\u201cOuma is bang, my kind. Ek gaan amper in vir die operasie,\u201d s\u00ea sy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ek kan hoor sy is bang. Bekommerd. Voordat ek iets kan s\u00ea, sny die foon uit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ouma is in vir \u2019n operasie \u2013 een waaruit sy nooit weer sou ontwaak nie. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
So paar dae voor die oproep stuur my broer vir my \u2019n foto op WhatsApp. Dis \u2019n foto waar hy die laaste keer langs Ouma staan. My broer staan met \u2019n masker op sy gesig en in deurskynende hospitaal-pak. Sy o\u00eb lyk ernstig. Hy staan en kyk af na my ouma, wat in die hospitaalbed l\u00ea. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sy l\u00ea in die waakeenheid. Haar gesig het baie oud geraak en is vol plooie. Om haar lippe is van daardie merke wat oumense kry wat baie rook \u2013 sulke rokers-plooimerke. Ouma was lief vir haar Courtleigh-sigarette. Dis die rooi pakkie met die kroon op. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ek onthou haar destyds in haar sitkamer. Die radio was altyd in die agtergrond aan \u2013 Radio Rosestad. Sondagmiddae was daar altyd \u2019n biduur waar almal hul gebede kon instuur. Ek sien nou nog vir Ouma op haar stoel in die hoek sit van waar sy almal kan sien \u2013 sigaret in die een hand terwyl sy die malvapoeding in die oond dophou. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Op Sondagmiddae het ons as gesin altyd vir die week se kuier na Ouma toe gegaan \u2013 iets wat ons elke week gedoen het voordat ek as verslaggewer begin werk het, voordat my ma en pa geskei is; toe dit nog ons as \u2019n gesin by Ouma was. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Die tafel was altyd mooi gedek met Ouma se beste borde en eetgerei. Sy het altyd self die ete voorberei: rys, vleis, aartappels, groente en \u2019n lekker sousie vir die vleis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sy was versot op Woolworths. Sy het als daar gekoop, behalwe die melk. Die melk was Spar se melk. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As ons as gesin klaar aan die middagete gesmul het, sou ons eers weer in die televisiekamer gaan sit terwyl Ouma nog \u2019n Courtleigh gerook het. My broer was \u2019n terg-gees. Hy het Ouma altyd geterg en ges\u00ea rook is baie sleg vir haar. Die twee sou dan vlugtig daaroor stry voordat dit tyd vir die malva was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As Ouma haar soms vinnig vererg het, staan sy op en gaan skep solank die malva. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ouma was \u2019n moeilike mens \u2013 hardkoppig. Sy het haar kleinkinders op haar eie unieke manier liefgehad. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sy was \u2019n diaken by haar kerk. Sy het altyd by elke begrafnis by die Striata-aftreeoord in Bloemfontein uitgehelp. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sy was altyd daar vir almal \u2013 iets waarvan almal op haar eie begrafnisdiens getuig het. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Die laaste jare het ek en Ouma vervreemd geraak. Ons het nie meer gepraat nie. Ek was kwaad omdat my ouers geskei het. Ek moes dit nooit op haar uitgehaal het nie. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Op die dag van haar begrafnis het ek my in die kerk ingehou. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
N\u00e1 die diens het ons \u2019n ligte ete by Ouma se huis gehad. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Van die familielede was meer bekommerd oor Ouma se juweliersware en wat als in haar kaste is. Hulle het dit gestroop en als wat nie waardevol was nie, gelos. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
My pa het stilgebly; niks ges\u00ea nie. \u2019n Mens kon sien dit pla hom. Hier is mense van wie my ouma nie eens gehou het nie, ou familielede wat my ouma nooit geken het nie. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Maar hulle is hier weg met haar juweliersware. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ek het laat daardie middag in dieselfde televisiekamer gesit en Ouma gemis. Ek wens ek kon haar nog net een keer sien. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
My pa tel toe \u2019n swart Croxley-boekie in die kombuis op \u2013 een van daardie met die rooi kante. Die eerste bladsy is leeg. Op die tweede bladsy is ou selfoonnommers van my en my boetie. Die nommers is doodgetrek en onder die twee ou nommers is ons nuwe nommers neergeskryf. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bladsy drie het \u2019n koeksister-resep op \u2013 netjies in Ouma se handskrif geskryf. Ek blaai deur die resepteboekie. Resep n\u00e1 resep, maar ek kry n\u00earens Ouma se malvapoeding-resep nie. Net toe ek wil moed opgee, kom ek by die heel laaste resep in die boek \u2013 Ouma se malvapoeding-resep. Dis Ouma se malvapoeding. Stap vir stap verduidelik sy hoe om die perfekte malva aanmekaar te slaan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Die boekie het soos Ouma geruik \u2013 daardie oumensparfuum gemeng met die reuk van Courtleigh-sigarette. Ek het daardie middag snot en trane gehuil \u2013 nie omdat ek Ouma mis nie; nie omdat Ouma nie meer daar was nie. Ek het trane van blydskap gehuil, want ek het die mees waardevolle besitting van my ouma ontvang.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Rick se rubriek.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":52887,"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_novanewscozatygerburger":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaudexpress":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavistanews":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozavrystaatkroon":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaweskusnuus":false,"_crsspst_to_novanewscozaworcesterstandard":false,"_eb_attr":"","_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":"b119b29d-1765-4ffe-b4e9-8a9500cd06bd","_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":[],"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