact_general_email":"","contact_general_phone":"","contact_office_hours":"","contact_physical_address":"","enabled":"","featured_image_custom_caption":"","featured_video_url":"","fields":"","font_body":"","font_header":"","frequency":"","headline":"","hide_border":"","icon":"","is_wp_suggestion":"","issuu_download_url":"","issuu_embed_url":"","language_version_url":"","large_border":"","name":"","nm_contact_name":"","nm_contact_number":"","nm_date_lost":"","no_overlay_background":"","node-url":"","obituary_born_date":"","obituary_died_date":"","obituary_memoriam_text":"","origin":"","overlay_color":"","overlay_opacity":"","overlay_size":"","placement":"","plural_label":"","post_author":"","post_id":"","post_language":"en","secret-key":"","sponsored_utm_campaign":"","sponsored_utm_content":"","sponsored_utm_medium":"","sponsored_utm_source":"","sponsored_utm_term":"","start_date":"","utm_suppression":"","video_embed_url":"","wp_pattern_sync_status":"","data_version":[],"enclosure":[],"pongrass_image":[],"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_newspack_byline_active":false,"_newspack_byline":"","newspack_content_restriction_is_exempt":false,"scaip_prevent_shortcode_addition":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"publication":[],"class_list":["post-42412","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n