Mooinooi revisited

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Woke at 0600 today, birds singing in another beautiful day. Aunty Pauline, provided an amazing breakfast: starting with yoghurt, a variety of fruits and Pronutro cereal and completed with a choice of scrambled eggs, bacon, borewors, and potato squares. So much choice. Absolutely brilliant start to another busy day. A visit to Mooinooi was our intention today.

I was overcome with emotion when we reached the house, now 33 Karee st. not 183 as it was back then. I remembered it clearly despite the changes so evident now. Back then the grounds seemed so much larger than I found them today. Now our family home is overrun with scrap and pawned items.

Ailine and my bedroom wall, backing on the lounge, has been opened up and is now an office, the kitchen seems unchanged, but there is now a room off the dining room where a window used to be. I looked over to the door between the dining room at kitchen and recall those times we used to steal biscuits ... I recall daddy sitting at the piano next to the missing wall. Those were the days.

The bathroom is exactly how I remember it and the toilet as well. Again I can't believe how small the separate toilet seemed to be today, I used to lay across the floor studying. I felt a little cheated that we could not see my parents room and ensuite. Peigi and Maria's room is jam packed full of what looks like rubbish, but they were able to see the built in cupboards they used in hide and seek.

Even the veranda is now missing, the vines draping the beams over the veranda are gone, forever forgotten. As children we had a great time playing 'house' using the dining room chairs and lots of linen and blankets. Outside as I walked the gardens I recall how much work was put into making the place beautiful, now the yard is full of scrap metal and materials, no plants remain. There is a small fenced unkept pool in the back yard to the right, providing little but a distraction. There once was a pond full of Lily's and frogs. The courtyard off the kitchen, again seems smaller than I remember, but also has great memories of family braaifleis' for our birthdays. I also remember the rhubarb patch down the side of the garage, now empty.

The garage has been expanded and also incorporates the servant quarters into a flat. The bee hive is no loner in the front wall and I now cannot imagine how our large swings graced the front yard. We left the house and traced our walking route to school.

The Mooinooi shop was long gone, now a health gym, the chemist now a community service organisation, the grounds seemed derelict. We found the pool in tact and definitely as big as we recall. But the fences to the pool and sports ground is now lined with razor wire. just as disturbing is the rubbish strewn across all paths in parks and around public places.

We eventually got to the park area we crossed before taking the school crossing over the main street into school. I was reminded of the days as a crossing monitor in my last year there. We reached the Mooinooi Laerskool and discovered that although school term was complete, it was still open.

I ventured in to see if the teachers there were happy for us to take photo's. we were blessed to see teachers more than happy to hear about our visit because this year was the centenary and they were excited to hear we went to this school over 30 years ago. We were able to share stories about our experiences and were free to roam the property. We heard that our principal, then an old man, was still alive living next to the property. The current principal gave us keys to the gates that accessed the sports field and was more than forthcoming in showing us the school hall and the changes that have been made.

I remember some very good times at that school and some sad times as well. Corporal punishment was part and parcel of my schooling and the fear associated with a spelling mistake was insurmountable as a child, today I don't have the same fear. I fondly recall my maths classes, I remember playing marbles with my friends, I remember sports days and sewing classes. I also remember the bullies and the times I'd rescue friends and sisters from them. Afrikaans words lined the classrooms, seemed more like a foreign language today but back then it was one of our primary languages.

We left knowing that we were going to get a copy of the centenary book celebrating the life of the school. We then drove past Brits and stopped for a photo opportunity at Hartbeesportdam. Time has stood still here. stil a one way bridge and tunnel past the dam. After getting takeaway lunch from the local Wimpy Bar we headed off to Pretoria, stopping at craft markets along the way. Tie was my first taste of being duped by haggling vendors and shonky sales people. Never again!

We got to Cascades before dark, David, Ailine and Peigi went shopping while Maria and I remained behind and did washing and tried to relax. When Peigi got back from shopping we ordered Chinese for tea. We settled to sleep, excited about the trip to Kruger National Park.

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Photos

33 Karee Street, Mooinooi
Family home now a Pawn shop

South African Family Home
Our family home for 8 years prior to immigrating to Australia