Representing A Continent

July 14th 1981

“Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday dear Jacob, Happy Birthday to you.” sung Grace Adams and her partner George Petersen. “Happy Birthday my love, me and your dad love you very much.” Grace continued.

It was a day of celebration in the household, as Grace and George’s son, Jacob celebrated his 13th birthday. Jacob was the couples only child, one they had when Grace was just four months from her eighteenth birthday. Grace and George had met at school and had practically grown up with one another, firstly as pre-school friends before their friendship became more than that, with the pairs relationship beginning at 15. Ever since then they had never left one another's side. Grace’s family disowned her when she announced she was having Jacob, disgusted that firstly she would be entering sexual relations before marriage, let alone keeping the child.

Grace moved in with George and began living at his parents house in the town of District Six, seven months before she was due to give birth to their son. The house was cramped, as many were in the town, but with an extra two people now living in the house, the living room was converted into the young families bedroom. Despite the tight squeeze, the household was one full of love and happiness, something Grace had rarely experienced in her own home. It was something Grace had always envied of George, two loving parents and a home full of warmth. For Grace, she’d always had to defend for herself and very rarely had the support of her parents.

When Jacob was just two, George’s father fell ill. Having spent most of his life working in mines, he began developing respiratory issues, and with a lack of money, the family couldn’t give him the medical attention that was needed. A few months after being diagnosed with silicosis, he sadly passed away in his home. The death caused great hurt to the family, in particular, George’s mother, Patricia. Having been married for over 37 years, she remembered very little without him and she fell into a depressive state. Only two years after George’s father’s death, Patricia passed away too.

With both parents passing away within two years, the family was rocked. For George it was tough, the close love and support he had always had from his parents was suddenly taken from him within a matter of years. Grace tried to help, but the first months of losing them, George would barely speak. With all the bad going on in the country his parents had always been there to tell him everything would be ok. Now he had to do the same for his son. Now ten years on from his mother's passing, George still missed them but the love he felt from his parents had been replaced by the love he had from and for his son.

Jacob was growing up to be the young man that George and Grace could have only dreamt of bringing up and both of them were beyond proud of him. Having struggled for years, George and Grace had also grown in their relationship finding more and more love for one another. With George’s happiness at a high, he knew it was the right time.

“Happy Birthday son, we do love you.” George said before turning to Grace, “I also love you. The lady who has been in my life longer than anyone, the one person I can trust with anything and everything. The person who was there for me when my parents passed and still never stopped loving me despite how hard I was to love.”

With that George got down onto one knee “Grace Adams, would you do me the honour of being my wife?”.

A fair lady certainly Graced his life.

Time for more puns....
Did Grace have an Adams apple?
Before family meals, do they say Grace?
I guess Grace moved into District Sex, much to her parents' disapproval.
I already know what this story is going to be:

What a Georgeous proposal

Guess whose back
Back again
LFC's back
Tell a friend

I can't think of a pun. Good start, though.

3rd June 1982

Just under a year had passed since George had asked Grace to be his wife, a question she had answered almost immediately. The yes, had never left her mouth quicker and the pair had been planning the wedding ever since with the date set for October 13th 1982. The date was one of particular importance to the pair, as it was October 13th 1965 when they first began dating and therefore it felt the perfect time to tie the knot.

Whenever somebody asked why the pair had not married earlier, neither had an answer with the normal conclusion being “The time had never been right.” They had begun their relationship at a young age, just 15 years old when they started dating. They also had their son, Jacob at a very young age, just 18. Within a few years of Jacobs birth, George’s parents had passed away and George struggled to deal with the loss. Everything in their relationship had been anything but normal and as such the time was never right, but now nothing could feel more right.

“Get up! Lets go, move it,” screamed the officer “I won’t ask again, lets fucking go” he continued to scream in his native Afrikaans.

Jacob was startled, it wasn’t every morning you woke up with a torch being shone into your face with a furious police officer screaming at you. Still half asleep Jacob sat up before being grabbed around the collar of his shirt and thrown to the floor.
“I warned you to not make me ask again, you should listen next time, you piece of shit!” the abusive officer said, whilst smirking at the young boy.

The cold concrete floor of Jacob's room sent shivers down his body, but the cold was the least of his concerns. Jacob could feel the trickle of blood coming from his face and soon realised his nose was broken from the impact of hitting the ground. Not only was his nose sore, but his head was pounding with the force almost certainly giving him concussion. But there wasn’t enough time for Jacob to be concerned for himself, as the police officer, clearly pleased with his handywork, picking him up again and throwing him against the wall before placing handcuffs on him.

Still unable to comprehend what was happening, the ringing from inside his ears was fading, as Jacob began hearing the screams and cries not just inside his house but outside as well. It was then clear what was happening.

District Six had always been a mainly coloured area, a community that despite the struggles happening in the country, remained tight and together. Yet in 1966 the Apartheid government declared the area as a whites only under the Groups Area Act. Since then the government had been making its way throughout the District clearing people from their homes before knocking down the buildings. It was purely a power move from those in charge of the country, showing its people they could do whatever they liked and would do it to ensure the country stayed segregated. Jacob and his parents knew this day was coming but it still came as a shock to have it happen.

Still groggy from his head hitting the floor, Jacob was moving slowly unable to react as fast as the officer, who was guiding him, wanted him to move. Leaving the house, he heard the scream of his mother.

“Jacob. I love you my boy, don’t worry just do as they say. I will find you! I love you my boy I do I love you so much!”

Before he could reply, the officer who had within a couple of minutes, made Jacob feel at his lowest, dragged him away and thrown him into the back of a van. “Mummy loves you. How very cute,” the officer teased, before spitting at Jacob. “You people disgust me. Thinking you deserve everything, taking your time walking here when I am telling you to hurry up. Makes me sick how you people think us hard working whites should just give you everything,” the officer continued.

The rant continued with Jacob paying little to no attention which only infuriated the officer further. “Are you even listening to me you little shit?” he screamed.

Jacob wasn’t given a chance to answer as the 6”3 officer who looked like he had spent his whole life in the gym swung a fist landing perfectly in Jacobs stomach. Immediately doubled over, Jacob let out a scream in pain. But that wasn’t the end. Further punches landed on the handcuffed child. Heavyweight boxers had thrown less combinations with punches landing to his stomach and face. The defenseless Jacob had nowhere to go and curled into a ball on the van floor, leaving him open to being kicked and stamped on until he finally lost all consciousness.

Replies

Justice: It is going to be a long year of puns, isn't it...
Syb: Why did you have to join in and encourage him!
Griffo:Nothing better than a spot of Eminem
Scott: Thank you. Think I am happier without the puns in all honesty.

A haunting update. Incredibly written, but I expect nothing less from you.

Was thinking of a pun, but couldn't think of one. On topic, fantastic update which is leaving me curious to the next one

Great writing as always mate, you have me intrigued

Fantastic writing Seb. This is going to be a good year for you

Child abuse and racism in one update.

This is intriguing, looking forward to seeing where you go with it!

July 14th 1995

Grace’s life had changed monumentally in the last thirteen years. It had been thirteen years in June when Grace Adams, her fiancé George Petersen and their son Jacob had been removed from their home in the then ‘white area’ of District Six. It was also the last day she had seen her son, Jacob.

Grace and George had been taken to the same van by the same police officer with a different officer arresting Jacob. Grace had been worried from the moment he walked past them, she had screamed out that she loved her son and as he turned she saw blood dripping from his nose. The officer that had taken Jacob had been violent, having thrown Jacob from his bed breaking his nose on impact with the ground, then continuing to assault him in the back of a police van.

That was the last time Grace had ever seen her son, blood smeared across his face with a tear in his eye, it was a sight that had never left her mind. Grace and George spent every day for months searching everywhere for their teenage son. That was until they found a blood stained football shirt, the same shirt Jacob had been wearing that fateful day.

For Grace and George, it damaged their relationship servely, with George falling back into a depressive state as he had when his parents had very suddenly passed a few years earlier. But without the support of Grace, who herself was struggling, he turned to alcohol and spent most of his days and nights drinking in the local shebeen. For Grace, she felt alone.

Since the age of 15, Grace and George had been inseparable, with Grace even moving in to George’s home at the age of 17 and they had never spent a night not sleeping in the same bed since. But ever since the forced move to the Cape Flats area, George would spend most nights out, becoming even more prominent since they found Jacobs bloodied shirt. It was hard on both, but for Grace she felt as though she had lost the two most important people in her life, with Jacob presumed dead and George drinking himself to death.

With loneliness becoming a common feeling, Grace felt a sense of happiness when she met Liam Hendricks. The pair met by chance in the shebeen, when Grace had gone to check on George. But upon meeting Liam, a friendship quickly formed. Grace felt as though someone, for the first time in a long time, cared.

With George none the wiser, as he spent more and more time drinking, and subsequently blacking out in the shebeen, Grace’s and Liam's friendship became physical. It wasn’t as though Grace was looking to hurt George but it made her happy being with Liam, he made her feel as though she wasn’t alone. The pair continued their affair for a couple of months, until Grace decided to tell George, ending their eighteen year relationship.

George moved to Johannesburg, moving to the coloured township of Eldorado Park, whilst Grace and Liam married in 1985. A year later, Grace gave birth to their baby boy, Luke Hendricks.

For Liam, it was his first child, and he was set to give Luke the best life he possibly could, starting with Liam’s first love, football. The first present Luke was given was a football and ever since he could walk, father and son would pass the ball back and forth. By the age of six, Luke would see skills from the communal TV, housed in the shebeen that George once drank at, and then ran to his house to try and copy them.

The young boy was never seen without a football. Today was no different. Now aged nine, Luke was still kicking his ball around in preparation for his training session. Having been seen by a scout in a local game at the Cape Flats, where Luke had grown up, he was invited to join the Cape Town Spurs Academy. The club had the likes of Shaun Bartlett on their first team books, and the club were favourites to win the South African National Soccer League this season, having been runners up last year.

“Mum, we need to go, we are going to be late, I don’t want to be told off by Coach,” explained a desperate Luke.

“I know Luke, let me just say goodbye” replied Grace.

Luke had never understood why his mum spoke to this random tree, he had always thought it was weird but never said anything about it.

“Happy Birthday love, me and Luke need to go now, We all love you very much. Happy Birthday Jacob, I will see you soon, mummy loves you, she always will.”

Replies

Scott: It only touches slightly on some of what really went on in those dark days.
Syb:Apologies I left you in suspense for so long
Griffo:Thank you mate!
BigMan:Thanks man, means a lot.
Justice: Right that was actually pretty good! Bravo!
Imagine:Thank you!

*heartbreak*

I feel for George. He's been sent down that same old dark path again and that's absolutely heartbreaking. It's going to be incredibly difficult for him, unless Jacob was to find his way back to him and the likelihood of that seems very slim. Grace's new found love has produced some light into her life again, but it's obvious she will never stop wishing for her first son to return.