I left school when I was sixteen, was expected to go to work, earn my living and start paying back my parents for raising me. Thereafter I was to marry well. End of story. Well it did not happen like that and after sailing to the UK and becoming an air hostess in the second intake of British European Airways that subsequently became British Overseas Airways and metamorphosed into British Airways, I loved the life and stayed there for two years. Finally I returned to South Africa and had a lump in my throat when the silhouette of Table Mountain rose from the Atlantic to welcome me and other returning South Africans.
I had lost a love and married by the time I was twenty one with my first child on the way. That was my daughter and a boy arrived some eighteen months later. I dreamt of the boy being a doctor. It never occurred to me that the world was moving on in spite of the fact that women had won the vote quite a long time ago, to dream of what my daughter would become. Then I had a niece and a nephew. It was not my prerogative to dream of their path in life although I saw a lot of them in their early years.
I married again and had a laat lammetjie – late lamb as we say in South Africa, a son,and decided he would be a civil engineer. Well as they say the best laid plans of mice and men! Life moved on and my world turned upside down several times but I somehow survived.
My daughter married a horseman and he became the under manager on a thoroughbred stud farm. My sister’s children were still very young and we would all spend a lot of time on the farm. My sons had taken paths I had never envisaged. The older one was studying to become an accountant, a surprising choice with a creative parent but obviously that gene did not transfer to him. Later he married and had a blonde little girl who is now grown up, doing a post graduate course at university and next year is off to Aspen where she will work on the slopes and then tour South America. I must admit I could not imagine what she would end up doing when she was younger. However she is an amazing artist so some of the old block has rubbed off.
My niece began dancing during her teens and performed at the Opera house in Cape Town and finally at Sun City near Johannesburg amongst other venues. She continued after school taking a path that neither I nor my sister had envisaged until her knees took strain and she veered off into another direction. I well remember having a family party at the farm and this little girl was reluctant to leave the fun and go to bed in the little guest cottage. “Come!” I enticed her, holding her hand and skipping. “We will take the short cut over the paddock! Here we go! Tip Toe through the tulips!” The child looked at me in amazement; looked at the green grass then stamped her little foot. “Aunty Mols there ARE no tulips!”
Her brother also took an unexpected path when he began driving horse trucks and when in the UK actually drove for the Prince of Wales! Trucking became his life whilst his passion for hunting has landed him in the Karoo owning a game farm!
My daughter had four children and we dragged them through Southern Africa while we researched material for our guide books, Discovering Botswana, Discovering Namibia and Discovering Zambia. The children turned out no worse for wear in fact today have a lust for travel! They have displayed tenacity in life that I hope has come from our travels. Now grown up and scattered throughout South Africa they have all sorts of strengths and weakness, ambition and creativity not to forget loyalty and love.
My youngest son chose to be an electrician and moved on to IT. Thank heavens for that as he can guide me through the intricacies of the internet and Amazon etc. He lives in Johannesburg with his wife so that I am able to spend a lot of time with his boy of eleven and a girl of four who are giving me loads of pleasure enjoying them just as they are. The boy is riding well, carrying on the family tradition of its affiliation to horses and the girl – well when they are that age they already know how to wind their fathers and uncles around their little fingers. This time I am making no predictions!
Below is my painting of my niece dancing the Flamenco!
Molly's Musings On Life And Travel 