Oupa lived in an old creaking house on the banks of the Vaal River.
The house was very big and very old with many rooms where ghosts lived a secret life. They only came out at night, and only when I was there because Oupa said he
never saw or heard them.
My mom grew up in this house. Oupa spoiled her, I think he felt sorry for her because her mother died when she was very young. She used to tell me stories of all the times Oupa took her shopping in Kimberley, buying her the most beautiful clothes. Silk and satin and lace long evening dresses, linen suits and classy high heeled shoes and gorgeous hats and gloves.
My favorite room was the pink room where mom used to sleep. It had dusky floral wallpaper and smelled like old roses and dust. In the corner was a dressing table with a huge round mirror. I would dance around in front of it, pretending to be Alice, dreaming of the White Rabbit and Cheshire Cat.
I loved going there and staying over as my cousins lived there as well. I think Oupa did not know how to keep us busy as it had been a long time since my mom was a little girl of about 5.
We used to play in the cemetery on all the old graves. We played hide and seek and also replaced the dead flowers in the flowerpots with fresh tree branches.
At night Oupa went to bed early, so we had to go to our room and be quiet. Mara, Elsa and I shared a bed. Oupa left a candle burning for us and we would watch the flickering shadows on the wall and in the mirror. We would see the ghosts coming out and dancing around in the room, shadowy transparent figures floating over us and out of the door.
We hugged each other in the dark, too afraid to move or to make a sound until we fell asleep in each others arms.
The house was very big and very old with many rooms where ghosts lived a secret life. They only came out at night, and only when I was there because Oupa said he
never saw or heard them.
My mom grew up in this house. Oupa spoiled her, I think he felt sorry for her because her mother died when she was very young. She used to tell me stories of all the times Oupa took her shopping in Kimberley, buying her the most beautiful clothes. Silk and satin and lace long evening dresses, linen suits and classy high heeled shoes and gorgeous hats and gloves.
My favorite room was the pink room where mom used to sleep. It had dusky floral wallpaper and smelled like old roses and dust. In the corner was a dressing table with a huge round mirror. I would dance around in front of it, pretending to be Alice, dreaming of the White Rabbit and Cheshire Cat.
I loved going there and staying over as my cousins lived there as well. I think Oupa did not know how to keep us busy as it had been a long time since my mom was a little girl of about 5.
We used to play in the cemetery on all the old graves. We played hide and seek and also replaced the dead flowers in the flowerpots with fresh tree branches.
At night Oupa went to bed early, so we had to go to our room and be quiet. Mara, Elsa and I shared a bed. Oupa left a candle burning for us and we would watch the flickering shadows on the wall and in the mirror. We would see the ghosts coming out and dancing around in the room, shadowy transparent figures floating over us and out of the door.
We hugged each other in the dark, too afraid to move or to make a sound until we fell asleep in each others arms.
♫
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