We went and swept the girls up from their schools, said, "We're getting married!", met our two good friends who acted as witnesses, I held a bouquet-stalk of eucalyptus flowers, the magistrate asked this very long question which I couldn't quite understand, but I thought, "No would be a very negative thing to say at a marriage ceremony, so it must be Yes" and this proved right, and Tim said "Yes" too, when asked the same elongated question, and there we were, husband and wife on a piece of paper, although we had considered one another as life partners for the last five years, and I had vowed, at the age of 26, never to marry again!
It happened for the most unromantic reason, because when we bought 16 Cross Street, our beloved 16 Cross Street, it was in my name as I received a good housing subsidy from the Education department. After going back to study Computer Science at Rhodes, Tim was offered a great job there and the subsidy was even better with the university, but to transfer the house to belong to him and I, seemed to require taking an arm and a leg from each of us, it was that complicated, but if we just got that little piece of paper from the City Hall, all was forgiven and it was just the matter of two signatures!
I remember the first time I felt glad to be married, which happened a couple of years later when I had landed in the hospital with asthma, and a nurse called, "Mrs Bouwer, Mrs Bouwer, and I thought, "Oh yes, that's me, isn't it." and felt all warm and fuzzy for some reason.
So today is 26 years that we have been together, in laughter and sadness, through thick and thin, enduring sickness and experiencing health, from the country of our hearts to the "land of the free", and I am still glad, still very happy every night to go to bed with this man, to ease into sleep entwined in his arms, to float away. And in the mornings there he is, bright and smiling, like a wonderful Christmas present every day.
When we first arrived in Grahamstown, the nanny I had interviewed and engaged in December failed to appear and, being new in town and knowing no one I could leave them with at short notice, I had to take the two girls with me to meet the headmaster, the extremely conservative Mr Dreyer.
Jess sat happily on my lap, and Emma next to me, as I earnestly introduced myself and explained why the girls were with me but that it would in no way intrude on the day's proceedings etc., and how wonderful it was to be working at a big modern school like this one etc, and as I watched, Mr Dreyer's face grew more and more incredulous, so I went off in raptures about how I had loved teaching at Jongilanga near East London, etc. I couldn't understand what was causing his face to go red and his veins begin to bulge in his temple, when I looked down beside me to find Emma completely naked! She had glimpsed her swimsuit in my basket next to the chair and decided that it would be a good idea to put it on, seeing as how it was so hot!
I ran 4.04 km today, until I began to feel a little odd and parched, realising I had not had any water or honey, which I usually take before a run if I haven't yet had breakfast, to sustain me. Thought I was running well, but it turns out to have been at a rate of 7.40 minutes per km, so not that good. Beautiful wet misty day though.
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