Agaat - Marlene van Niekerk [150]
A. stands in her uniform halfway in the water on one side & I on the other side & then we teach Jakkie to swim. He’s managing very nicely indeed. J. wants to teach him but he’s far too rough with the child & then he arrives home crying and choked with salt water. That’s just going to make him scared of water I say. J. says he must toughen up the child there are hard bones ahead I ask what bones he says the bones of our fathers their battle which we must fight further our enemies are legion. He sits here every evening with his holiday pals & drinks red wine on the stoep and hatches plans for the party branch in Swellendam in the new year. Very worked up he gets could rather concern himself with the draining of the river-lands. We can’t carry on like this it was the second wet year in succession & the cows develop fungus on their hooves.
Witsand 23 December ’67
Every time I open this special Witsand booklet that’s left to lie here in a drawer all year long I page back to the entries for previous holidays & I can’t believe how time passes and how big Jakkie is already. Second year in school already! Eight in August next year! Invited a few people over for a Christmas concert. He hears a tune only once then he remembers it words and all. So then I taught him Ave Maria & Little Drummer Boy & Jerusalem & then he sang in the sitting room for the people & and a lot of other songs that he’d learnt from his teacher. Good intonation attractive colour in the voice good rhythmic sense but it’s been like that from when he was small still he’s developed very nicely since he’s been having lessons.
Witsand 5 January 1968
A. back had gone with J. to Heidelberg after New Year to buy provisions we’ll be here 10 days more then wouldn’t she go and buy herself a fishing rod with her Christmas money. She’s been watching other fishermen she says. J. laughs where on earth have you ever seen a fuzzy fishing but he has no problem eating the fish she catches. She now goes out in the morning while it’s still dark takes Jakkie along then she comes back at seven with a silvery cob & now this last time a fat galjoen. A. is always soaked to the bands of her apron.
How does she do it I ask Jakkie. He says first she preaches to the fish to lure them & when the first crabs crawl out to hear the sermon then she knows the fish are there as well. Then she juts out hr jaw & walks into the sea fully dressed she casts only once zirrrr! and then it bites hu! & then she jerks ha! & then the rod bends but just for a while then the fish is tired out with struggling then she winds in the reel with the little hand whirrywhirrywhirry & presses the rod in her loins with the strong hand then the fish comes hop-hopping through the little waves and then she gaffs him schmak! through the thick meat with the two-pronged fork then she takes him by the tail & smacks his head shplat! one blow against the rocks because she says she gets queasy to the stomach at a thing lying there & dying without breath & when it’s dead she says amen.
Baked fish steamed fish fishcakes pickled fish pink fish-moulds fish soup & salads & fish pies with fennel I must say we’re feasting this year on A.’s catches. She really is becoming such a dab hand in the kitchen & thinks up all sorts of new fish recipes I say yikes Agaat take a short cut with the food & rest a bit you work so hard all year & she says it’s hr holiday to catch fish & to clean it & to make nice food from it because at home it’s always only mutton & slaughtering makes her queasy & she gives away fish to all and sundry when we have visitors. Rather sell it for extra pocket money for yourself I say. She says it comes out of the sea for nothing & catching them’s a fluke it’s not work but it’s not swimming either because that she says she really can’t see the point of.
Witsand 10 January 1968
Home tomorrow. Actually slightly relieved then everybody can get back into their routines