Sweef | Die sokkie – Hanneke-Mari Basson | English Summary

Sweef en ander Verhale

Die sokkie – Hanneke-Mari Basson

Grade 9 learners at Karlien’s school are anticipating the sokkie (school dance) and the brunt of their examinations. Be that as it may, the grade 9 girls seem to be more focused on the sokkie. Marietjie, one of Karlien’s classmates, asks Karlien if she’s going to wear black like the last time, commenting that she always looks like she’s going to hold a funeral. Karlien bites her tongue, knowing that Marietjie can’t handle her insults. Karlien’s friend, Tina, is outraged when she hears of Marietjie’s comments. She’s always ready to comfort Karlien. However, she’s a bit stressed about her exam since she tried to cram all the formulae the night before the exam. Karlien notes that she should’ve been practising them throughout the quarter, but she hopes that the part Tina crammed ends up being tested in the exam. Tina then starts talking about her shopping experience the day before, where she had walked past a girl named Doret while eyeing a cute top. She says some nasty things about Doret, calling her “Thick Doret” and claiming that she smells awful and needs to visit every single place that sells soap. Karlien is shocked that her best friend could say such terrible things about someone else but doesn’t react in the moment, lamenting it when she gets home later in the afternoon.

Karlien’s mother taught her that she could think whatever she wanted to believe, but it not to say everything she thinks. She thinks about how the other girls nudge each other and point at Doret whenever they’re in the change rooms because Doret keeps a big beach towel on while she gets changed. Even during their sports practices or classes, the towel stays close to Doret. Karlien notes how Doret isn’t even fatter than she is and makes the conclusion that these things that Tina thinks about Doret can’t be about Doret in isolation since Karlien’s own body isn’t all that different. Karlien thinks about how she isn’t keen to go to the sokkie, but she can’t help thinking about how it would go. She’ll also fall into the naïve excitement in the afternoon before; eager to put on her makeup and don her outfit. She dreams about what she’ll do with her hair or how she’ll dazzle the dancefloor. The first problem will be the struggle to get the pants on over her thighs, or if the shirt gapes with the distribution of her torso in it. She hates the uncertain steps into the venue and the search for her friends that will ensue as soon as she enters.

However, Karlien isn’t all that eager to go. She’ll spend the night the way she usually does at these events – with her back to the wall and her eyes focused on the fashionable (and thin) girls who have all the boys’ attention.

On the night of the sokkie, Karlien sits with her friends, and they tell her about the stranger who came with Mr Gouws. Frans, the mystery man, turns out to be a dance instructor enlisted by the school in order to prepare students for one of the most important nights of their high school lives – the Matric Dance. Frans speaks to the student body and tells them that the first thing they’ll learn is how to waltz. When he asks if anyone in the room can waltz, Tina puts her best friend under the spotlight, but everyone laughs, thinking it’s a joke that a big girl can dance gracefully. However, Karlien was taught by her grandfather, so Franz takes the suggestion seriously, saying that more grandparents ought to follow his example. He approaches Karlien for one dance. Karlien swoons because according to her, this kind of thing doesn’t happen to girls like her.

Initially a bit stiff due to her nerves, Karlien soon comes out of her shell and dances gracefully with Frans, to the utter disbelief of everyone watching. After dancing, Frans gives Karlien a tight one-armed hug while he speaks into the microphone, saying that Karlien’s light-footed dancing made his job so much easier and that everyone will find it quicker to learn if they got a few lessons from Karlien. Frans then tells everyone to find their dance partners, and after a few moments, Karlien feels a light tap on her shoulder. It’s Juandré, the school’s ace 100m sprinter. “Karlien, can you teach me how to waltz?” he asks. Karlien notes that he’s never spoken to her before – perhaps things like this do in fact happen to girls like Karlien.

SummariesKeroshan PillayComment