Hoofstuk 4

Chapter 4

Die amptelike oriëntering van die graad agts, kom Tina agter, is baie lekkerder as die
graad twaalfs se idee van ontgroening. Dit vind op ‘n gasteplaas in die distrik oor ‘n
naweek plaas. Hulle moet deur dromme kruip, mekaar deur modderpoele trek en oor hoë
nette tussen pale klouter. Die adjunkhoof, ‘n jongerige onderwyser met ‘n borselsnor en
‘n bypassende stem, sweepslag hulle van die een aktiwiteit na die ander. Sy naam is
meneer Leonard en hy gee Wiskunde en Fisiese Wetenskap vir die hele hoërskool. “Toe,
dames en here, u mag nou aan die volgende fisieke aktiwiteit deelneem. Mêddim Sono,
lees tussen die reëls: jy móét dit doen.” En toe sy nog halstarrig lyk: “Hey! You don’t
have a choice. Do it!”
The official orientation of the grade eight, Tina finds out, is far more enjoyable than
the grade twelve's idea of initiation. It takes place at a guest farm in the district over
a weekend. They have to crawl through bins, pull each other through mud pools and
climb over high nets between poles. The deputy head, a young teacher with a moustache
and a matching voice, whips them from one activity to another. His name is Mr. Leonard
and he teaches Mathematics and Physical Science to the entire high school. “So, ladies
and gentlemen, you may now participate in the next physical activity. Méddim Sono,
read between the lines: you have to do it. You don't have a choice. Do it!"

Hulle lag almal vir Lindiwe, wat nie die opdrag om ou klere te bring, ernstig opgeneem
het nie en nou in ‘n pienk toppie met wit shorts deur die modder moet sukkel.
They all laugh at Lindiwe, who did not take the command to bring old clothes seriously
and now has to struggle in a pink top with white shorts through the mud.

Toe hulle in ‘n plaasdam spring om die modder af te was, kan Tina nie ophou lag nie. Sy
luister met verbasing na haarself. Dis asof sy ‘n jong kalfie op ‘n somersaand is.
When they jump into a farm pond to wash off the mud, Tina can't stop laughing. She
listens to herself with surprise. It's like she's a young calf on a summer's night.

Hulle slaap op stapelbeddens. Almal baklei om bo te slaap. Tina klim boontoe en besluit
dat sy nie daarvan hou nie.
They sleep on bunk beds. Everyone fights to sleep upstairs. Tina climbs up and decides
she doesn't like it.

Die meisie op die onderste bed langs haar hou ‘n chappie uit na Tina. “Kry vir jou.”
The girl on the bottom bed next to her holds a chappie out to Tina. "Help yourself."

“Dankie.” Sy het al klaar tande geborsel soos die graad R-juffrou hulle geleer het, maar
soms moet ‘n mens maar ‘n bietjie skietgee.
"Thank you." She already brushed her teeth as the grade R teacher taught them, but
sometimes you just have to give it a shot.
Hulle lê gemeensaam en kou.
They lie next to each other, chewing.

“Amper was ek nie hier nie,” sê die meisie. Tina onthou dat haar naam Hanmarie is.
"I almost wasn't here," says the girl. Tina remembers that her name is Hanmarie.

“Hoekom nie?”
“Why not?”

“Ek moes dié jaar Bloemfontein toe gaan. Dat ek in Engels kan skoolgaan. En …” Sy bly
skielik stil.
“I had to go to Bloemfontein this year. To school in English. And… ” She suddenly stops.

Tina is verstom. Sy loop weg by Rising Star om in Afrikaans in te kom skoolgaan, maar
dié wit kind moet in Engels in gaan skoolgaan?
Tina is stunned. She runs away from Rising Star to get taught in Afrikaans, but this
white kid has to go to school in English?

“Hoekom het jy nie gegaan nie?” vra sy.

“Why didn’t you go?” she asks.

Hanmarie se oë skiet vol trane. “Ek wil nie weggaan van die huis af nie. My ma-hulle sê
ek moet leer Engels praat, want dis die toekoms.” Sy sug. “Miskien is dit makliker in
graad tien. Dan gaan al die w … dan gaan al my maats ook Bloemfontein toe.”
Hanmarie's eyes fills with tears. “I don't want to leave home. My mom and them says I
need to learn to speak English because that's the future.” She sighs. “Maybe it's easier
in grade ten. Then all the w ... then all my friends will go to Bloemfontein too."

“Hoekom?”
“Why?”

“Want dan kom daar baie kinders van Marta-se-Kris af. Dan’s die klasse baie groot. Kyk
maar die graad tiene nou. Drie klasse van veertig. En ons is net twintig in die klas in
graad agt.”
“Because then many children come from Marta-se-Kris. Then the classes are really big.
Look at the grade tens now. Three classes of forty. And we're only twenty in class in
grade eight.”

“O.”
“O.”

Saterdagmiddag ná die kamp, bly sy by ant Lya se ander dogter Ketlin (gedoop Cathleen
sien Tina voor in haar Bybel) in Marta-se-Kris, voor sy Sondagmiddag teruggaan koshuis
toe.
On Saturday afternoon after camp, she stays with Ant Lya's other daughter Ketlin
(baptized Cathleen sees Tina in front of her Bible) in Marta-se-Kris, before returning
to the hostel on Sunday afternoon.

“Dis ‘n goeie ding jy gaan in Van Noodt skool,” sê ant Ketlin. “Die onderwysers daar is
goed vir onse kinders.”
"It's a good thing you go to school in Van Noodt," says Ant Ketlin. "The teachers there
are good to our children."

“Ketlin, jy weet nie waarvan jy praat nie,” sê haar man, uncle David. “Daar’s net een van
onse mense op die personeel.” Marta-se-Kris het sy eie intermediêre skool wat soos
Rising Star tot graad nege gaan. Uncle David wil nie hê die bruin kinders moet voor
graad tien dorpskool toe gaan nie.
"Ketlin, you don't know what you're talking about," says her husband, uncle David.
"There's only one of us on the staff." Marta-se-Kris has their own intermediate school
that goes to grade nine like Rising Star. Uncle David doesn't want the coloured kids to
go to the town school before grade ten.

Ant Ketlin trek haar skouers op. “Wie wil jy nog daar hê? Vir Meester Harry wat so
suip? Of vir Ou Suzie wat altyd so moeg is, sy kan nie eers die kinders se goete merk
nie?”
Ant Ketlin shrugs. “Who else do you want there? Master Harry, who drinks? Or old
Suzie who is always so tired, she can't even mark the children's work?”

“En wat van die juffrou daar bo wat altyd so oppie kinders skree? Juffrou Dale?” vra
uncle David.
“And what about the teacher there who always screams at kids like that? Miss Dale?”
Uncle David asks.

“Sê jy nou vir my. Skrou sy erger as mies Renoster hier by Marta-se-Kris?”
“You tell me now. Does she scream worse than miss Renoster here at Marta-se-Kris?”

Uncle David draai na Tina. “Het juffrou Dale al op julle geskree?”

Uncle David turns to Tina. “Has miss Dale ever shouted at you?”

“Sy word baie kwaad as die kinders nie luister nie, uncle David. Sy sê hulle moet goed
van die bord afskryf, dan skryf hulle briefies vir mekaar.” Dit was nie ‘n lekker klas vir
Tina nie. Die kinders maak nie reg nie, maar dis niks lekker as hulle almal onder Witvark
se pepertong moet deurloop nie.
"She gets very angry when the kids don't listen, uncle David. She says they have to
write off the board, then they write letters to each other.” It was not a nice class for
Tina. The kids are not being fair, but it is nothing fun if they all have to suffer under
Witvark's pepper tongue.
Maar die juffrou gee nie sleg klas nie. Al is sy so kunstig, weet sy als van besigheid af
en sy gee vir hulle Ekonomiese en Bestuurswetenskappe. Sy laat dit klink of dit nogals
lekker sal wees om jou eie besigheid te hê.
But the teacher does not teach badly. Even though she is so artistic, she knows
everything about business and she teaches them Economic and Management Sciences.
She makes it sound like it will be quite nice to have your own business.

Maandagoggend die eerste periode het hulle by haar klas. Sy vertel vir hulle ‘n lekker
storie wat sy in die koerant gelees het. “Daar was ‘n man wat by ‘n munisipale
parkeerterrein in ‘n stad in Engeland gewerk het. Hy het die toegangsgeld gevat en
gesorg dat die terein netjies bly, strepe geverf om te parkeer. Daar was nooit inbrake
nie omdat hy altyd op sy pos was. So het hy vir twintig jaar daar gewerk.
On Monday morning the first period they have class with her. She tells them a nice
story she read in the newspaper. “There was a man working at a municipal parking lot in
a city in England. He took the entrance fee and kept the grounds tidy, painted stripes
to park. There were never any burglaries because he was always at his post. So he
worked there for twenty years.

“Toe, een dag, daag hy net nie op nie. Iemand in een van die besighede wat daar rondom
was, bel toe die munisipalitiet om te vra wat gaan aan en vra hulle moet iemand stuur.
Die munisipalitiet se mense doen navraag by hulle personeelafdeling en so kom hulle toe
agter dat die man nooit vir hulle gewerk het nie. Hy het eenvoudig die oop plek gesien,
dit skoongemaak en strepe geverf en na twintig jaar afgetree met geld wat hy gespaar
het.”
“Then, one day, he just didn't show up. Someone in one of the businesses around it then
called the municipality to ask what was going on and ask them to send someone. The
municipality's people inquire from their personnel department and so they find out that
the man never worked for them. He simply saw the open space, cleaned it and painted
stripes and retired after twenty years with money he saved."

Juffrou Dale lag saam met die klas. “Nou, behalwe dat hy seker nie belasting betaal het
nie – wat baie verkeerd is - het hy darem ‘n paar dinge reg gedoen. Wat het hy reg
gedoen? … Ruan?”
Miss Dale laughs with the class. “Now, except that he probably didn't pay taxes - which
is very wrong - he did a few things right. What did he do right? … Ruan?”

Ruan, weet Tina by voorbaat, het nie om dowe neute sy hand eerste opgesteek nie. hy
wil nie regtig iets doen behalwe om die klas te laat lag nie. “Hy was seker nie so lelik
soos Jakob nie, Juffrou. Die gebrande een wat altyd in die straat die mense se karre
wil oppas.”
Ruan, Tina knows in advance, didn't put his hand up for nothing. He doesn't really want
to do anything except make the class laugh. "He probably wasn't as ugly as Jacob, Miss.
The burnt one who always wants look after people's cars in the street."
Tina krimp ineen. Mag ‘n mens grappies maak oor iemand wat gebrand is?
Tina shrinks. Can you make jokes about someone who has been burned?

Juffrou Dale se gesig word styf. Enige oomblik gaan sy weer begin skree. Plaas dat sy
hom net ignoreer.
Miss Dale's face grows stiff. Any moment she is going to start screaming again.
Instead of just ignoring him.

“Die Bybel waarsku ons daarteen om met gestremde mense te spot,” sê sy met ‘n effens
te hoë toon.
"The Bible warns us against mocking people with disabilities," she says with a slightly
too high tone.

“Presies waar staan dit?”

“Exactly where does it say so?”

Anders as gewoonlik, het juffrou Dale klaarblyklik ook nie die asem om hom te verskree
nie. “Jou parmantigheid word al hoe erger,” sê sy ysig. “Loop uit my klas uit.”
Unlike usual, Miss Dale apparently doesn't have the breath to scream at him either.
"Your cheekiness is getting worse," she says frostily. "Walk out of my class."

Hy pak tydsaam sy boeke in, ten volle bewus van al die aandag op hom. “Ek gaan die Hoof
sien,” sê hy dreigend. “Ek mag nie onderrig ontsê word nie.”
He packs his books in, fully aware of all the attention on him. "I'm going to see the
Principal," he says threateningly. "I can not be denied teaching."

Die klas is stil geskrik.

The class is quietly startled.

Juffrou Dale verstar ook ‘n oomblik, voor sy haar skouer lig. “In daardie geval, staan in
die deur waar jy my kan hoor praat, maar waar jy nie die klas kan ontwrig nie.”
Miss Dale also stares for a moment before lifting her shoulder. "In that case, stand in
the door where you can hear me speak, but where you can't disrupt the class."

Hy loop uit met ‘n vermakerige gebaar en van die seuns waai giggelrig vir hom.
He walks out with an entertaining gesture and the boys laugh at him.

Pouse praat Hanmarie en Tina daaroor. “By Rising Star op die plaas sou die skoolhoof
hom geskors het,” sê Tina. “Niemand daar praat so met ‘n onderwyser nie.”
At break, Hanmarie and Tina talk about it. "At Rising Star on the farm, the principal
would have suspended him," Tina says. "No one there talks to a teacher like that."

Hanmarie snork. “Ruan se pa is op die skool se beheerraad en juffrou Dale het ‘n

beheerpos. Hy dink sy pa sal sorg dat die juffrou gefire word.”
Hanmarie smirks. “Ruan's father is on the school's governing board and Miss Dale has a
governing post. He thinks his father will make sure the teacher get fired."

“O.” Sy dink ‘n oomblik na. “Kan hy?”

“O.” She thinks about it for a moment. “Can he?”

Hanmarie trek haar skouers op. “My pa sê enigiets is moontlik met daai ou. Hy sê mense
verander as hulle geld het.”
Hanmarie shrugs. “My dad says anything is possible with that guy. He says people
change when they have money.”

“Ruan is nie so in meneer Leonard se klas nie,” sê Tina. “Daar gedra hy vir hom.”
“Ruan is not like that in mister Leonard’s class,” Tina says. “There he behaves himself.”

“Dis oor hy weet meneer Leonard vat nie moeilikheid nie. En meneer Leonard is nie bang
vir sy pa nie, want hy het ‘n departementele pos.”
"That's because he knows Mr. Leonard is not taking any nonsense. And Mr. Leonard is
not afraid of his father, because he has a departmental post."

Tina krap met ‘n stokkie in die sand waar hulle onder ‘n bloekomboom sit. So onder die
rykes is daar ook maar ‘n stryery?
Tina scratches with a stick in the sand where she sits under a eucalyptus tree. So
among the rich, there is also fighting?

“Ek moet sê,” mymer Hanmarie en vryf haar hande aan ‘n snesie af nadat sy haar
toebroodjie klaar geëet het, “ek het lanklaas daai outjie met die gebrande gesig
gesien.”
"I must say," Hanmarie murmurs, rubbing her hands on a tissue after she finished
eating her sandwich, "I haven't seen that guy with the burnt face in a long time."

Tina antwoord nie.

Tina does not answer.

“Weet jy van wie ek praat? Hy’t altyd by die supermark-“

“Do you know who I’m talking about? He was always there by the supermarket-“

“Ja, ek weet.”
“Yes, I know.”

Sy het hom in die straat voor die supermark teëgekom. Hy het soos gewoonlik geld
gevra by die wit mense.
Sy saw him in the street infront of the supermarket. As usual he was asking for money
from the white people.

“Gaan groet vir Djakob,” het haar ma gesê.

“Go and greet Djakob,” her mother said.

“Vir wat?” het sy gebrom. “Ma kan hom groet as Ma wil.”

“Why?” she murmured. “You can go and greet him if you want to.”

Die vergelding het sy geweet, sou later kom – vóór die mense sou haar ma haar nie klap
nie.
The repercussions she knew would come later – in front of the people, her mother
would not slap her.

Toe hulle uit die winkel kom, het hy op die grond gelê. Iemand het die polisie gebel en
die wên het hom kom oplaai.
When they came out of the shop, he was laying on the ground. Someone called the
police and the van came to pick him up.

“Gom gensuif,” het die een vrou kwaai gesê. “Dis nou van geld gee vir die kinders.”
“Sniffed glue,” the one lady said. “That’s what you get from giving money to the
children.”

“Ai, ai, ai,” het haar ma gesê, “hy en Tinatjie was saam klein en kyk nou!”
“Oh, oh, oh,” her mother said, “he and Tinatjie was friends when they were small and
look now!”

Na pouse keer meneer Plaatjies haar voor toe hulle klasse toe stap. “Mevrou Avenant sê
jy’t so ‘n oulike gedig geskryf. Wil jy vir ons skoolkoerant ‘n ietsie skrywe?” Meneer
Plaatjies is die enigste bruin onderwyser in die skool, maar niemand kom dit eintlik
agter nie. hy is maar soos al die ander onderwysers, behalwe dat hy verstaan as hulle
Marta-se-Kris-Afrikaans praat.
After break, Mr. Plaatjies stops her as they walk to classes. “Mrs Avenant says you
have written such a nice poem. Do you want to write something for our school
newspaper?” Mr Plaatjies is the only coloured teacher in the school, but no one actually
notices. He is just like all the other teachers, except that he understands when they
speak Marta-se-Kris-Afrikaans.

“Soos wat, Meneer?”

“Like what, Sir?”

“Ek dink jy kan die gedig so ‘n bietjie aanpas vir die koerant. Dit gaan mos oor die
personeel. Hier is baie nuwe kinders in die skool; ek dink hulle sal daarmee kan
identifiseer.”
“I think you can adjust the poem a bit for the newspaper. It's about the staff. Here
are many new kids in school; I think they'll be able to identify with it."

“Is reg, Meneer.”

“It’s fine, Sir.”
Sy het nie klas by meneer Plaatjies nie; hy gee vir die groot kinders en die Matrieks
Afrikaans. Mevrou Avenant gee vir die graad agts en neges Afrikaans.
She does not have class with Mr. Plaatjies; he teaches Afrikaans to the big children
and the Matrics. Mrs Avenant teaches the grade eight and nine Afrikaans.

Sy het ‘n warm gevoel van genoegdoening. Haar gedig is goed? Goed genoeg dat mevrou
Avenant met meneer Plaatjies daaroor praat?
She has a warm sense of satisfaction. Her poem is good? Good enough that Mrs.
Avenant talked to Mr. Plaatjies about it?

Sy verlang onverwags na iemand om hierdie klein triomf mee te deel. Nie een van die
koshuiskinders nie – hulle sal dink sy wil net spog. Sy wíl spog, by … iemand! Iemand wat
saam met haar sal bly wees, nie iemand wat jaloers sal wees, of dink sy dink te veel van
haarself nie. Nie haar ma nie. Ma Lettie stel net belang in die kleintjies. Sy hou nie
daarvan as Tina te slim is in vergelyking met hulle nie.
She unexpectedly longs for someone to announce this little triumph to. None of the
hostel kids - they would think she just wants to brag. She wants to brag, to ... someone!
Someone who will be happy with her, not someone who will be jealous, or think she
thinks too much of herself. Not her mother. Ma Lettie is only interested in the little
ones. She doesn't like it when Tina is too smart compared to them.

Stefaans Marais? Hy wil nie eens weet sy is sy dogter nie.

Stefaans Marais? He does not even want to acknowledge her as his daughter.

Daar’s niemand nie.

There’s no-one.

Sy sug. Sy sit op die trappie van die koshuis en wag vir die etensklok om te lui, haar
arms om haar opgetrekte bene en haar kop op haar knieë.
She sighs. She sits on the stairs of the hostel, waiting for the dinner bell to ring, her
arms around her raised legs and her head on her knees.

“Ek het goed gedoen,” sê sy saggies vir haarself. “Ek het my bes gedoen en dit was
goed.”
“I did well,” she tells herself quietly. “I did my best and that was good.”

“Tina? Is daar fout?”

“Tina? Is something wrong?”

Tina kyk op, herken dadelik die silhoeët met die kenmerkende bril teen die westeson.
Juffrou Dale.
Tina looks up, instantly recognizes the silhouette with the distinctive glasses against
the west sun. Miss Dale.
“Nee, Juffrou. Ek sit sommer net.”
“No, ma’am. I’m just sitting here.”

Die juffrou kyk haar ondersoekend aan. Net toe lui die aandeteklok. “Ek is op diens
vanaand,” sê sy. “As jy met my wil kom gesels, hoef jy net te sê.”
The teacher looks at her inquiringly. Just then the dinner bell ring. "I'm on duty
tonight," she says. "If you want to come and talk to me, you just have to say."

“Ja, Juffrou, maar daar’s niks verkeerd nie.”

“Yes, ma’am, but nothing is wrong.”

Juffrou Dale knik en stap in eetsaal toe.

Miss Dale nods and walks into the dining room.

Tina gaan slaap die aand sonder om weer een maal aan die aanbod te dink. Daar is te veel
huiswerk. Hulle skryf al môre ‘n klastoets oor die periodieke tabel.
Tina goes to bed that night without thinking about the offer again. There is too much
homework. They are already writing a class test tomorrow about the periodic table.