Today Dad would have been 80. He passed away 5 years ago on my birthday, 13 April.
When i think back on my childhood, i am grateful to have had a mother and a father.
For many years my mom was out in the evenings doing Tupperward parties, so Dad would be home to put us to bed.
The big treat was getting a Cardbury Flake broken into a little porridge bowl and eating it with a spoon. (I still ike eating flakes today :)
He would play horsey horsey with us crawling around on the floor with one of us on his back.
Another game was the "hussby bussy" game, when once tucked in bed, we would smack the folds in our blankets and another one would form somewhere else. This was a delightful game with shrieks of amazement and laughter.
Of my fondest memories is my Dad sitting in the Sun porch, with a glass of gin before him smoking his pipe. He had a red mustache, and he could make it wiggle! and make his ears move up and down and crack his nose!! He was awesome. I never managed to do those things :D
Dad bought me books. Those books formed much of my character - Uncle Toms Bedtime Tales, ore Aesops Fables. The Readers Digest Classics.
Dad seldom gave us gifts, so the two records he bought me were the most special ones i ever had. The one was My Fairl Lady sound tracks. Then there was a childrens record, with songs like, Mamma, Pappa and BAB'y warthog.. jiggety jiggety jig! hehe... there was a song about the post man and people greeting each other with a merry good morning.
As a child i had very bad eczema on my hands. One winter Dad took me to buy kid leather gloves to help protect my hands from the cold. They were so expensive - R25.00!! Sadly i lost one glove when i lent them to a friend and only one was returned to me :(
My Dad taught me never to be late for a meeting.
To respect my elders and offer a seat to an elderly person.
He instilled in me a love for history.
i once found a box full of old stamps and postcards from my great aunt - from there i started to collect.
I had a little money box in the shape of a leather bound book. It had a round hole for the notes and a slot for coins.
Whenever i was given money, my Dad would take down the box and we would deposit the money. I loved to roll up the notes .. just so, and then push them into that little hole. When the box was full, Dad and i would go ito the bank. It was a BIG place, very quiet and sober, with wooden counters and men in suits - and one would take out a key, unlock my little money book and safely put away my cash.
We used to go camping at the sea as a family. At that time you could camp wherever you wished. We had a big green family tent, a brown Landrower and a kist with all our food for two or three weeks. Fishing rods , bait and buckets were part of the luggage. Dad taught me to fish and i was quite good at it, except the cleaning part, that i let some one else do!
Dad owned a maroon Rover. An awesome car with wood panels and leather seats. On the glove box was a sticker that read... DON'T SLAM THE DOORS. We had to close the doors gently! No eating in that car and most Saturdays i would help him to wash and polish it. When it was all shiny my image would appear fat and distorted as it mirrored me back. Dad was proud of his cars and looked after them well.
He loved hunting and used to fill his own bullets. I loved to stand in the garage and watch him. There were also other interesting things in that garage. An old cupboard with old books that belonged to my Grandparents. They smelled musty and old, but were fun to look at.
So many good memories.
I thank God for my Dad and for the years i had him in my life.
