Behind the Blue Door
by
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1973… “Suzette! What’s happened? God in Heaven, what’s happened to my little girl?” Mum’s anguish brought dad running and together they helped their badly injured daughter into the house. Blood streamed down the five year old’s legs. “She fell on some broken glass.” The doctor examining her must have seen the damage caused by the rape…but he didn’t challenge mum’s story. He merely treated the wounds as best he could. Suzette had been literally torn apart. She lay, terrified into silence, while the adults discussed the circumstances. She would have to wear pads indefinitely, as her little body could no longer function normally. She was damaged beyond repair. My distraught parents confronted dad’s brother and sister-in-law, Bakkies and Sonja. Franz, their adopted son was fifteen now and had always been a troubled boy. Suzette had mentioned him in her story. It was time for a showdown. If Franz was guiltily, he’d have to pay. Nothing could stop my dad…or so he thought. Aunt Sonja had other ideas. “If you go to the police I’ll make sure they take away all your children. I’ll prove that you cannot look after them. I’ll dig up everything I can. You’ll see!” The threats were enough to make dad back down. Instead, he focused on helping Suzette to heal. She was about to start school. The happiest days of her life were to begin with lies, secrets and immeasurable pain. In the same year, another daughter was born. 15 August 1974… On a cold winter morning, in a farmhouse between somewhere and nowhere, I came into the world in just under ten minutes and weighing 10 pounds. I was christened Meg Christiana and was the youngest of the seven Van der Merwe children. My family were poor. New clothes were a luxury. Scarce food was a reality. I was always different from the rest of my family. Conversations with God were a normal part of my childhood. I could see beyond the veil, the truth and reality of life. In years to come, my gift would open up a new path for me. But as a child, my visions were terrifyingly sad. Through the innocence of childhood, I would reveal my visions freely, without realizing the consequences of these truths. I had no idea what the fear of the unknown could bring, to a family and a society. I was the sibling who didn’t quite belong, the sad child nestling under a tree, alone. At the tender age of four, my life took a turn for the worse. Nothing would ever be the same again. 1978… Dad was still haunted by Suzette’s plight. The truth hammered at his conscience until the day he decided to approach the police. Little did he know that on a tip-off the grown up Franz, a soldier in the army now, would be waiting to ambush him. Shock and terror clouded my mother’s face. Her eyes flashed with fear as I revealed my terrible vision. “Dad is going to be hit over the head and there will be lots of blood pouring from the wound. He is going to die.” Her angry screams sent shivers down my spine. I hid under my bed, confused and frightened. My words had brought this about. I could not understand her anger. I wanted her to do something, say something, save my dad from this brutal attack which was about to happen. After the shock had died down, silence and peace descended…for the rest of the day. Then it happened. I hid under my bed, felt every blow my dad took. Blood poured down his face and tears streamed down mine. Suddenly it was over. Dad’s limp, almost lifeless body lay on the pavement. A stream of blood ran down the street. I was crying desperately and calling out, “Please find my dad. He’s badly hurt. Hurry! He’s going to die…” A young soldier’s face flashed in front of me, as his mother washed the bloodied clothes hastily. The water turned red, with my father’s blood. Silently, I screamed, “Please find him. You need to find him.” Our phone rang. A hollow silence was followed by a scream. I covered my ears. I didn’t want to hear what I already knew. In broken sentences my shocked, tearful mother broke the news of dad’s death. The doctors could not save him and he succumbed to an aneurism. “Natural causes,” was the term she bandied about. Dad hadn’t seen the attack coming. By the time he was rushed to hospital, his life was ebbing away. The same young man who had taken away his daughter’s future, had ended dad’s 38 years on earth. This too, would be covered by a lie. Secrets and lies. Only, I knew the truth…
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About the Book
Behind the Blue door is based on the true story of a South African girl, growing up in a desperately poor family during the 1970s. Meg is the youngest of seven children. When their father died under dubious circumstances, their mother voiced out her suspicions to the one family member she should have steered clear of. Her revelation unleashed fear, denial, and desperate measures to keep the truth from emerging. When an ambulance arrived unexpectedly to whisk their mother away, Meg and her siblings were left confused and floundering. Their aunt stepped in. She offered to foster the children, and the community applauded her generosity. But how empathetic was she in reality? Was everything the way it seemed behind the mysterious blue door? Poverty plays a major role in Meg’s young life, and it affected every aspect of her childhood. It was however, the least of her problems. Abuse, dark truths, and devastating lies weaved their way through her long journey to adulthood. But the beautiful Meg has tenacity, her own extraordinary secret, and a gift.
About the Author
Angie is the author of Under the African Sun. She spends most of her time writing, teaching and mentoring teenagers. Her interests are reading, writing, dancing and swimming in the sea no matter what the temperature is. Angie lives in Cape Town, with her family and very spoilt pets.