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JULIET, DIE VINNIGSTE SLAK

1 - Juliet, die Vinnigste Slak (slow reading)


Marli staar verbaas na die advertensie: "Dis sowaar nie 'n grap nie, Ma," roep sy kombuis se kant toe, waar haar ma slaai maak vir aandete. "Daar is oor twee weke 'n slakwedstryd hier in Vancouver. En dis van daai vieslike grootstes sonder doppe wat ons doodmaak in die tuin, nie van die kleintjies wat mens in Suid-Afrika kry nie." Sy gril en lees verder. Die inskrywingsgeld is $10 en die prysgeld is $500. Sy maak seker sy tel die nulle reg, spring op en druk die artikel onder haar ma se neus in. "Ma moet deelneem," sê sy ferm en hoop dat sy nie te desperaat klink nie. Haar ma bars dadelik uit van die lag, druk haar te styf vas en soen haar alweer. "Hoekom moet ek deelneem, liefie? Jy kan mos self, Marli," sê Ma Jana en gooi die tamaties toe met fetakaas.

Marli sug: "Maaaaa, dit sal sosiale selfmoord wees as ek in graad tien aan 'n Slakwedstryd deelneem. Niemand, niemand, niemand in die hele skool sal ooit weer met my praat nie. Ek is mos klaar die weird wit kind uit Afrika in hierdie plek. Nee, ma sal moet help. Ons kan die prysgeld deel. Dan koop ma iets mooi en ek koop 'n Nano-Ipod. Ek is die enigste, enigste kind op aarde wat nie een het nie." Sy gee haar stem so 'n ekstra desperate draai, sodat haar ma haar jammerder moet kry. Sy weet mos dit werk, ma's is te maklik. Veral haar eie ma vandat hulle hiernatoe getrek het twee jaar gelede.

 
•1•
With astonishment Marli stares at the add: "This is really not a joke, Mom," she hollers in the direction of the kitchen, where her mom is making salad for dinner. "In two week's time there is a snail race here in Vancouver and it is those yucky biggest ones without the shell that we kill in the garden, not the small ones that we have in South Africa." She feels grossed out and reads further. The sign up fee is $10 and the prize money is $500. She makes sure she counted the zeros correctly, jumps up and shoves the article in her mom's face. "Mom, you have to participate," she says firmly with the hope that she does not sound too desperate. Immediately her mom bursts out laughing, gives her a big hug and kisses her again. "Why do I have to participate, my love? Surely you can do it yourself, Marli," Mom Jana says and covers the tomatoes with feta cheese.

Marli sighs: "Maaaaa, to participate in a 'Snail Competition' in 10th grade will be social suicide. No one, no one, no one in the whole school will ever talk to me again. In this place I am already the weird white kid from Africa. No, Mom, you will have to help. We can share the prize money. Then Mom can buy something nice and I can buy a Nano-Ipod. I am the only child in the whole wide world who does not have one." She gives her voice an extra desperate twist, so that her mom will feel even more sorry for her. She knows it works, moms are too easy. Especially her own mom, since they moved here two years ago.
 

2


Haar ma lag: "Goed, my liefie, ek sal jou help want ek weet jy gril vir slakke. Maar jy sal die gogga moet leer om vinnig en reguit te loop. Gaan vertel solank vir Pappa en roep hom vir ete." Marli bly sit. Sy staar na haar ma, doodseker dat haar ma nou glad nie meer lekker is nie. Die vreemde land raas nou beslis met haar kop. "Toe, gaan roep vir Pappa en Ruan, ek wil opskep," sê haar ma vrolik. So, asof hulle nou net oor wiskunde huiswerk of koekbak gesels het.

Ruan sê: "Julle is nie lekker nie, dis definitief 'n grap, wie op aarde laat slakke resies jaag? Veral vir so baie geld? Dis 'n grap vir simpel mense . . ." Hy vou dubbeld soos hy lag en kruip op die grond rond soos 'n slak sal doen.  Marli gee hom haar heel vuilste kyk.

Pa Gert meng in: "Nee, dit is nie 'n grap nie," sê hy en sny die vleis. "Dit word vir liefdadigheid gedoen en die prysgeld kom suiwer uit die mediadekking wat daaruit kom. Dit was verlede jaar selfs op die sewe-uur nuus. En mens noem die goed 'n 'Slug', nie 'n slak nie, daar is 'n verskil in grootte en soort." Marli kan sien hy sukkel ook om nie hard te lag nie, dit amuseer hom vreeslik. "Julle twee sal maar moet deelneem, hoe lyk julle plan van aksie?" Hy praat ook daaroor asof hulle werksbeurte uitdeel om die huis reg te pak.

 
•2•
Her mom laughs: "OK, my love, I will help you because I know that snails freak you out. But you will have to teach the bug to walk fast and straight. Go tell dad in the meantime and tell him dinner is ready." Marli stays seated. She stares at her mom, quite certain that her mom lost her marbles. This foreign country is making noises in her head, for sure. "C'mon, go call Dad and Ruan, I want to dish up," her mom says cheerfully. Just as if they were just chatting about math or baking a cake.

Ruan says: "You guys have lost it. This is definitely a joke, who on earth let snails race each other? Especially for that much money? This is a joke for dumb people ..." He doubles over with laughter and crawls on the floor like a snail would. Marli gives him her dirtiest look.

Pa Gert interrupts: "No, this is not a joke," he says while cutting the meat. "They do this for charity and the prize money comes squarely from the generated media coverage. It was even on the seven o'clock news last year. And you call these things a 'slug', not a snail. There is a difference in size and type." Marli can see he also battles not to laugh out loud. It is very amusing to him. "You two will just have to participate, so what is your plan of action?" He also talks about this as if they are divvying up tasks to straighten out the house.

3


Marli en haar ma spring weg: soos 'n kano-span wat saamroei om te wen. Nie dat haar ma nie die hele tyd giggel en vir die hele familie in Suid-Afrika vertel van die gedoente nie.  Marli gee glad nie daaroor om nie. Solank nie 'n siel in haar skool weet van hierdie desperate plan om geld te wen nie, gee sy nie om dat haar ouma, oupas, ooms, tannies, nefies, niggies en die ou bure in Bloemfontein weet nie. As hulle eers gewen het, deel hulle die prysgeld en haar ma sal sê dat dit haar idee was. Soms is sy so ontsettend lief vir haar ma. Veral op dae soos vandag, want sy sien hoe haar ma buite in die tuin spit met 'n grafie – aan die soek na 'n groot genoeg slak. Marli doen solank die papierwerk en skryf hulle slak in vir die wedstryd.

Ruan loer oor haar skouer: "Koop jy en ma nie julle slak by 'n slakwinkel nie? Gaan julle sowaar nie 'n pedigree-slak inskryf nie? Ek sou byvoorbeeld nooit ooit 'n tuinslak gaan uitkrap het nie, daar is sekerlik 'n winkel ..." Boem. Hy kan nie sy sin klaarmaak nie, want sy gooi hom met haar wiskunde boek, amper raak boonop. Dit was 'n goeie gooi na haar simpel kleinboetie toe. Simpel seunskind wat haar ewiglik tart.

Ma roep van die deur af: "Kom kies een, liefie. Ek het vier mooies gekry." Marli loer tot onderin die ou roomysbakkie. Sy gril. Veral toe haar ma 'n slymerige een optel, hoog in die lug hou en sê: "Die een is my keuse, sy kop draai mooi heen en weer. Jy sal hom 'n naam moet gee, Marli." Haar ma draai die slak onderstebo en loer na die gogga. "Dalk is dit 'n wyfie-slak," Hulle bars altwee uit van die lag en kies 'haar' summier as die meester slak wat hulle gaan ryk maak.  Marli gaan gooi die ander drie slakke in die bure se tuin omdat dit nou nogal wreed voel om Juliet se vriendinne te vergiftig of dood te trap, al vreet hulle haar ma se lelies op.

 
•3•
Marli and her mom start: like a canoe team rowing in tandem to win. Even though he mom giggles the whole time and tells all the family in South Africa about this whole affair. Marli doesn't mind about that at all. As long as not one soul in her school knows about this desperate plan to make money, she doesn't mind her grandmas and grandpas, uncles and aunts, cousins, and former neighbors in Bloemfontein being told. Once they've won, they will share the prize money, and her mom will say that it was her idea. Sometimes, she deeply loves her mom. Especially on days like today, as she watches her mom dig up dirt outside in the garden with a small shovel – looking for a sizable slug. Marli does the paper work and enrolls their slug for the competition.

Ruan peeks over her shoulder: "Aren't mom and you buying your slug from the Slug-store? Are you really not enrolling a pedigree slug? I for instance, would never had dug up a garden slug. There must be a store..." Boom. He cannot finish his sentence, because she tosses her Math text book at him, and nearly gets him. This was a good toss at her silly little brother. Silly boy, constantly teasing her.

Mom calls from the door.: "Come choose one, my love." I got four beautiful ones." Marli looks down to the bottom of the ice-cream tub. She shivers with disgust. Especially when her mom picks up a slimy one, holds it up into the air and says: "This one is my choice, his head nicely turns to and fro. You will have to give him a name, Marli." Her mom turns the slug upside down and takes a peak at the bug. "Maybe it is a female slug," They both burst out laughing and immediately pick 'her' as the master slug that will make them wealthy. Marli goes and tosses the other three slugs in the neighbour's yard because it feels cruel to poison Juliet's friends or to step on them, even though they devour her mom's lilies.

4


Nadat haar ma vir Juliet gewas het, maak hulle saam vir haar 'n huisie in 'n houtboksie waarin iemand verlede Kersfees spoggerige sjokolade verpak het. Hulle maak ook planne vir Juliet se dieet en oefenprogram. Die $10 is betaal en die twee in die huis besluit selfs om die Saterdagoggend saam te gaan om die hele gedoente te aanskou.

Ouma Joh bel spesiaal uit Suid-Afrika: "Wat voer julle haar en hoe leer julle 'n slak?" Sy giggel ook saam, want sy is 'n hups ouma wat tamaties in haar voortuin tussen die dahlias plant en boonop dink die slakwedskryd is 'n wenplan. Hups is een van die woorde van die week wat Marli en Ruan moet leer. Hulle ma hou rigied by die plan dat haar kinders goeie Afrikaans moet aanhou praat, sekerlik omdat sy 'n Afrikaanse juffrou was voor hulle getrek het.

Marli speel saam en sê gemaak-ernstig: "Sy eet mamma se beste plante se nuutste blare wat ek twee keer per dag afknip en in haar huisie sit. Ons sit haar in die aande tussen twee toue op die houtvloer in die sitkamer. Dan help ek haar met 'n stokkie om tussen die toue te kruip as sy nie vorentoe wil gaan nie, of as sy skeef loop. Mens mag die dag van die kompetisie, met 'n stokkie help wat nie langer as jou duim mag wees nie. Dis harde werk, maar Juliet is 'n wenner." Ouma Joh lag so hard dat hulle moet ophou gesels. Die hele straat in Pretoria sal gons oor die lawwe storie oor haar kleinkind en dogter wat 'n slak leer loop en dan die slymstreep van die vloer moet afwas. Want Juliet is ekstra slymerig. Maar: sy loop flink as mens met die stokkie saggies help stoot.

Saterdag versier Marli die boksie waarin Juliet wedstryd toe moet gaan. Sy plak pienk hartjies al om die hout houertjie en maak selfs 'n naamkaart: Juliet. Sy rond die projek af deur 'n groot pienk strik om die houer te bind, nuwe blare onderin te pak en toe vir Juliet in te pak. Sy vat nou al maklik aan Juliet en gesels met haar presies soos haar ma maak. Veral omdat dit vir Ruan so ontsettend irriteer dat sy en haar ma met 'n slak in 'n huisie speel en praat.

 
•4•
After her mom washed Juliet, they jointly make her house from a wooden box in which someone gave them some fancy chocolates last Christmas. They also make plans for Juliet's diet and exercise program. The $10 is paid and the other two at home even decided to go along on the Saturday morning, to watch the whole affair.

Grandma Joh makes a special phone call from South Africa: "What are you feeding her and how do you train a slug?" She's also giggling, because she is an lively grandma who plants tomatoes in her front garden among the dahlias and she also thinks that this slug competition is a winning plan. 'Hups' is one of the words of the week that Marli and Ruan have to learn. Their mom rigidly sticks to the plan that her kids have to continue to speak good Afrikaans, surely because she was a teacher of Afrikaans before they moved.

Marli plays along and says in a fake serious voice: "She eats mom's best plants newest leaves that I have to cut off twice daily and put in her little house. In the evenings we place her between two strings on the wooden floor in the living room. I then help her with a little stick to crawl between the strings if she does not want to go forward, or if she veers off to the side. On the day of the competition you may help with a stick that may be no longer than your thumb. I's hard work, but Juliet is a winner." Grandma Joh laughs so much that they had to quit chatting. The whole street in Pretoria will be buzzing about the funny story about her grand child and daughter teaching a slug to walk. They then have to wash the slimy trail on the floor. Juliet is extra slimy, but; she walks briskly if softly pushed with the stick.

Saturday Marli decorates the box in which Juliet will be taken to the competition. She pastes pink hearts all around the small wood container and even makes a name tag: Juliet. She finishes the project with a big pink bow around the container, new leaves packed on the bottom and then to place Juliet inside. She now touches Juliet easily and talks to her just like her mom is doing. Especially because it irritates Ruan so much when both of them play and talk to a slug in a little house.


5


Die park waar hulle die gedoente hou, is gelukkig 'n uur se ry van hulle huis af en daar is niemand wat Marli ken nie. Sy sug verlig en loop maar so effens agter haar ma. Ma Jana het belowe dat sy die volle verantwoordelikheid sal aanvaar vir die plan, sy is ook doodbekommerd dat die slak-ding haar enigste dogter se sosiale status sal vernietig. Hoërskole is wrede plekke vir tieners, veral die uit vreemde lande met ouers wat anders is, sy is mos gelukkig 'n juffrou wat weet tieners se lewe hang aan 'n dun draad op skool tussen hulle portuurgroep. Marli is daaroor sommer van voor af weer lief vir haar ma.

Alles is baie eksoties by die kompetisie. Daar is spierwit afdakke met sagte gordyne wat weggebind is met groot groen stikke. Van tafsy. Net deelnemers mag binne sit waar selfs die stoele wit oorgetrek is en die tafels kreun met die lekkerste kos, veral poedings. Beslis nie kos vir slakke nie, want slakke eet die dag van die wedstryd blykbaar glad nie. Hulle kan blykbaar nie op 'n volmaag vinnig roer nie.

Ma Jana skep 'n reuse bord poeding vir hulle elkeen in. Marli hou vir Juliet op haar skoot vas en loer na die ander deelnemers. Daar is twee ou tannies wat blykaar verlede jaar gewen het, met hulle slak in 'n klein geel groentemandjie. Hulle dra outydse hoede en lag te hard. Dan is daar 'n lang donker man wat sy slak in 'n swart skoenboks het. Hy dra 'n pak klere en lyk of hy 'n besigheidsvoorlegging kom doen, volgens haar ma se geskinder oor die ander deelnemers. In die hoek is drie universiteitsstudente met sportklere van hulle koshuis, Vanier. Wat vir almal vertel dat hulle hele koshuis en die Departement Dierkunde help plan maak het met hulle slak. Net buite onder 'n boom, sit twee jong seuns, in pikswart aangetrek met die Goth-kleredrag soos sommige tieners hier in Kanada: skedels, duiwels, oorringe deur hulle neuse, lippe en wie weet waar nog. (Weer haar ma se opinie.)

 
•5•
The park where the affair is being help is luckily an hour's drive from their house and there is no one who knows Marli. She sighs with relief but walks a little behind her mom. Ma Jana had promised that she would take full responsibility for the plan; she is also quite concerned that this slug-affair will destroy her daughter's social status. High schools are cruel places for teenagers, especially those from foreign countries with parents that are different. Fortunately she is a teacher and knows teenagers' lives are on thin ice at school amongst their peers. For this along Marli loves her mom all over again.

Everything is rather exotic at the competition. There are lily-white canopies with soft curtains that are bound up with big green bows; made of silk. Only participants may sit inside where even the chairs are covered in white, and the tables groan with the most delicious food, especially the desserts. Definitely not food for slugs, because slugs apparently do not eat at all the day of the competition. It appears that they do not move fast enough on a full belly.

Ma Jana dishes up a huge plate of dessert for both one of them. Marli keeps Juliet on her lap as she peeks at the other participants. There are two old ladies who apparently won last year, and their slug is in a small yellow vegetable basket. They are wearing old fashioned hats and laugh too loudly. Then there is a tall dark man with his slug in a black shoebox. He is wearing a suit as if he is coming to do a business presentation, according to her mom's gossip about the other participants. In the corner are three college students wearing the sports outfit of their dormitory, Vanier. They tell everybody that their whole dorm and the Department of Animal Science was in on the plan with their slug. Two young boys sit just outside, under a tree, dressed in pitch black with Goth-like clothing some teenagers here in Canada wear: skulls, devils, ear rings through their noses, lips and who knows where else. (Mom's opinion once again.)

6


Sagte klokke lui om aan te dui dat die toeskouers moet padgee. Alle deelnemers moet hulle slakke moet kom wys aan die paneel van beoordelaars, wat regsit by 'n lang tafel waarop vars kruie die versiering is. Dit lyk eerder na 'n plek waar alternatiewe medisyne bespreek sal word. Pa en Ruan gaan soek sitplek in die voorste ry.

Juliet word goedgekeur. Die mooi blonde vrou in die lang gekleurde romp se slak nie: die slak is blykbaar met steroide gevoer: Hy is heeltemal oor die normale grootte en dikte vir slakke. Sy wip haar, skreeu n paar vieslike vloekwoorde, smyt die reuse slak net daar neer en stap woedend weg.

Ma en Juliet hou 'n spanpraatjie. "Moenie oogkontak maak met die ander slakke nie, Juliet, ons is vandag hier om te wen, nie om vriende te maak nie," sê haar Ma met n juffrou-stem. "En, moenie bang wees nie, nie een van die ander slakke sal jou byt nie, ek en Mar-lieks pas jou op. Jy weet hoe jaloers ander deelnemers kan wees. Hou net jou ogies op die wenstreep. Jy sal jou litte moet roer, hoor? Ek kan sien die ander slakke is fiks."

Sagte klokke lui weer. Hierdie keer moet net die deelnemers nader staan. Ma gaan sit langs Ruan.

Marli maak ook nie oogkontak met die ander deelnemers nie. Sy dra vir Juliet in die huise tot by die wegspringstreep en is bly dat sy 'Juliet' daarop geskryf het. Ook, dat die stokkie waarmee sy vir Juliet moet aanhelp, helderpienk is.

"We are the Champions" van Queen speel nou oor die luidsprekers. Al die slakke word uitgepak in hulle eie bane. Juliet is in baan nr. 8. Juliet sit doodstil, selfs toe iemand in trane uitbars en ook weer baie lelike vloekwoorde sê. Een van verlede jaar se wenners, die ou tante met die geel hoed roep hard: "Julle lieg, ons stok stuur nie elektriese impulse nie, dis 'n gewone stuk hout . . ." Die ‘gewone stuk hout' word teen n kamera man se arm gedruk, om dit te toets. "Einaaaaa, Oooo!" skreeu die arme man toe sy lyf ruk na die elektriese skok. Hmmph! Die vorige jaar se kampioene moet die aftog blaas en word gediskwalifiseer.

Die swartklere-Goth-ouens praat in 'n vreemde taal met hulle slak: "Soe, Dou, Kie-kie, Foei, Deur-kleur . . ." dit klink vir Marli in elk geval na so iets. Hulle herhaal dit monotoon oor en oor.  Marli weet haar Ouma Joh sou hulle en die taal 'duiwels-goeters' genoem het. Hulle slak lyk nie soos 'n duiwel nie. Hy lyk dom en hy het nie 'n naam nie.

 
•6•
Soft bells ring to signal that the audience has to leave. All participants have to come display their slugs to the panel of judges, sitting upright at a long table where fresh herbs are the ornamentations. It looks more like a place where alternative medicine will be discussed. Dad and Ruan head off to look for seating in the front row.

Juliet is approved. The slug, of the beautiful blonde woman with the long colored skirt, fails. Apparently the snail was fed with steroids: He is far above the normal size and thickness for slugs. She throws a tantrum, shouts a few ugly and bad words, dumps the giant slug right there and walks away in anger.

Mom and Juliet are having a team talk. "Don't make eye contact with the other slugs, Juliet. We are here to win today, not to make friends with the other slugs," Mom says with a teachers' voice. "And don't be scared, not one of the other slugs will bite; Mar-licks and I will look after you. You know how jealous other participants can be. Keep your little eyes on the finishing line. You'll have to move it, okay? I can see the other snails are fit."

Soft bells are ringing again. This time only the participants are to stand closer. Mom goes to sit next to Ruan.

Marli does not may any eye contact with the other participants. She carries Juliet in her little house up to the starting line and she is happy that she wrote ‘Juliet' on it. Also, that the stick, with which she will be nudging Juliet, is a bright pink.

"We are the Champions" by Queen is playing over the loud speakers. All the slugs are being packed out onto their own tracks. Juliet is in lane nr. 8 and she sits quietly, even when someone burst out in tears and again said some very ugly cuss words. One of last year's participants, the old lady with the yellow hat, loudly yells out: "You liars, our stick does not emit electrical impulses, it's a plain piece of wood . . ." The 'normal piece of wood' is pressed against the arm of a camera to test it. "Aauch, Oooo!" shouts the poor man as his body recoils from the electric shock. Ahhh! Last year's champions have to leave and they are disqualified.

The black-dressed Goth guys talk in a foreign language with their slug: "So, Dou, Kie-kie, Foei, Deur-kleur . . ." To Marli it sounds something like that in any case. In a monotone they repeat it over and over.  Marli knows her grandma Joh would have called their language 'devil-stuff'. Their slug does not look like a devil. He looks dumb and he does not have a name.

 

7


Sagte klokke lui weer. Dis wegspringtyd!

Marli gee nou glad nie meer om of iemand haar sien nie: "Juliet, jy moet hol, liefie. Ek belowe ek soek vir jou 'n Romeo as ons by die huis kom, dan bly julle in die tuin tot julle kleinkinders kry. Seblief, ek smeek jou. Wen. Toe, loop nou, die pienk stokkie is presies dieselfde een waarmee ons geoefen het in die huis. Hardloop, Juliet. Hardloop!"

Ruan, Pappa en Mamma skreeu die heel hardste. Hulle swaai hulle arms en al drie van hulle se helder pienk T- Hemde met die naam ‘Juliet' op gedruk, maar 'n muur van ondersteuners in pienk.  Marli le met haar pienk hemp plat op die grond in Laan 8 langs Juliet – wat sowaar vorentoe begin kruip. Stadig maar seker. Met die hulp van die pienk stokkie hou sy koers ook: vorentoe.

Die pienk span juig. Die pienk span maak 'n Mexikaanse golf en roep: "J U L I E T, Juliet, J U L I E T, Juliet . . ." Dit klink of hulle maande geoefen het. Die naam Juliet klink soos 'n kreet, dit begin met ‘Juuuu'. Dan word die klank harder en die ‘Lie-het' is kort en uitbundig. Dit is so 'n lekker uitroep dat van die ander mense in die skare dit ook begin sing-roep. Juliet!

 
•7•
Soft bells are ringing again. It is time to start!

Marli does not care at all anymore if someone sees her: "Juliet, you better run, my love. I promise I will look for a Romeo for you when we get home, then you live in the garden till you have grand kids. Please, I am begging you. Win. C'mon, walk now. This pink stick is the very same one that we practiced with at home. Run, Juliet. Run!"

Ruan, Dan and Mom are shouting the loudest. They wave their arms and all three of their bright pink shirts have the name ‘Juliet' printed; a wall of supporters in pink.  Marli lies down wither her pink shirt on the ground next to track 8, next to Juliet – who is surprisingly starting to crawl forwards. Slow but steady. With the help of the pink stick she keeps in the right direction: forwards.

The pink team cheers. The pink team makes a Mexican wave and shout: "J U L I E T, Juliet, J U L I E T, Juliet . . ." It sounds as if they have been practicing for months. The name Juliet sounds like a slogan, it starts with ‘Juuuu". Then the sound gets louder and the ‘Lie-het' is short and pithy. It is such a cool call that even the other people in the crowd also start to sing. Juliet!

 

8


Juliet wen!

Sy is heel eerste oor die wenstreep na sy 'n volle meter geloop het. Die skare juig en die pienkspan jubel, druk mekaar vas. Hou aan met lag toe hulle hoor hoe die skare nog steeds Juliet se naam uitbasuin. Kameras flits en 'n televisiestasie vra 'n onderhoud met elkeen van die gesin.

Die man met die groot mikrofoon vra: "Wat gaan julle met die wengeld doen?"

Marli sê: "Ek kry die helfte van die wengeld en my ma die res. Ek wil 'n pienk Nano-Ipod koop en dit wat oorbly vir my boetie Ruan gee: sodat hy kan spaar om ook een van die dae een te kan koop."

Die skare sug: "Aahh. Ag, maar dis mooi van jou," en iemand pik 'n traan weg. Net daar gee die TV stasie vir Marli en Ruan elkeen 'n Nano. Voor mens kan sê Juliet.

Ma Jana sê: "Ek wil 'n tafeltennis tafel koop, sodat ons as gesin in die aande saam kan speel as dit so baie reen hier in Vancouver." Dis die eerste woord wat Marli daarvan hoor.

Die skare sug weer: "Aahh. Ag maar dis mooi van jou," en iemand pik weer 'n traan weg. Net daar gee 'n koerant vir hulle die tafeltennis tafel voor mens kan sê Romeo.

Die man met die groot mikrofoon vra vir Marli: "Wat gaan julle nou met die wengeld doen?"

"My Ouma Joh moet kom kuier, ons sal dan amper genoeg geld hê, ons spaar al 'n jaar." En vinniger as wat mens kan se mes, skenk iemand die res van die geld. Mits hulle al vier en Ouma Joh op TV sal verskyn om die storie te vertel. In pienk. Saam met Juliet.

Twee maande later oppad TV-ateljee toe, met sy pienk hemp aan, verklaar Ruan nonchalant: "Ek het tog geweet julle gaan wen." Ma knipoog vir Marli. Die pienk-span stap laggend by die voordeur uit. Ouma Joh dra die slakke: Juliet en haar Romeo is knus in hulle nuwe pienk huisie. Reg vir die Uit-Stappie.

- Audrey Painter 2009

 
•8•
Juliet wins!

She is the first over the finishing line after she walked a whole meter. The crowd cheers and the pink team celebrates, hugging each other. Continuing to laugh as they hear the crowd still shout out the name Juliet. Cameras flash and a television station asks for an interview with each one of the family.

The man with the microphone asks: "What are you going to do with the prize money?"

Marli says: "I get half of the money and my mom gets the rest. I want to buy a pink Nano-IPod and whatever remains I will give to my brother, Ruan: so that he can save to be able to also buy one, soon."

The crowd sighs: "Ohh? Oh, but that is so nice of you," and someone wipes a tear. Right there the TV station gives a Nano to both Marli and Ruan. Before you could even say Juliet.

Mom Jana says: "I want to buy a ping-pong table, so that we can play together as a family in the evenings when it rains so much here in Vancouver." This is the first word that Marli has heard of this.

The crowd sighs again: "Ohh? Oh, this is nice of you," and again someone wipes a tear. Right there the newspaper gives them a ping-pong table before you could say Romeo.

The man with the big microphone ask of Marli: "So what are you now going to do with the prize money?"

"My grandma Joh has to come visit, we will the have nearly enough money, we have been saving for a year." And before you could say knife, someone donates the rest of the money, only if all four of them will appear on TV to tell the story. In pink. With Juliet.

Two months later, on the way to the studio, in his pink shirt, Ruan declares casually: "Oh well, I just knew you were going to win." Mom winks at Marli. The pink team leaves the front door laughing. Grandma Joh carries the slugs: Juliet and Romeo are snug in their new pink house. Ready for the Outing.