Ek is nie een vir presente en di\u00e9 dinge nie. Inteendeel. Ek sal liewer enige tyd gee in plaas van ontvang.<\/p>\n
Net nou die dag het ek \u2019n reusebeesboud in biltonge opgesny en opgehang om droog te word.<\/p>\n
En voordat selfs my kinders \u2019n stukkie hiervan kon kry, het ek dit klaar onder my vriende, en selfs vreemdes, uitgedeel.<\/p>\n
Dus was verjaarsdae en Kerstyd nog altyd vir my meer van \u2019n verleentheid as iets anders. As iemand vir my iets gee, bloos ek gewoonlik rooier as Vader Krismis se rooi gewaad.<\/p>\n
Maar gee wil ek.<\/p>\n
My vriende en familie s\u00ea altyd as ek die Lotto moes wen, sal die miljoene vinniger verdwyn as die tyd wat dit my geneem het om die kaartjie te koop. En boonop sal ek persoonlik niks te wys h\u00ea daarvoor nie \u2013 net vreugde in die hart.<\/p>\n
Juis as kind het ek een jaar voor sonop een Kersoggend wakker geword kort nadat Kersvader by die skoorsteen afgeseil het om ons geskenke onder die helder versierde boom te plaas.<\/p>\n
Ek was weer eers skaam dat daar \u2019n pakkie met my naam op onder die Kersboom was, terwyl ek nie eens \u2019n briefie vir Vader Kersfees geskryf het nie.<\/p>\n
Maar ek het \u2019n ander plan gehad.<\/p>\n
Met die fraaie pakkie onder die arm het ek by die venster uitgeglip terwyl my ma-hulle nog geslaap het, en by die straat af gestap na die verwaarloosde huisie op die hoek.<\/p>\n
My pa was altyd so vererg deur die deurmekaar flenterhuis, wat hy ges\u00ea het ons buurt so ontsier.<\/p>\n
Hier het \u2019n seuntjie gewoon; ek dink sy naam was Paul. Hy was so \u2019n jaar of wat jonger as ek, en as ek van die skool af verby sy huis gestap en gegroet het, het hy net grond toe gekyk en onsigbare klippe geskop.<\/p>\n
Sy klere was maar altyd \u2019n paar groottes te klein vir hom, en dikwels was daar iewers op sy gesig \u2019n blou kol.<\/p>\n
Die kere dat ek wel vir \u2019n oomblik in sy o\u00eb kon kyk, het ek reeds op daardie jong ouderdom agtergekom dat daar \u2019n groot hartseer asook verlange in daardie amandelgroen o\u00eb skuil.<\/p>\n
Ons het uiteindelik gehoor dat sy ma baie jare vantevore weggeloop het en dat sy pa by die rioolwerke daar heel onder in die dorp gewerk het.<\/p>\n
Laataand kon jy die V6-enjin van sy pa se Valiant hoor as hy by die huis kom \u2013 van waar af weet ek nie.<\/p>\n
En soms, baie laat in die nag, kon ek uit my slaapkamer hoor hoe \u2019n diep stem brul en raas, en die geluid van goed wat rondgegooi word en glas wat breek. En soms het ek my verbeel dat ek die naam Paul tussendeur die rumoer kon hoor.<\/p>\n
Dus het ek daardie Kersoggend besluit dat ek my geskenk op Paul se drumpel gaan los. Niemand sou weet dat ek my present weggegee het nie, en my pa-hulle sou net dink dat Kersvader besluit het dat ek nie \u2019n Kersgeskenk verdien het nie.<\/p>\n
Dit sou my in elk geval gered het van daardie ongemaklike geblosery later die oggend.<\/p>\n
So is ek met die pienk pakkie by die straat af. Ek het nie geweet watter slaapkamer Paul s\u2019n was nie.<\/p>\n
Stadig sluip ek om die huis en by die eerste venster waar ek kom, hoor ek \u2019n bulderende gesnork, en ek weet sommer dadelik dat dit Paul se pa is.<\/p>\n
Uiteindelik kry ek Paul se kamer en met die maan wat effens deur die gordynlose gekraakte ruit skyn, sien ek sy stil figuur op \u2019n geroeste ysterkatel sien l\u00ea \u2013 nie eens \u2019n kussing onder die kop nie.<\/p>\n
Die venster is effens oop en ek skuif die ruit nog verder oop om die pakkie op die vensterbank te plaas. Paul wikkel effens in sy bed met die skuifgeluid, maar gelukkig slaap hy verder.<\/p>\n
Daad gedoen, sluip ek terug na my huis met \u2019n lied in my hart.<\/p>\n
My ouers was taamlik verward dat daar nie \u2019n geskenk onder die boom vir my was daardie oggend nie, maar ek het vinnig verduidelik dat daardie jaar nie my beste was nie, en klaarblyklik het ek niks van Kersvader af verdien nie.<\/p>\n
Later die dag speel ek en my broer met sy splinternuwe Springbok-rugbybal in die straat.<\/p>\n
Die hoek van my oog vang Paul onder in die straat. Weer het hy \u2019n verflenterde kortbroek aan en loop hy kaalvoet. En al bak Desember se Paarl-son al behoorlik, dra hy \u2019n helder groenkleurige trui met Paddington Bear daarop. Paddington was my gunstelingkarakter as kind.<\/p>\n
Jaloesie het deur my are geloop, so mooi was die trui, maar toe ek verder opkyk na Paul se gesig, was daar vir die eerste keer \u2019n glimlag daarop en \u2019n sprankel in sy oog wat my verwelkom het.<\/p>\n
Stadig stap hy na ons toe en my broer gooi vir hom die rugbybal.<\/p>\n
\u201cKyk\u201d s\u00ea hy, en hy wys na sy trui. \u201cKyk wat het my ma my vir Kersfees gegee.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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