Man of Many Talents

MAN OF MANY TALENTS

  Adele Reynders

  All rights reserved

  Copy right © 2011 Adele Reynders

  www.adelereynders.co.za

  Cover design Adele Reynders

  Translated to English – Jacoba Calitz

  Published by Francois Duminy [email protected]

  Chapter 1

  "Don't tell me about any house, unless it is within my budget!" That was Lana's firm but friendly request to the agent Engela, when she decided to exchange the city lights for the tranquility of the bushveld, here in Maroth Park, neighboring the Kruger National Park. "I need four walls, a roof over my head and running water. Electricity would be a bonus, but not a necessity."

  "I found a little gem at a bargain price," the agent told her a few days later. "The place is quite small, only thirty six square meters big, but there is a carport for two vehicles and a thatched lapa next to the house. Believe it if you can, the house is available at the price of an empty plot. And the big bonus is the fact that the electricity is connected already."

  "That sounds like the bargain of the year. Yes, I want it. Please put in an offer." It took Lana exactly two seconds to come to this decision. "I am looking forward to staying in my little house. After the last burglary, I would much rather encounter the baboons and leopards in the bush, than living here in the city."

  "Oh no! Not another burglary. Did they steal a lot of things?"

  "No, not too much, but they turned the house upside down again. I think they were looking for money and firearms. My old computer was also stolen. It isn't worth much, except for some valuable information I gathered for my new articles."

  "So you had to buy another computer?"

  "Fortunately not. I am now using a notebook my ex-husband gave me before he left South Africa. I think I can understand now why he and his new wife lately prefer to stay in Europe."

  "In Marloth Park we have our share of crime as well, but thanks to our wide awake security company it’s kept under control."

  Without much ado and sight unseen, Lana bought the property south of the Kruger National Park.

  She had been to Marloth Park many times before. Although her friends warned her that she could not compare spending some holidays at a place, to living there, she just knew she was going to fit in, or even better, she was going to enjoy living there.

 

  On Boxing Day she followed Buks and Engela in their Land Rover, on the way to her new house. Her little car was sold and replaced by a double cab bakkie, now fully loaded with everything she would need to survive here for a while.

  A herd of giraffe crossed the dirt road leading to the river in front of them. It was smouldering hot outside and most of the animals took shelter in shady spots. Two kudu-bulls drank water from a water feature in one of the private gardens.

  "This is paradise." Although Lana delighted in what she saw, she looked up at the white cumulus clouds gathering and hoped for an afternoon thunderstorm, to break the late December heat.

  When Buks turned and stopped underneath the carport, Lana pulled in next to him. She got out of the bakkie and fell in love with her new home instantly. It was a cute little thatched roof cottage with two windows on each side and a sliding door in the middle. In front there was a thatched lapa as well. Buks opened the gate that lead to a small enclosed area in front of the house.

  "This is where you can have a braai, and entertain your guests. It is safe here and your front door looks out on this area. The rest of the yard is open, for the wild animals to use."

  "Are there really lions in the park and not only in the Kruger Park?" Lana wanted to know again. She asked the question many times before. Until now she only encountered lions on the other side of the fence separating Marloth Park from Kruger Park, or in the private game park next to Marloth Park, Lions Spruit.

  "Yes there are, from time to time. You cannot keep the big cats fenced in or out. They often crawl in underneath the fences, following the warthogs."

  "That sounds fantastic! I cannot wait for the day I find a lion in my garden!"

  "Careful, you will never just find one lion going about alone. If you see one, the rest of the pride is probably close by," Engela told her. "Always keep your eyes open and don't walk around after dark."

  "When I see them, I have to stand still, I've been told. Apparently I should not try to outrun a lion."

  "You have to freeze."

  "Or climb into a tree?"

  "No! Lions are better climbers than any human being," Buks warned her. "Let's go and look inside."

  The house consisted of four walls and a roof, as Engela had described it to her. The lounge and small bedroom was divided by a kitchenette and bathroom, in the middle of the room. The view from the sliding door was breathtakingly beautiful, looking out over the Crocodile River.

  "Do you like it?" Buks and Engela were anxiously awaiting her reaction.

  "I love it!" she assured them. "Thank you for your trouble."

  "Thank you for trusting us as your agents."

  "Is there a hardware store close by?" Lana asked when walking Buks and Engela back to their Land Rover. "Tomorrow I want to start building a wooden deck underneath that lapa. It will be like an extension of the lounge."

  "Wait for the new year. You won't find any laborers to do the job this time of the year."

  "I am going to do it myself."

  "You want to tackle the deck yourself?" The two agents sounded shocked.

  "Yes. I need a break sometimes from sitting in front of my computer. This will be an opportunity to do something constructive and get some exercise at the same time."

  "In that case, there is a new centre on the dirt road to Komatipoort. You cannot miss it. They have opened a hardware store, grocery store, bottle store, petrol station, pharmacy, hair salon, Home Industry and doctors consulting rooms already."

  That afternoon as well as the next day, Lana kept herself busy settling in and getting used to her new home. There wasn't a lot to do. The couches in the lounge were permanent fixtures, to be converted into beds when needed. She hung her clothes in the cupboard and organized the kitchen, after unpacking everything she had brought with her.

  She sat down on a folding chair outside the front door and started planning the deck. She decided that it would be the best to build a wooden deck, elevated from the ground. Planning was important, to ensure success. She picked up a sketchpad and started drawing a few lines. Good planning was the basis of any successful project.

  She was looking forward to living here, to be her own boss, with no concerns for deadlines, printing errors on articles and office politics.

  When the sun set over the Crocodile River and a lion roared in the distance, Lana lifted up the bottle of fruit juice standing on the table and proposed a toast.

  "Yes, go for it, king of the jungle. While you still have to catch your prey, I am going to fry my mutton chops on the stove tonight. As soon as my wooden deck and braai is completed, I will join you outside."

  The next morning Lana drove to the new centre. She could not see any signboards yet, but she guessed that it was the big building with steps leading to a wide veranda. The grocery store and bottle store were open for business, but the hardware store on the opposite side seemed to be only half open.

  There was a sign on the door, reading, 'open for business,' though the door was closed. She nudged against the door and when it slid open she walked in, with the list of materials in her hand. There was nobody behind the counter, or on the floor.

  In the office however sat a handsome man behind a desk, concentrating on the computer screen in front of him.

  Her knock on the door, startled him. His eyes grew wide and then he jump
ed up and rushed past her to the glass door in front. Before her astonished eyes he turned the sign around.

  "I am sorry, we are closed for business. You will have to come back in the New Year." He opened the door, with a gesture for her to leave.

  "No, I am inside already. It is an emergency!"

  "An emergency?" He returned to his computer. "What type of an emergency can one have regarding hardware? Is your house collapsing?"

  "No, it is not as bad as that, but do you really expect me to drive all the way to Malelane or Nelspruit?"

  "Okay, how can I help you?" He sighed and pressed a few keys on the computer's keyboard. He was clearly not impressed with a customer, walking into his shop on the twenty ninth of December.

  "I want to build a patio in front of my house, where I can sit and look out over the river."

  "Did you buy a house in Marloth Park?" His eyes narrowed. "In which street?"

  "Crocodile." She mentioned the street number.

  "Oh, yes, I know exactly which house it is. That is in one of the nicest locations of the park. When would you like to have the deck built?" He folded his arms in front of him and as the sunlight fell on him, Lana could see that he had auburn hair, with a hint of grey at the temples.

  "In about an hour's time or as soon as I have finished buying the materials," she answered, with a defiant tone of voice. "I am going to sit on my own deck on New Year's Eve, to welcome in the New Year."

  "Sorry, it is not going to happen…" He shook his head. "You see, it will be difficult to find someone to build the deck at this time of the year. The builders are all on holiday until the third of January. Besides a patio is not a hardware emergency. Good bye and happy New Year.."

  "Do you want my business, or don't you?" She placed her list of materials on the table in front of him. "My geyser is broken, too. Is that an emergency?"

  "For a woman it would be an emergency, I suppose." He seemed a bit more sympathetic. He picked up the list and looked at it from all sides, as if she had given it to him upside down. After a while he looked up. "The poles are outside. You can buy the wood in lengths of …. Wait, let me see."

  "I am flexible. A centimeter shorter or longer will not make much of a difference to my deck. I am sure it will not float away in the Crocodile River."

  "You reckon!" He pressed a button and the computer came alive once again, taking up all his attention.

  "Would you be able to deliver it?" She pointed at her double cab bakkie. "The base is too short for the three metre lengths. I won't be able to load it on, but I can load the nails, creosote, building sand, cement and bricks…"

  "How many bricks do you need?"

  "Two hundred," she answered with confidence. "And I would like to take them with me now. Could we please load it?"

  "Two hundred? And we are supposed to load it?" He held up one finger and brought it down again. It dawned onto him that she would not accept no for an answer. He grabbed a pen. "Name? Cell number?"

  "Lana Steenekamp." He wrote down her name and order in the book.

  "Are you not going to put it on the computer?" she asked, surprised.

  "Later, much later. Let us load the stuff." The man placed the money inside the book and walked out with her.

  Together they loaded the bricks.

  "The cement is too heavy; I will have to load it by myself." He picked up the first bag of cement and groaned as he carried it to the bakkie. "Quickly, open the flap! This is heavy as hell."

  She opened it just in time, as the bag of cement flopped onto the back of the bakkie.

  "Bravo!" Lana clapped her hands, when the last bag of cement was being deposited.

  "Gmff! How will you be able to unload it?" The man looked at the three heavy bags. "This is back breaking stuff."

  "I will open it and empty it into a pail, little by little, until it is light enough to pick up. Can you please deliver the wood tomorrow?"

  "No, not really, or … maybe. Okay yes I probably can, but… I wonder where the truck's keys are." He started scratching around for the keys. "Anything else?"

  "What formula should I use, cement versus building sand, to make a strong mixture?"

  "There are the formulas." He pointed at a poster on the wall.

  "Sand! I need sand."

  "Why don't you buy bags of Ready-Mix? There is a choice between Plaster Mix and Building Mix."

  "That sounds great! Thank you." She was excited again.

  "Good heavens!" he groaned when he saw the grateful look in her eyes. Of course he was the only one there that could replace the cement with the building mix. "Why did I open my big mouth?"

  "Because you are the kind hardware man, with the best advice for all your loyal customers," Lana reminded him. "And on top of that you are a businessman, thankful for every transaction taking place between Christmas and New Year."

  "Is that what you think?" He carried the three bags of Ready-Mix, and loaded it on to the bakkie. "Please don't come back for another bag until next week!" By this time the sweat was running into his eyes, from exertion and his neat, dark green Camel man-shirt was sticking to his muscular body.

  "Do you think three bags will be enough?" she asked him. "Shouldn't I buy another one?"

  "Three will be ample, more than enough. Too much actually." He lifted his hands into the air. Hands Up. She would have to get by with three bags, at least until next year. Then he asked cautiously. "Don't you think we should find someone to help you?"

  "No, thanks. Building is my latest hobby. I bought a thick book in Pretoria, with all the tips and advice on building projects. I am going to be busy extending and renovating my house for a long time. I think I might just turn out to be one of your best clients."

  "One of my best clients? That is highly unlikely." He smiled, with a twinkle in his bright green eyes.