En droom is verewig Holding a white chalk in her wrinkly hand, Renee was carefully writing on the mini blackboard at the corner of the boutique. “You have to learn the rules of the game and then you have to play better than anyone else,” she wrote. Renee changes the thought-provoking quotes once a week to inspire the passers-by, rather than putting eye-catching ‘SALE’ signs outside the shop like the mainstream does. Her white and curly hair symbolizes sophistication and beauty of an old woman. She was chatting enjoyably with a customer when I entered. Her blue eyes did not dull with age and has a lesson to tell. “I take everyday as it comes,” Renee’s eyes sparkled inside the black rectangular frame when she was genuinely talking to me. Her crow’s feet and wrinkly forehead beautifully reveals her wit, probably gained from life experience. Smiling all the time, you can never imagine the nightmare that happened in her life. A few years ago, when she was waiting patiently in her car right outside her house for a technician to fix some problems, a man broke into the car and robbed her. Since then, she had lived in constant fear everyday in the city with an extraordinarily high crime rate. She was worried and anxious all the time until she couldn’t bear it anymore and decided to move. Renee started a new life in Mossel Bay and working in a fashion bags shop in the Good Shed two years ago. It used to be a warehouse where people unload their goods from the trains. Later the municipal authorities decided to make good use of the space by turning it into an indoor flee market. Residents from Mossel Bay sell both local and overseas products under the same roof. “It feels like a family. Everyone cares about each other,” Renee said, in a delightful voice. I smiled from the bottom of my heart when I learnt that she is now enjoying the peace and quietness of this seaside town, which is gradually changing from a holiday town to a place for settling down. The tranquilness here is all she needs, as she loves peace and hates conflicts. I can picture how she strolls with her genuine smile and relaxing body along the beach after work or gazing at the vast Indian Ocean in her house. Elegantly dressed in a black coat with casual blue jeans, she looks like a mentor who appears in your life to guide the way. “Om te lag is tydloos, verbeelding is sonder ouderdom en droom is verewig.” She explained the wit printed in Afrikaans on the wall. “Laugh is timeless. Imagination is without age. Dreams are forever.” She lives the life that she’s been dreaming of, despite the nightmare she has experienced. Whenever someone or any unfortunate events in life discourage you, just play the game as beautiful as you can. Remember, en droom is verewig.
Posted on: Tue, 22 Jul 2014 15:44:03 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015