Bunkers, Dads and Clubs

At last freed in the real world now, but my dad died and I a rebel without a cause. During third year engineering studies my grandfather died also but he had a long suffering of cancer, I was living with them and some other students, close family members it was more than I could bear.

Once always such a cheerful and happy dinner table now sad and sombre every evening quiet harsh he did not ever complain once, no telling jokes no lust for life had even at age he just said the food was tasteless.

It was like the Joseph and his dream coat musical “no-one comes to dinner now, we'd only eat them anyhow”.

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I went over the top with commies talk and revolution then fanatic fundamentalist and sect just out of control and each time drinking to insanity driving my car like a madman.

In an acute sudden total mental breakdown Clubs supported me tremendously he came to visit me every evening at hospital, I was there around three weeks and at the beginning had to go to outpatients every week. The sister “tannie” Engela said later I was like a man in a stream, then his head was up, then his head was down. She was an angel you know she was.

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Clubs's mom passed very young the grandparents too did not grow very old.

He was very upset I came to his mom's funeral with a suit and new white tennis shoes he could never understand those were the only shoes I had, and fortunate to have them. He was also very unhappy I managed to pass my first year's mathematics with a half a spectacles whole year held together with sticky tape, me I was very proud of this I managed as an achievement.

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I invited him to visit this girl she was fascinated with him and with me not one word spoken the whole evening. Literally. I mean it. Well, the next time he invited me too and that was the last.

I disliked this woman as well she was a medical student her resort in any kind of vaguely related argument was simply “ I'y Shoul'D Know” she'd been at school with us she thought much to much of herself.

There it ended I was now completely removed from the picture. Although, Clubs himself did not ever do me any harm and his dad was very kind and meant a lot with my comeback.

This was shortly before the car crash. By this time it became clear that apartheid would fall we had been living in a fool's paradise.

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In three years by far my personal greatest academic achievement ever I graduated with BSc with correspondence. They were actually very impressed there too and offered a student job for the next year which all worked out very well.

As from academically the strongest engineering student in my year at SA's largest university. That is coming down from the ivory tower, from hero to zero. When I had thus passed just my very first year BSc mathematics again and with distinctions I almost got manic I was so glad, I'd been convinced I was a total write-off but now it was more like the old self again.

This is what difference simple “true” faith makes, not meant as necessarily religious then.

The job went very well it was ideally suited.

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With new drinking buddies again some years later it was full scale becoming full blown drinking and regular mid-week braaivleis (more like barbecue orgies).

With hangovers gradually began each wednesday taking vacation leave all my holiday leave during the year and thus had to work through university holidays, all the dirty work like marking papers pushing around trolleys and that but I never minded such work much kept you busy at least.

Yes and my tobacco addiction also became more and more of a problem I smoked a pipe, there were stricter and stricter laws enforced during that time. I left that job with the turn of the century after a decade, once more facing “the real world”.

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Clubs again visited once or twice and then not so very long ago too, I was very pleased to see him, he has a second job now as blacksmith, a tradesman shoeing horses there's good money in that. So he has two professions and two incomes, is married and grown-up kids. Still playing golf with the same crowd, important friends big houses fancy motorcars.

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As senior officer in the military I was always very welcome there, his dad insists you smoke inside as an insult to stand outside. His house is absolutely spotless, always he only won respect from me. Finally now excepted me to not call him by his first name, but as accustomed and traditional to Afrikaners as “Oom” that is, “Uncle” as a sign of affection and respect.

At times while it didn't go so well he took me on outings like the last was to friends of his, Jewish people, he took me to show they built plastic model aircraft I wanted to start a hobby. We also watched radio control sail boats and that. He built radio control balsa wood aircraft – large projects he had patience. The public air force shows as well. We had camping and fishing outings too.

One lady friend of his graduated with a DSc doctorate in biology he took me to her place showed me all her degrees on the wall and went to the ceremony. A very pleasant woman I felt good about it. This outing made a big change to my own life, I felt happy that day and I thought this is great and I would like to do it too. Once we visited my one aunt that was pleasant company.

He'd inhereted a large police dobermann a magnificent animal. Kaptain. Fearless. Total loyalty, complete obedience, incredible intelligence trained as easily as a child.

An artist and completed a degree by post in visual arts, a remarkable achievement in itself, the standards there are very high few people actually complete their studies. As well an excellent amateur photographer, so you can see with my own graduations!