It is said that every person has a story, and that story has a message. So too with this story.

The writing of this novel began to take shape after about four years. Excerpts were written as and when gripped by emotion and impulse, and order was only brought in at the end of the exercise. I attribute this stilted progress to the workings of my mind as memories cannot be ordered for they seem to have a mind of their own.

The process of writing was not a planned one. It began in little fits and starts, the very first excerpt being written at about 03:00 one morning. I had always been of the belief that I have been blessed with experiences that were a little out of the ordinary, but then so does every person. However, the challenges faced by my parents in their pursuit of a house to call their own, as well as the many almost unbelievable experiences I shared with fellow colleagues from the teaching fraternity, allowed me to indulge myself.In retrospect, I believe I did have some agenda of sorts that I had not truly recognized until now. These are, in the main:

• In a lifetime, every person has a quest of some sort. There is definitely that one aim, goal or achievement that is necessary to define one’s reason for living, and my parents need for the ownership of their home, and that title deed, was a personal quest for me too;
• The concept of success is a matter of opinion. The impact of the achievement of a goal in life must take into consideration the sacrifices made along the way. As human beings, we need to evaluate our belief of what really is the definition of a ‘successful life’;
• An acknowledgement of the contribution made by educators to the transformation process in South Africa;
• The importance of unity in the fight for justice;
• The belief in principle and the dignity of all human beings;
• The importance of the family unit; and
• The importance of relationships.

 

This novel is a true account of some of my experiences, the choice of almost all being determined by one or other of the above-mentioned agendas. I’ve adopted a story format so as to invite any age group to read and enjoy the book as a narrative. However, all incidents are factual, though there may probably be some inconsistencies within the sequencing. There are a few pseudonyms used, with permission being received from all other characters mentioned by name. I believe that writing a story based on real life experience would be a good way to both acknowledge our self-worth as well as depict the little intricacies that make life exciting. This is my way of acknowledging ourselves as people who matter.

There are many gaps in this story. The intention here is for you as the reader to look around your own world and identify people, issues and value pertinent to yourself. The story and incidents cited are intended to be a catalyst to an assessment of your own lives, and most especially for you to acknowledge your own self-worth. Each of us has the ability to intensify that indelible mark, that distinctive impact that we surely leave with the people with whom we interact- my objective in writing this book will be achieved if this impact is both deep and positive.

LEGACY MATTERS!