After phoning Irma about staying inher house, and asking if my frieds could sleep in her bed, as she had always hated strange people sleeping in her bed, and although Cliffie and Edythe were no strangers, I thought it best to ask, and she was quite ok with that.
So I settled them with coffee and started on the horrific task of cleaning up my kitchen. I stuck two rolled up pieces of tissue, sprayed with perfume into my nose, but it took a few long minutes to build up the courage to go into the house, but I knew I had to get rid of that overwhelming smell!
It took quite some time, me having to run out every few minutes to get some fresh air, but I managed to get all the stuff into bags, and then into another bag, so that the smell could not find a way out. Then into the bin, with another bag over the bin opening before the lid went on. I took out all the insid racks of the freezer and scrubbed it clean, but the freezer itself just would not loose the terrible smell. Edythe then said that a piece of black coal soaks up the smell, but where in Haarlem would I get that, i didn't know. Then Cliffie suggested washing it out with vinegar, and bicarbonate of soda, and that did help, but the smell was still very strong. I decided to leave the freezer door, and the house door open during the day so that the fresh air could circulate.
It was too late to find any shop open, but luckily I had stopped at Oudtshoorn for milk, bread, cheese, and a few small things, so that night we had toasted cheese sandwiches, and as my veggies were still giving their best, a lovely fresh salad, but I silently bemoaned the lovely treats that I would spoil them with.
My niece Sarina was coming the next morning, and would also spend a few days with us, then take the older people back with her to Cape Town.
I woke up very early with the birdsong so loud and happy, as if they they all came together to wish us a happy day. But above the birdsong I kind of made out a faint moan now and then, but when I listened to hear what it was, it went deadly quiet, so I went in to make coffee. Clifford was not in his bed, and as he was walking with difficulty, we got worried, as the stairs down from the veranda was very steep.
I then remembered the faint moans that I thought I heard, and stormed outside, wild thoughts of broken legs and arms or worse flitting through my brain, and I was so upset that I flew right passed Clifford without noticing him. After scanning the whole yard, then over to mine, I came back to the house to see if he was back, but found only a very worried Edythe, staring out over the valley.
Then I heard the faint moan again, and following the noise, I came upon Clifford who had fallen off the stairs and into a flowerbed that was built up quite high with rocks! He was lying on his tummy with his face in the flowers, and that smothered his voice and made it sound so faint!
Edythe and self tried for ages to lift him out, but he was a deadweight, and just when I wanted to sit down on the stairs and cry, Sarina arrived, and between the three of us we managed to get him out! He always had a very good sense of humour, and the moment he was out of the flowerbed, he looked at us with a naughty twinkle in his eyes, and stated that he was shooting roots in there, as I was taking so long to get him out.
Luckily he had no injuries, and it did not take long before his cramped legs were on the go again. It was very cold at this stage, and the two of them was sitting under small blankets and with thick winter clothes on, although it should have been nice and warm still, but after we had made a trip to Uniondale for food, the week went so well, and I was sad when Sarina pulled away, and the two faces looked back, waving furiously. I really loved those two !