In memory of Peter…

We met when you had just completed your 9 months training in the Air Force. Even then you could tell an unbelievable

story! One of your favourites was how you slept on Bruce and Jean’s bathroom floor (which was about 5 x 5 and included

a bath that was behind the door) on your weekends off. As we all know how good you were at exaggerating, I shall not go

into detail.

We were married three years later, aged 23, and had two daughters (Michelle [better known as Morz] and Lesley

[Annie].) On the subject of ‘personalised’ names, let’s not forget mine was ‘Duck’!

The years passed and you came home one night and said it was time to make your millions. To do this you were going

to invest in a decent boat. This boat was to be called “AZTEC” and that weekends were going to be spent fishing and in

no time you would be rich… Your partners in crime were to be your brother, Bruce; friends Sandy, Mally (Malcolm) Brian

Aries and Guy Row.

Needless to say the millions you were going to make still lie at the bottom of the ocean, but the memories and moments

accumulated over the years, priceless. Tassies became the teams ‘good pal’ and made the lack of fish a little less

important at the time. From making millions to making friends and lasting moments was the new focus and all energy was

put into the famous “boys only” fishing trips to Struisbaai. Every journey best described as ‘epic’, as every trip built on

friendships that were to remain for a very long time. The cost of telephone calls to each other prior to leaving was probably

more than the actual monies made from fish caught. The menu planned and food bought at least 3 months in advance.

The excitement never weakened as each new year brought on the SAME trip, but the ideas and promises of new

techniques and new hunting grounds made it feel like the trip was being done for the first time.

Even Pete's Dad - Harry - couldn’t resist a chance to experience one of the ‘big’ trips.

Another trip turned adventure, were our annual trips to Keurbooms Lagoon – one of your favourite places. Standing

hours waist-high in the lagoon, a memory even the grandchildren find hard to believe I did. The lagoon was, however,

always rewarding, and YES! did produce fish that kept us going back.

The many weekends spent on the beach with the ‘mob’ – Jean, Bruce, Sandy, Corrine, Brian (and Patches), Anne and

all our children, were some of the best days in memory. Diving, braaing, SilvaSun tablets, chasing baboons … never a dull

moment … the warm apple crumble and coffee on the way home as we left Rooi Els!

Your brother, Bruce, meant the world to you; but it never stopped you from trying to out-do, out-wit and tell a better story

than he did … not always succeeding … but the challenge was always on. The fun was in trying. It was always so good

seeing the pair of you laugh together until the tears rolled and your faces scrunched up till they hurt. Inevitably you got the

rest of us laughing uncontrollably too.

A story worth coming back to in great detail that NEVER failed to get you rolling with laughter, was when Jean told you

that Bruce’s cat had taken a liking to sleeping in his armpit! For very ‘boy’ reasons, you launched into uncontrollable

laughter every time the subject arose.

Your passion for building things was magnificent. I remember you building an old MG car from scratch and painting it

what you liked to call “British Racing Car Green”. We eventually went to Plett in that same car!

On the other hand, I remember you taking apart the kitchen clock, putting it back together again, and being completely

unperturbed that there was a handful of parts still left. “The clock worked, so the extras obviously weren’t necessary…”

Memories of brand new washing machines being bought when all we needed was to repair the plug!

All memories that seemed endless and perfect. The sight and sound of your laughter will live on forever and will be a

part of a very special time of my life… memories that bring a smile every time I think about you. As Jean said to me:

“Remember the fun times” … and there were certainly many of those!

Felicity Xx

PS … reserving the right to add hunting adventures and moments of pure fear as I stood as ‘bait’ when you were

convinced you could hunt the leopard in Betty’s Bay mountains … if I just stood still in front of the cave, when the leopard

came out after me, you wouldn’t miss, promise! Hmmm.

The story of the elusive leopard will always cause a good giggle when chatting about it.

We had been dating a couple of months, when you suggested a trip to one of your favourite spots – Cape Hangklip. On

arrival I remember thinking how beautiful the surroundings were … beautiful dunes and a few low-lying shrubs … not

much else (not even another human!). Strolling along, you spotted leopard ‘spoor’. The excitement mounted with every

step you took and it wasn’t long before your intention was obvious: you had to see this animal! ‘spoor’ meant ‘a presence’,

which meant it had to be nearby (?!) In typical ‘Peter style’ you needed bait. I shall never forget you looking at me and

saying: “Angel, I know – you can be the bait!” I was marched to the top of the dune and told that the leopard would have a

good view of me there. At the same time I was assured that you would take good care of me should it decide to take

advantage of this ‘sitting Duck’! …you would save me if it came too close for comfort!

In my youth I only weighed 48kgs – I know now that I would not have stood a chance. At one stage it did cross my mind

(albeit fleetingly) as to what I would do if the leopard decided to go for you and not the bait!? (me!) After perching on the

dune for about an hour, you agreed (reluctantly) that nothing was going to happen and we could move on. My heart was

beating so loudly, I thought my guardian angel had paid me a visit!

I have lost count of the amount of times I’ve said: “…and then there was the time…” – but there was the time you

wanted to see the White Lions of Timbavati while in the Game Reserve. It had been raining and the car got stuck in a

muddy, watery dip in the road. No trouble at all – again it was: “Angel, can you get out and push?” You reckoned it was a

bit tricky and you had better stay behind the wheel! Sure, I thought – it is tricky, I’m supposed to push uphill with lions

lurking in the bush… Nevertheless, this Angel did her best and was let off the hook by the arrival of another car, and help

was given. It’s at times like this that I can’t help thinking that if I was a cat, I’ve probably used most of my nine lives

already!

Then I remember fishing in the Keurbooms Lagoon. The girls – Morz and Annie – decided to fish from the side and we

waded in. We were standing waist deep (for me that would be armpit high!), when suddenly I rose out of the water and

came straight back down again, like something had jolted me from the deep beyond…It happened again, only this time

shaking me off my feet. You got such a fright and let out quite the scream! At this stage I thought you had also been

“attacked” and a slight panic began to take hold of the scene. Only when we both spotted the Sand Shark quietly and

miserably swimming away, did we realise that I probably stood on it and it was just trying to get the hell out of the way!

Then you began to laugh – uncontrollably – until the tears ran. Thankfully, I regained my composure in time to catch the

first fish of the day!

Breakfast in Knysna was the next big idea and with much excitement, you mentioned Knysna would be good. On arrival,

you proceeded to climb over rocks until you found what you had been looking for. Finding a comfortable ‘perch’ you sat

down, took about ten oysters from the sea and gallantly ‘slurped’ them down, got up and said: “if that was breakfast, I’ve

had my fill and it was great! – let’s go” – never mind the rest of us that were merely longing for bacon and eggs (anything

at this point, actually!). Again the peels of laughter as realisation struck.

Then there was the monthly request of the purchase of about 10 picture war books and, of course, the latest Louis

L’Amour. You managed to turn stone deaf while reading these. It was truly something you really enjoyed.

Now, on the subject of ‘Birthdays’ – I really, REALLY liked having birthdays, of which there were many. Every single

birthday, for as long as I can remember, you gave me a fishing rod. They were not ‘any old fishing rods’, these were

always presented with a story – it started in much the same way every time: 'Angel, I found you this beautiful rod! Stand

over there and feel the ‘whip’', or: "Won’t Bruce love this one?!" Then it was “but this one folds in half " and eventually:

"Guy has one just like it and swears by it!” Now, I’ve got to thinking: what ever happened to my rods? I got to hold them on

my birthday and then they simply ‘disappeared!’

– on the boat perhaps? These are such good memories, so sod the rods! Then there was the story – like only you and

Bruce can tell – of how, as teenagers at school in Swaziland, you were approached by the farmers and asked to help hunt

baboons who were damaging crops. To do this you needed to dress up in Granmum’s clothes (dresses, no less) – the

explanation of which appeared ‘dodgy’ at the time: apparently the baboons will approach a female because they were not

afraid of them! …true or not, I believed you and the memories go on and on…

Felicity Xxx