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Two unknown teenage players were seemingly randomly chosen ...
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By
now in this story, y ou
may well suspect that there is a meeting pending between these two
teenagers. You would be right. But why "serendipity"? How exactly did I meet this captivating
young "Mermaid"? Well, every year, around Christmas time, several hundred
families, from all over Southern Africa, would converge on an area of the
southern coast of South Africa known as the Garden route, where they
would head for a beautiful area cradled between the warm Indian Ocean, tropical
jungles, towering mountains, rivers and lakes - known as The Wilderness.
It was an idyllic spot for leisure and romance! It was also the honeymoon
capital of Southern Africa. Once there, they would head for a RV camp ground
(back then known as "Siesta") and then their 3 week summer vacation would start.
One of those families was my family. Another such family, one I was soon about
to meet, also made Siesta their summer vacation home. One hot sunny day,
around noon, I was walking back from the beach (Pictured above) along the dusty
dirt road leading to Siesta, when a white Mercedes sedan passed me, stopped and
then backed up. The passenger side window rolled down and a sophisticated
middle-aged lady asked me if I would like a ride back to the park. I gratefully
accepted, thanked her and climbed into the back of the car - the door having
been opened for me from the inside, only to find myself sitting next to a
strangely lovely young woman ... sitting there in the back seat dressed only
in a bikini, covered loosely with a soft but rather skimpy little cotton shirt,
open in front, worn loosely on her shoulders. I remember only that we exchanged
a furtive glance and briefly smiled at each other - after which I was kept
rather busy answering her
 mother's
questions - sitting, as a passenger in the front of the car. Soon afterwards we
arrived at the park (Siesta) where the car stopped to let me out. Again I
thanked them kindly for the ride, and as they rode off, I went on down to the
river's bank where my family's camper was parked.
Still a little flustered ... I had that instinctive feeling
that something very momentous had just happened. I could not stop myself from
thinking about this young woman I had shared the back seat of that Mercedes with
for those brief few minutes. There was something unusually intriguing
about her - besides the fact that she clearly was gorgeous! It felt very
different - clearly this was something other than my teenage hormones - the
effects of which I knew and understood all too well by now. So after lunch I
decided to walk about the camp and look for that white Mercedes. "Perhaps" , I
thought, "I would meet this young woman again and ... well, I wasn't exactly
sure what I was going to do or say once I located her - but I do remember
that I felt compelled to try! So, around the park I walked, searching for
that white Mercedes. It was Christmas time, summer holidays, and Siesta was a
veritable maze of Campers and RV's - but no white Mercedes to be found. Red
ones, Black ones, Silver ones - but no white ones. "Strange", I thought,
"Perhaps they were just visiting someone else and were now gone again ... or
maybe I just missed it"? Well, having failed to find her - back I went to be with my family. "Son", my mother said beckoning to
me, "Could you please go and buy me some milk at the Duka, we have none
left". "Sure Mom", I replied taking the money from her and heading out on that
fate-filled short trip" ... and here's what happened next:
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The "Duka"
As I walked into that little store,
She turned, I turned ... ours eyes met ... she smiled,
She transfixed me to the core ...
This beautiful young woman with the face of a child.
For there she stood, smiling ever so softly at me ...
Her eyes now fixed upon me in a most disarming gaze,
This lovely young mermaid from that wondrous sea ...
She whom I'd seemingly lost in that relentless maze,
Reappearing to me as if through swirling ocean mist,
With long chestnut golden hair cascading around her shoulders bare ...
I simply had no choice ... speechless, quite helpless to resist,
I stood there motionless ... enchanted ... held captive by her stare !
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Gracefully she now moved towards the sun,
And it seemed the most natural thing for me to do,
My legs regaining movement, trying hard not to run,
So, with her smile beckoning, out we went, just us two.
Of course, I had completely forgot what I should get,
As we left both through that door,
and somehow it seemed required that again we'd met ...
There in
that dear little store!
You know, it felt I'd known her all my life,
and as we walked on ... down to those streams,
Somehow, I just knew it then ... she'd be my wife,
That most beautiful of love's most lovely dreams !
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True love at first glance is very rare indeed,
And I could not explain it ... here by the sea,
For it felt like all of Heaven that day had decreed,
That such a love should happen ... all at once to me.
So there I was, stung by cupids many arrows,
Perhaps all twelve of them in my heart,
Caring little about love's possible sorrows,
Simply thinking "Oh what a beautiful start".
Beside me was this most enchanting of young women,
And once again upon this day our paths had crossed,
So, "surely", I felt, "this must be love's omen" ?
For just hours before ... I'd given her up as lost.
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There on the river's bank we sat and talked,
For quite some time - both pleasantly at ease,
Later, quite unforced, we held hands and walked,
On the many paths past all those countless trees.
The milk money still in my hand,
As we now made our way upon that bank,
There, upon that river's pleasant sand,
We knew we had our loving God to thank!
Later, that night under the moons soft pleasant light,
We would dance ... and danced and danced and danced,
There where lover's jazz bands played all night,
Jennifer cast love's spell over me and I was entranced !
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The glowing moon shone bright above,
As we first kissed under a tall palm tree,
And our young adult summer love
Was good and clean ... and free !
I remember well ... our eager lips drew near,
Our teenage hearts now beating fast,
I gently touched her ear ...
We made the moment last !
In the distance, the dance band was playing our song,
She looked at me, the moon now gleaming in her eyes ...
We kissed again - this time with passion running strong,
Passion that must live on - the kind that never dies !
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We left that night by boat,
From that our first of many a dance,
And down the river we did float,
So thankful for life's chance !
We hugged, we kissed - we bade goodnight,
Beside a small dark tree,
Under the moon's now gentle light ...
Just Jennifer and me.
As I lay there, later, in my bed,
My heart felt strong and warm,
Soft music still playing in my head,
Jennifer had taken me by storm !
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I slept that night a happy sleep,
Amid her siren's song,
In my heart it had found a home to keep,
And it's never sounded wrong.
Awakening ... all my dreaming done,
My heart overflowing with love,
I rushed to greet the rising sun ...
And my little turtle dove.
Again we sat ... we walked,
Happy and carefree,
We kissed ... we talked,
Just Jennifer and Me.
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For days we walked and talked - always holding hands,
We swam and romped there in the bubbling waves,
And ran and played along the beach's sands,
Then dried and dressed amongst those rocky caves.
There, sheltered by the dunes we huddled,
Just us two - on nature's turf,
There too we kissed and cuddled,
While overlooking that endless pounding surf.
We were quite oblivious to all others,
I suppose that's perfectly normal for those in love,
And blissfully ignored - even by our mothers ...
Now we know we had protection from above !
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In a canoe we paddled daily up the streams,
Along the cliff's sheer side,
The tropical jungles seeing our tender dreams,
They helped us there to hide.
Brightly colored birds flew overhead,
We drifted there all alone,
White Arum lilies surrounding our floating bed,
Here nature did us own.
Two lovers ... cradled in our little shell
My heart had wanted to shout:
"This match was made in Heaven, not in Hell" ...
Of that I had no doubt!
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For only could Heaven have sent ...
Such a sweet angel to me,
A helping hand it had us lent ...
Then set our Spirits free !
So there we lay, floating, amongst the flowers,
Entranced ... as if in Cupid's spell,
I held captive by her powers,
Oh ... She knew her part so well !
Eventually we sighed and left each other's arms,
And I started out to row,
Still dazzled by her many charms,
The blazing sun now fast dipping low.
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The red sun sank behind the jungle's hills,
With the African night fast starting now,
Menacing shadows dancing on the water's frills,
We knew ... we must get back somehow !
Finally, safely back on those sandy banks again,
Our families we did meet,
And there amongst the noise of drinking men
Our suppers we were given to eat.
But really, we had no need for food,
For we could have lived on love alone,
And both still in such a heavenly mood,
Beside that river, waited our lovely throne.
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For there on the edge of that watery trench,
At the meeting of two streams,
Upon our favorite gray old bench,
We shared so many happy dreams.
Always though, the remaining days went by too fast,
And there in that most pleasant land,
I wished they could forever last,
Somehow for time quite still to stand ...
But alas, soon back home she would be going,
And our love would have to wait another year,
My heart broke - it's sadness showing ...
It cried a little tear ... (C) 1994
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Succumbing to a "Mermaid's kiss" ...
Three glorious
summers ...
 Jennifer
and I, being young sweethearts and living at opposite ends of the country, just
had to settle for the few times we could see each other ... which was the 3
weeks over Christmas in each of the summers of 1971, 1972 and
1973 when our two families paths crossed during summer vacation. But
that soon changed. Upon graduating from high school, I was drafted into the
air-force for one and a half years - South Africa was at war! As a result
I knew that I would likely not get to see her during that time at all. For the
next 2 summers (Christmas holidays) that she and her family spent at the
Wilderness - I would not be there! It was naive to think that other
guys would not want to take advantage of my absence in that most romantic place
with a Mermaid so desirable, so I kind of panicked! I mean really ... In the
time I was to be away at war, she was a 17 year old absolutely gorgeous (and
passionate) Mermaid, just entering Grade 12, to be followed by her freshman year
at University. She would thus be turning 18 and 19 ... and with me nowhere in
sight! For me then, these were not exactly great odds to be facing in the
game of love! Realistically, most people would agree with that.
So, was this "The End of the Affair"?
Well, it sure did look like it was all over. However, to even the odds a little, I traveled to
Cape Town (with some money I had saved) just before my 18th birthday (which was
when I had to enter the air-force) so that I could at least be with
Jennifer one last time. Her parents let me see her for just 2 days, a
weekend, during which time she showed me her home town and we romanced each
other - this time on her turf. We were, as always, Sweethearts, Best friends and
'Soul mates', but 2 days go by so very fast when you are in love ... way
too fast! And then, "just like that", it was all over. Had it all been just a
dream? The brutality of adult life had abruptly ended this beautiful chapter in
our young lives. For Jennifer grade 12 and university lay ahead while the
isolation of being drafted to be part of the wartime effort had kidnapped me. My
youth had ended and Jennifer's was fast drawing to a close. These were indeed
formidable obstacles to our love at a very crucial juncture in our young lives.
Now our once peaceful colony was showing signs of tumultuous change.
Realistically speaking, "The End" would not have been a totally
unexpected outcome for our childhood romance ... and so it was that childhood
ended.
Now, suddenly ... it was all over. But did we
ever get to see each other again? [Click Here
to find out]
OR
(Click here if you want to go
BACK to the LAST chapter)
Note: For
us the words "Affair" and "Lovers" had a
slightly different meaning in our story (back then) than what
they are commonly understood to mean. The fact is that
we were dating others when we met, and as a practical matter continued to do so, but
for those precious 3 weeks (Summer holidays) in each of my
final 3 years in high
school, we romanced each other in that idyllic lover's
paradise, "The Wilderness" - so we called it "our affair" ... but we were not
married or even engaged to anyone at the time. As for the word
"Lovers"? Well clearly kissing, cuddling in each other's arms,
dancing, walking hand-in-hand etc. probably doesn't qualify
one as "lovers" anymore ... but back then it sure did! |
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