Part 2 - The Story of my Life

What follows in these tales from My life is a story I need to write. A story of life and drama that I long to write down. Not only for myself, but also as a reminder of things gone by. It is a story of forming and shaping and intrigue . But primarily it is a story about hope. If you choose to tread these pages with me, do so with reverence and kindness because one does not write these things lightly. If you are one who has the need to flirt a little with being nosy then perhaps you should pass by this story. For it is true and full. It needs not your judgement nor your advice. But if you want to read on, then read it as a novel should be read. For it is but just one story among many.

Zeiss Road - The Road Less Traveled

For the first 21 years of my life, I lived in a place called Honeydew. It was plot lands where people lived on pieces of land of about 5 acres or so, sewn together like a patchwork quilt. In many ways Honeydew was an ideal place to grow up. There was space and lots of it. Our nearest neighbours we could just see through the trees that flanked the plot. The property on Zeiss Road was owned by my grandparents and it used to belong to a nursery of sorts. It produced a variety of fruit trees such as plum, guava, peach, apricot and apple. It also grew a wealth of other kinds of trees like a monkey puzzles that was so enormous it seemed to touch the very hand of God.

My father has always been partial to animals, having a special affinity with them. Because of this my childhood was full of not only beautiful trees and space but also lots of dogs and cats and even a bird and some fish at one point. A big fluffy matriarchal cat called Vicky ruled the roost through much of my early childhood along with a small, wiry mixture of a dog named Twiggy. She was sweet and gentle but deadly and fast when she needed to be.  I watched in horror as she once, in a flash, killed a little bird we had nursed back to health after one of Johannesburg’s infamous hail storms.

My father worked at this and that and began his own business in his 20’s. He was an entrepreneur of sorts and his keen business mind lead him to make a great deal of money in his life. His interest in new ideas and new ways to solve problems has been passed along the genes to me. I guess in some way we connect back through the generations through those genes that live on in us.

My father built the cottage which was my first home. It was perfect and suited the needs of this family. Following pretty quickly on my heals was my brother, Alan, and so the four of us set up home in this well built, solid little cottage. In those early days we had little money and seemed to survive on a healthy but small amount. My mother chose to stay home and not return to work. As a young mother her work kept her busy, cleaning, cooking and taking care of the two of us.

I often wonder what motivated my mother in this part of her life. Non- the less, this was our lot. For the most art our life at 2 Zeiss Road was interesting. It was a rich and full beginning to a life bursting with intrigue and torment.