Sweef | Die Sederberge is nie vir sissies nie – Willem Fransman Jr. | English Summary

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Die Sederberge is nie vir sissies nie – Willem Fransman Jr.

Gerrie pulls the sleeping bag up to his chin. It’s freezing in the Cederberg mountains. His father did say it would be tough hiking in the area. Now relaxing at their campsite, it is their last night in the area, and if everything goes well, they’ll be sleeping in Wupperthal the next day. Gerrie’s dad, George, and his business partner, Tiekie, drink coffee to warm themselves up. Gerrie can’t drink it because it makes him nauseous, but he’ll prepare himself a cup of hot chocolate to warm up. Tiekie then suggests to George that they “twist the head of the chicken” – a euphemism they use around their wives and children to mean drinking a bottle of brandy.

George and Tiekie have been business partners for years, since Mandela’s election as president, George has made him a full business partner. Together, they built the business up from the ground. It’s Tiekie’s first hike in the Cederberg mountains. Tiekie refers to himself as a South African of colour, appearing so because God “left him in the oven for a bit too long”. Gerrie asks why Tiekie would put himself through a hike this treacherous given his age, and Tiekie tells him he’ll explain in due course. It’s just something he has to do. When George hears the conversation, he expresses his curiosity about the matter given the fact that Tiekie struggles at some parts of the hike. Both Gerrie and his father continue to press for answers. Tiekie says that he knew that he could still stand with “the Mountain and the Little Hill” – referring to Gerrie and his dad because their surname is van der Berg (of the Mountain).

Tiekie tells them about a time he came to the mountains with some medical students. However, he was not allowed to sleep in the same cabin as the students because he is of colour and there was no alternative – people of colour were not welcome there. They came to the mountain in the winter because that made the challenge more enjoyable for them. The clerk told the group that they’d have to reapply for permits and register Tiekie as a white person in order for him to be able to join them. So they packed up their things and left. Two weeks later, the students came to visit Tiekie in the townships and on their way back, they got into an accident – all four died instantly. At the funeral, Tiekie decided that he would one day conquer the Cederberg mountains in their memory – even if it was the last thing he did.

That next morning, they climbed Sneeukop and took a picture at the peak using George’s remote-controlled camera. They got to Crystal’s pool, had something to eat and something warm to drink before leaving. On their way, George spots fresh leopard and deer tracks, which spells trouble for them as the leopard could see them as hunting competition and attack. They walk in silence for a while, and at some point, they can see Kleinvlei, an outpost of Wupperthal. Tiekie takes off his backpack, and as soon as it hits the ground, the leopard appears less than half a meter away from Tiekie. It takes a bite out of his calf and disappears into the bushes. George hurries over to Gerrie and tries to stop the bleeding. Gerrie tells his dad that he’ll head down the mountain to ask the people down below for help. George tells him to hurry – they cannot be on the mountain come nightfall.

Just before sunset, Gerrie reappears with a few other people, and they take them on a bakkie. Tiekie is treated for his wounds, and when he wakes up, he asks if they really made it. George affirms. Tiekie thanks George for being the mountain that got him through the Cederberg mountains.

SummariesKeroshan PillayComment