My Grand Daughter

By J.M. Thompson

Jan owned a liquor store, he had two women working for him. He was a bitter man inside and he harboured hatred for people of colour. He joined a radical movement whose aim was to restore a white government. They caused havoc by creating faction wars in the rural areas. In the townships, they bombed essential plants, they planted explosives on railway lines causing unnecessary deaths. The police began investigations with the help of Scotland Yard. Jan was the weak link within the organization and soon the police were on to him. The leader of the organization made a mistake by visiting one of Jan's employees with the intention of having sex with her. He had no idea that Steward was on his trail. He ended up dead.
Jan's son became infatuated with one of the women. Jan became aware that his son was having some sort of a relationship with the women. He became angry because he was having sex with both women and he paid them for that. He decided to teach the women a lesson because they were unfaithful to him. He ended up in jail for rape and grievous body harm. His son served time in jail for molesting his girlfriend and his father's employees.
Jan had to sell his shop as he was in jail. Portia and Patrick, Marcia's parents, bought the shop. Marcia did not approve of the idea of her parents being involved in the liquor business, yet she could not stop them. However, she made her views clear to her mother.
By then Marcia was a qualified chartered accountant employed by one of the largest accounting firms in the country. Within a short space of time, she had become a director earning a fantastic salary plus perks...
She decided to buy one of Woolworth's stores despite the price tag. her grandmother could run the store for her since she did not intend to resign from her current job. Her friend by the name of Austin was more of a nutcase and relied heavily on Marcia's assistance in his work as an accountant. Marcia realized that his feet were stuck deep in mud unable to move, and his peanut brain was not functioning, she therefore bade him farewell and she moved on. he lost his mind completely ending up in a mental institution...
Marcia went on to become close friends with her boss Winston. She had no idea how her father would react since Winston was a White chap...
her grandmother had already met him, finding nothing odd in the relationship, she did not voice her opinion until Marcia's parents had their say. They were obviously stunned but neither of them objected, thus Marcia was free to marry Winston and be counted among the wealthy...

• Language: English
• Publisher: J.M. Thompson
• Release date: Jun 30, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311319999

J.M. Thompson

I am a first-time writer. I have several unpublished manuscripts. Started writing almost ten years ago and publishers seem not to be interested in unknown writers. I am the eldest child with three siblings, but two have since passed on.Writing has become a hobby or a platform for connecting with myself. So many things happened in my life and most of the stuff about which I write has something to do with my life story.I am presently retired taking it real easy, but old age has its own complications yet that is how life is.

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MARCIA

Book 1

My grand daughter

Published by smashwords

Copyright 2019 by J.M. Thompson

By JM Thompson

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Chapter 1

Claudia’s husband Moses was a well-known socialite. They were always getting invites to parties held by the echelons of society. As he was working as a manager in one of the government departments, he moved among officials with ease. Moses was not a politically minded person as per say and tended to keep his views to himself.

He learned early in his career one should not say anything to anyone. Once one of his colleagues honestly blurted out some remark about something; someone told him that he was out of line showing signs of anger. The other people had told him to be more sensitive about certain issues. The man did not hold his position for long. He ended up doing menial chores; eventually resigning.

Moses realized he had to be politically correct if he wanted to engage in any political discussions. He had his own views about how things ought to happen, which the others did not understand. Therefore, he decided not to involve himself directly in any political discourse. He knew that he could lose his job if he persisted in talking about things of which his superiors did not approve.

He therefore decided to be neutral; developing a plan, which would allow him to remain part of the clan. He became a comedian, gaining some leeway to say things as if he was joking. People found his stories and jokes amusing. Thus, his presence at their parties was a necessity. The amount of money spent at such gatherings was enormous.

Liking glitzy cars Moses drove a BMW 5-series; it was the latest model. On this particular night, he was driving home from one of those parties. For some reason, he had started to feel impatient probably thinking of his wife.

Suddenly he became aware of a car right behind him pushing him. The driver had not even dimmed his headlights. As Moses was driving behind a slower moving vehicle, he became irritated. The car was moving too slow for him and he decided to overtake the vehicle.

He noticed that the driver was a woman. He wondered where she was coming from or going to at that hour of the night. Seeing the oncoming vehicle, he thought his BMW would pass the vehicle in front of him before the oncoming car could close the gap. Accelerating he drove his car towards the oncoming vehicle. The driver of the vehicle kept on flicking his lights, but Moses did not heed the warning.

The driver of the slow-moving car slowed down to a halt, anticipating a collision. If Claudia were with him, he would not have become so reckless. He had misjudged the speed at which the other vehicle was travelling. He had almost made it when the oncoming truck hit the BMW on the driver’s side, causing the car to spin on its front wheels. The BMW narrowly missed the woman’s car as she swerved her vehicle out of the way.

Claudia’s husband could no longer control the car coming to a halt by hitting a tree trunk, which was across the road. The other vehicle skidded dangerously along the road; the driver managed to bring the vehicle under control before speeding off into the night. So did the car that was on his tail. No one stopped not even passing motorists save the lone woman.

The frightened woman, cell phone in hand called the emergency number. Her hands were shaking violently, and her voice was croaky. She was in shock but the liquor in her body helped to reduce the effect of the shock on her system. The voice that answered said, My name is Veronica; you have to calm down so that I am able to help you. Take a deep breath, and then you can give me the details of what has happened.

Okay, replied the woman and she inhaled and exhaled twice. Having calmed down enough the woman was able to describe where the accident was. She knew the road very well as she travelled on it back and forth, almost daily. She was working at St Helen’s hospital nearby being a nurse by profession and a private dancer by choice. She was not wearing her uniform as she was off duty but she had been to a private party where she had entertained the men as a stripper.

Veronica said, Will you kindly wait for the emergency vehicles to arrive; you will probably require medical attention?

Okay, I will wait.

The woman switched off her phone and put it inside her bag. Her head had begun to throb. Taking two Panado tablets from her purse, she swallowed them with a mouth full of brandy from a flask. Afterwards she hid the flask under her seat and began to wait for the police to arrive. By then there were several cars, people were curious to know about the accident.

Suddenly she heard the sirens shattering the stillness of the night and felt glad she did not have to wait too long. She watched as the flashing blue and red lights approached. She was not even sure if she could climb out of her car. Then she realised she was sitting on a wet seat.

As the emergency vehicles converged on the scene, they saw a horrific sight. By then the driver of the BMW was already dead. Fortunately, his car had not set on fire. Even so, the fire fighters still had to use their special equipment to cut the car open so they could recover the driver from the car.

One of the police officers approached the woman sitting in the car. Seeing her state, he called one of the medical attendants to have a look at her. The first aid man said that the woman would have to see the doctor at the hospital. She did not seem okay by any means.

She was clearly in shock otherwise she was fine. The man thought the woman was not sober but said nothing to the police officer. He also noticed that she was wearing almost nothing and wondered if she was a call girl. Having tended to the woman, he went to help those who were trying to remove the dead body from the wreckage.

The police officer said, I am inspector Klaus, are you able to tell me what you saw?

The woman, called Patricia, gave a sketchy account of what she had witnessed which the inspector wrote down in his notebook. Standing by her car door, he glanced inside and, although he saw her bare thighs, he kept that to himself. The thought crossed his mind maybe she would be worth a visit later.

Do you mind if I go on home, I am cold and shivering? asked Patricia.

I am not finished with you yet.

She did not want him to see she had wet herself as if it would be something new to him. The officer looked into her laughing eyes and smiled. Patricia thought he had winked at her but she did not react to it. She also noticed his eyes admiring her thighs. Another time or place things might have been different but just now, she was not in the mood for flirting. Although she felt uncomfortable sitting where she was, she knew she had to wait; blaming herself for waiting for the law to arrive at the scene.

Breaking into her thoughts the office asked, I need your personal details?

My name is Patricia Simpson.

Where do you live?

I live in Ormonde; it’s not far from here. Should take me less than ten minutes and I will be home.

All right, but I will follow you home; just to make sure you arrive there in one piece.

Surprised she asked, Am I in some sort of danger?

The officer responded, Not really but it is late and people can be reckless and irresponsible at this time of night.

What do you care?

Taken aback he replied, It is my job to protect citizens.

Do I have to wait for you?

No, you can start your car and drive off slowly. I will not be long.

Starting her car Patricia engaged the gear and drove off slowly. Not long after she saw the police car was following her. Arriving at her block of flats, she waved her hand at the police officer. Disappointed to find she lived in a flat he decided he would have to find the flat number through the computer. Once she had entered the building’s garage, the officer drove back to the scene of the accident.

Having parked her car in her parking space Patricia sat in the car for a while before slowly climbing out and going off to her flat. As she entered, she flicked on the light switch. Going into her bedroom, she removed her wet mini skirt and underwear, throwing them into the soiled clothesbasket.

Her roommate was fast asleep. Thinking about her condition she felt lucky that none of the police officers had come too close to her otherwise, they would have smelled the alcohol she consumed earlier. She would certainly have had a problem if they had. She had been to David’s house for a special party and had had a few glasses of wine. They might even have blamed her for the accident if they had known she had been drinking. Going into the shower cubicle, she took a hot shower before finally flopping into bed hoping that the police would not bother her again.

Back at the accident scene, curious motorists slowed or stopped in case they recognised the victim; but none of them did. Traffic began building up in both directions and although the police tried to keep control it was obvious they were not succeeding. Some of the spectators began to debate amongst themselves as to what could have caused the accident as there was only one car. Each had their own opinion, as if they knew best. Some of the motorists moved on, those that were in no hurry stayed. By then, the traffic was under control.

A lone reporter had somehow heard about the accident and was busy taking pictures, even though he was not certain as to the identity of the driver. He thought that maybe the man had been under the influence of liquor. He imagined a vehicle colliding with the BMW, sending it out of control. He was certain that the driver of the other car was a male person. He had not heard of a woman driver fleeing the scene of an accident, neither had he seen a woman drive a truck at night. That was enough for him to conjure up a story as to what had happened truthful or otherwise!

Claudia, answering a knock on her door saw two uniformed police officers standing, waiting. She knew, even before they said anything, that something was wrong. Inviting them inside, they both removed their helmets and stepped into the house. Closing the door Claudia invited them to sit down on any chair.

The two officers, hesitating for a moment, they seemed to be uneasy about something. Reluctantly sitting they really wanted to say their piece and leave. Placing their caps on the table both appeared sad and uneasy. Then, the one officer who seemed to be older stood up, remembering that they had not introduced themselves to Claudia.

He said, Pardon me ma’am, I am Constable Radebe and my colleague here is Constable Hlatshwayo. He extended his hand to shake Claudia’s hand with his colleague following suit.

Claudia responded, I am Mrs Claudia Batho. What is this all about officers?

As they all sat down, Claudia wondered if her husband had survived whatever it was that had brought these two police officers to her house. She showed no emotion at all, as if she had already accepted the news. Perhaps she knew about the accident before it had happened.

I am afraid that we have sad news for you.

Is this about my husband? asked Claudia calmly.

Officer Radebe told her, Yes, it is. I am sorry to have to tell you that your husband has been involved in a car accident and has not survived.

Do you know how the accident happened?

Constable Radebe tried to re-construct the accident for Claudia’s benefit. Afterwards she offered them tea or coffee. She then asked her sister, who was there on a visit, to make some coffee for the police officers. The officers drank the coffee whilst trying to express their condolences.

What about the other driver did he survive the accident? she asked.

Unfortunately he didn’t stop.

Officer Hlatshwayo said, It seems to me that people don’t have enough patience lately. If they only had more patience then we would be able to avoid unnecessary deaths on our roads.

Claudia thought he was probably referring to Moses, who had often failed to exercise patience. She said, It seems as though we have a lot of angry drivers out there.

Having had a second cup of coffee the two officers began to relax. Radebe said, It is mainly that and liquor that makes people forget about road safety. Plus, we have a lot more youngsters driving and they are more daring than older people.

Do you think that the other driver was a younger person?

That would be hard to tell, it could be that he was not young and probably without a license.

Radebe then said, I do not think that we can confirm who was wrong or right because, and he hesitated, offering a silent apology, Even your late husband could have been on the wrong.

Claudia replied, I am sorry for bringing up the age factor.

The two cops were now ready to leave; they felt that they had been there for far too long and picking up their caps, they lifted their heavy bodies from the chairs. Claudia also stood up ready to see them to the door.

Thank you for the coffee. It was kind of you, not many people offer us anything.

You people do a great job and we need you to ensure people uphold the law.

Claudia had said that because she merely felt sorry for them, not so much, because she had any respect for the police. They did have a bad reputation of not responding when the people needed them. Generally, they would come much later sometimes not respond at all.

Thank you for the vote of confidence.

After the two officers left, Claudia attempted to digest the news of the accident. She did not show any emotion, but could have been in denial. Her sister sat with her also trying to comprehend the meaning of the news. She had been rather fond of her brother-in-law. His friends had called him Bra Moss, as he was kind and accommodating. On more than one occasion, he had come to her rescue but had never paid him back and now it was too late.

The following morning Claudia called her daughter Portia, telling her she needed to come home immediately as there was a problem. When she arrived, Claudia told her daughter that her father had died in a car accident. The news made Portia burst into tears. Her aunt did her best to console her niece. She knew that Portia had loved her father dearly, being more like friends than father and daughter. This loss was a blow for Portia. After a while, she stopped crying, leaving her eyes bloodshot but managing to regain her composure. Then they both sat making phone calls to other family members. Before long, the house was teeming with people. Portia’s aunt, Rebecca took charge of the situation, making the necessary arrangements for the funeral.

Identifying the body at the mortuary was the hardest part for both Claudia and Portia. Only then did Claudia truly realise that her beloved husband was dead. She began to cry, sobbing all the way back home. Portia feeling calmer drove.

The funeral was arranged for the following Saturday in order to allow other family members enough time to be present. Many lived far away. On the day of the funeral, many people came to pay their respects. The funeral procession ended at the Avalon cemetery with a service, which allowed the family to pay their last respects by throwing a handful of soil into the open grave.

Claudia was first. Her mind was by then had calmed but she still felt anger for the man she had once loved, and still loved. In her mind, she said, Damn you Moss, how could you do this to me? Then opening her hand she let the soil slide through her fingers. Turning her back, she returned to sit under the tent with the rest of the family. The rest of the family followed Portia. Finally, the men mourners began filling the grave with soil.

The service had been brief and to the point. Afterwards, the people went back to the house to celebrate his life. Later in the afternoon, the people left leaving only close family members who helped clean the house. Thus, this was how Claudia lost her husband.

She would remain single for the rest of her life discovering she had no interest in men whatsoever, for whatever reason. The death of Moses changed Claudia’s financial status to that of a millionaire’s. The funds she received from their insurance policies, including money from his provident fund, left her well provided for. On top of this, she chose to sell the shares her husband had had in various businesses. She used the money wisely.

Somehow, women seem to have more common sense about money and are able to stretch it to its limit. Claudia also had a savings account into which her salary was paid. However, deciding not to deposit any of the extra money into this account she arranged for a financial advisor to invest the money on her behalf. Not wanting all her eggs in one basket, she spread the money around. She also set up a trust account for her granddaughter.

Having more funds meant, Claudia was able to buy a house in Lombardy east, one of the suburbs, which had architecturally, designed houses from a bygone era. She felt comfortable living there. There were a few, presumably wealthy non-whites living in that area. Claudia also decided to buy a car that would last her a lifetime; a Mercedes Benz. It was a classy car. Any person who owned such a car had to have more than enough money and enough change in their pockets to feed a normal poor family for a week or so.

Claudia was in the habit of doing her personal shopping once or twice per year but felt, that maybe it was time for her to add a few new items to her wardrobe. She invited both her daughter and granddaughter along for a shopping spree. Going to one of the shopping malls where they could buy quality-imported items.

Claudia bought enough clothes, shoes and all the other paraphernalia that women generally buy. She also bought some items for her daughter and granddaughter. Their day out shopping could not be complete without them having a bite at one of the restaurants in the mall. Having satisfied themselves that they had not forgotten anything they drove home with a car boot full of parcels.

Arriving back at her Mother’s house Portia transferred her parcels to her car. Once they had carried the remaining parcels into the house, she drove home. She lived in one of the tiny four roomed houses in the Diepkloof area of Soweto. The house was right for her, as she did not like an extravagant life style. Her one problem was that the toilet was outside. A nuisance, especially when it rained. She had thought that if she needed extra space she could always extend the building and so she had designed the addition of a bathroom and toilet to the house.

Portia had one child and did not want any more children. She had not been able to give birth in the normal way so her gynaecologist had told her that the only way was to give birth through a caesarean section. She did not feel comfortable at the idea of having her tummy cut open by the doctors with their scalpels, so had finally decided she was not going to have any more children.

Portia’s parcels were on the bed. Slowly she began to open the boxes and parcels. However, she had to make space for the new items first. Removing all the old clothes she no longer wore she stuffed them into a box. She also packed her old shoes into the box deciding she would give them to those who could not afford to buy new ones. Slowly filled the empty spaces with her new items then collecting all the wrapping paper and boxes, she went outside and threw them into the rubbish bin.

As Portia returned into house, her daughter Marcia came out carrying her own empty boxes. She was wearing her new sandals. What a beautiful pair of legs and feet she has, thought her Mother. That seemed to be a trademark of the family. Dumping the boxes in the waste bin Marcia returned to the house.

Portia was Claudia’s only child. She was fortunate to have a husband and they were doing well for themselves. They were both earning reasonable salaries, did not have to pay any bond meaning they were fortunate to have a car. They had a BMW 325i, which was one of the latest designs and models.

The only downside in their relationship was that, her husband was seldom home. He had to travel to many overseas countries representing his company.