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Tante Betsie

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Submitted By kimmyf
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TANTE BETSIE EN HAAR LAASTE BAKSEL

D it was 1958, gedurende die tweede week van die Desemer-vakansie. In Paternoster naby die diep blou water van Tietiesbaai, waar ek my tyd saam met my geliefde out tante Betsie meegemaak het. Dit was ook in daardie selfde kalkwit huis by die see wat ons van mekaar moes afskeid neem...

My tante Betsie was ‘n dierbare en liefdevolle siel wat altyd vrygewig was met haar heerlike baksels. Sy was ‘n tipiese huisvrou. Vandat ek kon onthou het sy dieselfde gelyk, met haar bruin krullerige haartjies opgesteek in ‘n stywe bolla. Sy het groot bak ore gehad wat mens duidelik kon sien, haar groot bruin oe het my altyd aan my gunsteling gemmer koekies laat dink. Met mollige lyf en haar klein huisie was daar selde genoeg plek vir haar om rond te beweeg.

Haar hande was klein en rond soos die heerlike poffertjies wat sy gebak het. Ek het altyd die reuk van vars gebakte pannekoek aan haar geruik wat my herriner het aan die tuisnywerheid in Langebaan. Haar wange was soos klein rooi tamaties wat ‘n permanente warm glimlag omsluit het.

Hierdie glimlag het verdwyn nadat haar man oorlede is. Maande aaneen het sy hom getreur. Ek kon nooit dit oor my hart kry om haar te vra wat gebeur het nie, daar was wel sprake dat hy in ‘n frats ongeluk in ‘n bak melk verdrink het.

Elke aand het sy bakke versiersuiker en ander tuisgemaakte versnapperings verorber in haar tyd van maniese depressie. Uit ieder gewoonte het sy een aand opgestaan en na die kombuis gegaan vir iets te ete. Sluipend deur die huis met haar mollige lyf en haar bene wat moeilik teen mekaar skuur. Met die wat sy die trappe bereik, val sy en rol die trappe af met ‘n gekners van tande en die gekreun van die hout vloere onder haar gewig.

Stadig trek sy haar teen die ou hout kombuiskaste op. Sy maak die yskas saggies oop om my nie wakker te maak nie. Smullend vat sy ’n hap van haar gunsteling gereg, melktert. Skielik verstik sy aan haar gunsteling nagereg en slaan met ‘n alamagtige knel op die vloer neer. Die vloerplanke vou dubbel en dwars,skiet in elke rigting, deur die vensters en die televisie. Dit het gelyk asof dit werklikwaar die doening van ‘n aardbewing kon wees wat ‘n agt op die Richter-skaal kon gemeet. Dat tante Betsie nou so aan ‘n einde moes kom... ag siestog.

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