... more than just babies. Chris dismantles playpens, much upheaval and moving to Lovedale.
14th July, 2009 Tuesday
Dear Jeremy,
When my parents returned to East London they took Bonnie. It was decided, mutually, that one dog and a baby in those conditions was as much as I would be able to manage. I think Motherhood came quite naturally to me. I just followed my instincts despite all the books on bringing up babies like Truby King for instance. There was a baby clinic to attend in the village but after sitting there once amongst the crowd I decided I was not taking my baby there to catch any germs that were going around. Christopher was a strong healthy baby and I do not remember him getting sick.
We celebrated our first wedding anniversary and Michael worked during the vacation in the small grocer shop in Oribi village. This was another part of the barracks turned into flats for returned soldiers. This tided us over until the new term started and Michael signed up to study for the education diploma known as the UED.
Wendy and Stuart Christie had left and we moved into their flat which was in front of us in the first row. It looked out onto a grassy area beyond which ran the railway. On the left was an aerodrome for small aircraft. The Christies had had blinds fitted on part of the verandah where they slept. This gave us more room and we were pleased to take it over from them.
Michael had become interested in the Quakers through his history professor, who was a quaker and would attend meetings on Sundays. I was not always sympathetic as I thought he should spend the day with Christopher and me and help with the household chores and the garden – well the grassy bit in front.
Tony Wills was also doing his UED and he and Mike would go to classes together while Olga and I would meet, take our babies for a walk or sometimes go shopping at the local shop. She had Kim and I had Christopher.
That Easter Olga’s father lent them his Citroen motor car and they were going to Johannesburg to visit Tony’s sister. They invited us to go with them so we could visit Michael’s sister, Joyce, husband Dennis and son Shawn. It was a long way but we were young and resilient. We had a happy time but the return journey was a bit of a nightmare as Christopher did not appreciate another disruption to his routine and it was hot. No special seats we just had to cradle him on our laps. My Mother had introduced me to a dummy and honey to give a baby comfort and encourage it to sleep. By the time we got home I don’t know who was the stickier, Christopher or me.
Money, of course, was short so Michael took some clothes, mostly mine as I had put on weight, down to the auction rooms. Imagine my horror when he returned with a pewter cocktail shaker and 5 pewter glasses. He just could not resist them. We still have them and one shows the marks where Christopher tried to teethe on it. We used them for many years and they remain part of our ‘antique’ collection.
Christopher was a strong healthy baby and we were besotted with him. He was lively and active and had a huge grin as well as a sense of humour. Soon he was crawling over to the improvised bookcase and pulling the books out. Michael went to town and bought wood to make a playpen, a large one so not to restrict Christopher too much but this proved a failure as Christopher dismantled parts of it. So Michael made it smaller and firmer but this he just pushed around the room back to the books.
Joyce and Shawn came to visit and spent a few days with us. It was a happy time.
Students kept their cars in garages along the road and of course were always working on them and Michael would stop to talk. Once again he was seduced by one for sale.
It was a Rover which he could not resist and which he finally bought and was so proud of it. Can’t remember where he got the money from…..
Ray Burnett, our official dog sitter, continued to visit and take Skelly for walks. He was a very clever young man and had passed his degree first class with two major subjects. He was also keen on music and had a photographic memory and could recall all the words of his favourite musicals. It was the winter vacation and we were going to visit our parents so let Ray and some friends stay in our flat as they wished to continue their research work for their honours degrees.
We drove down through the Transkei in Pinnochio, as we had named the Rover. It was a long, dusty road in those days. I think we must have stayed somewhere along the way. Of course we had some car trouble and in the Kei Cuttings too. Michael crawled underneath the car and while he was on his back, partly under the car, Christopher crawled over and sat on his stomach thinking this was another of Dad’s games. There Michael was stuck until I rescued him.
When we arrived at the Pumping Station I put Christopher in at the front door and he crawled down the passage and gave my Mother a shocked but pleasant surprise.
We took Christopher through to Bathurst to meet his Granny and Grandpa Sadler. It was a special time as my parents and Bazil came too and Grandpa Sadler christened him in the old Settler church in Port Alfred.
Back in East London Christopher was taken round to meet my Grandpa and Granny Smith and the rest of the relations.
Just before we were due to return to Pietermaritzburg Michael received a phone call telling of the horrifyingly tragic news of Ray Burnett’s death. He had committed suicide in our flat, in our bedroom and on our bed. When we got back, while tidying up, I found his spectacles under our bed where he had placed them. This gave me the creepiest feeling. His friends, of course, were in shock as were we. As he had threatened to poison them too, they had gone through all our foodstuffs like flour, sugar, salt and thrown them out. We cleared the rest but continued to feel uneasy.
Never quite knew why he had done this except that he was finding the practical research difficult especially as he was rather clumsy and so was dissatisfied as he was not achieving the high standard he was used to. Even sadder was the fact that his professor, who recognised his problems, had arranged for him to work in England with a professor who was very similar to Ray.
Michael qualified in both junior and senior teaching and at the end of the year applied for a post as English teacher in the High School at Lovedale Presbyterian Mission in Alice. He was appointed - so the future looked quite rosy.
Finances had been tight and by this time we were looking quite shabby. David lent us money to buy clothes so we could look respectable. I bought two dresses but one I ruined by trying to remove a mark with bleach – how could I do such a thing!!!!!!! Later I dyed it so it was wearable.
We packed up, said goodbye to our friends, Olga and Tony, with whom we had enjoyed visiting each other and having picnics together.
Off we set down the road, through the Transkei again, over the Kei Cuttings and back to East London for Christmas and Christopher’s first birthday.
Love you lots, Mum