The Sacrifice

by Cathy Conradie

  Chapter Seven

  Jeffreys Bay is a beehive with activity of holiday goers seeking their rest after another tough year. Everyone else is taking a break except the loyal members of the SAPS. Paul is very grateful that he can take a bit of a break with his grandparents to go to Pretoria to visit his family. He must admit to himself that he wishes that his parents could come to Jeffreys Bay, but if one stays in Jeffreys Bay like he does, one is permanently on holiday.

  It will be a very special Christmas because his brother and sister will also be there to celebrate Christmas with them. He is very excited about it and can’t wait. Paul silently hopes that he can persuade Lourens and Tersia to invite Otto, Trudie and Antonie for a braai on Christmas Eve. The friendship between Antonie and Paul grew very deep and Paul felt as if he was part of the Marais-family and Antonie felt part of the Visser-family. It was unique that two strange families were woven together like that in a space of a year.

  Antonie is unable to curb his excitement with the knowledge that Paul will be arriving in Johannesburg the following day in the late afternoon. This excitement makes it easier for Antonie to work his last night shift. He wishes that they can work together, even if it was only once. But he knew that Paul was on leave and it will be an unfair expectation from him to expect Paul to work with him on his leave. Besides Antonie has put in a couple of days leave as well and there is no reason to work on your leave.

  “Come Antonie, you are so lazy tonight. The General is going to give us a verbal hiding if we book on air so late.”

  “I’m sorry, Sergeant. I had to make sure we had enough dockets. I booked out a R5-rifle too. After last week’s house robbery in Magalieskruin one can’t be careful enough.”

  “Strictly speaking the Colonel wants each vehicle to book out a R5-rifle, but no-one wants to listen. Come, let’s go.”

  While Antonie and his colleague patrol their area, Antonie can feel the Christmas atmosphere in the air. The streets are deserted and there is not much traffic on the roads. Everywhere he sees pedestrians walk with groceries bags getting into busses and taxis.

  As the Sergeant turns off into Breed Street in Doornpoort a complainant flags them over, stopping them. Antonie can see that the complainant is panic stricken and winds his window down.

  “Good afternoon, sir. How can we help you?”

  “Please help me, please. People are holding my family hostage. I went to Kolonnade to buy gifts and my wife and toddler remained at home. My wife is pregnant. She didn’t want to go with me because the mall is too busy. She has sent me an SMS. I don’t know how she managed that.”

  “Where are you staying?”

  “Rivea Avenue.”

  Antonie tries to think quickly.

  “Sergeant, where is that street?”

  “I’ve got an idea, more or less, but he will have to go ahead of us so that we don’t waste time.”

  “Sir, please drive ahead of us so that we can follow.”

  The complainant nods, gets into his car and they proceed to the complaint at a very high response speed. Some safe distance the complainant pulls off and explains to Antonie and the Sergeant where the house is. Antonie made sure that both his firearms were ready for anything awaiting him. Because they found the complainant close to the crime scene they never switched on their sirens.

  Upon their arrival Antonie notices the suspects’ vehicle, a black BMW M6 with a sunroof parked in front of the house. With the dusk that already enveloped the earth Antonie was able to see that one suspect was leaning out at the sunroof and ready to shoot. The Sergeant swears and starts shooting in the direction of the suspect.

  Although Antonie knew in his heart there was no time he knew he needed to go about it only one way.

  “Lord Jesus, please help us.” he prays softly.

  “If it needs to be that we are going Home today, please let it be quick and painless. I just want to feel Your presence.”

  Antonie hears the gunshots around him and he tries to take cover at the passenger door of the Nissan Thida before he starts shooting in the direction of the suspects. It doesn’t take long for his two pistol magazines to be empty and he takes up the R5-rifle to continue the war against the house robbers.

  Antonie feels a jerk through his body and when he fails to pick up the R5-rifle he realises that he has been shot in his one shoulder. He bravely picks up the R5-rifle with his healthy arm and tries to aim to the robbers’ direction but the bullets tear through his body.

  Antonie slides down the door and bravely moves forward to get inside the vehicle to summon help but the blood starts filling his lungs and he realises he is drowning in his own blood. The one robber goes over to Antonie’s side, pins Antonie’s healthy hand down with his foot before pressing the AK 47’s barrel against Antonie’s chest. In his mind Antonie knows here is only one way now, and that is going Home.

  With an evil smirk the robber pulls the trigger and Antonie’s young body jerks for the last time as the bullet enters his body. Antonie is only able to do one last thing – to utter the name of his Saviour, Jesus Christ.

  Just after eight ‘o clock that evening Otto is dispatched to the crime scene in Rivea Avenue. But nothing in his whole police career of riot duties, border duties, serious violent crime scenes, nothing, could prepare him for what he had to see.

  Otto feels his throat tighten when he sees the Nissan Thida, riddled with bullets. It is there where he meets with a very shocked and distressed Sergeant Pienaar.

  “Major…Major…” he tries desperately to speak to Otto, without success.

  Otto firmly takes Sergeant Pienaar by the shoulders.

  “Pine, are you okay? You appear to be in shock. What happened here? Can you tell me?”

  “Major, Antonie…”

  “Pine, come with me to the car so I can give you some coffee. Looks like you can use some.”

  “No, Major. Please listen…Antonie…Antonie…”

  “Pine, what is it?”

  “Antonie…Antonie is shot, Major…”

  Otto can feel his heart missing a beat.

  “Pine? Please, please tell me you are not serious? Where is Antonie?”

  “He…he is next to the car…Major…”

  Otto leaves Sergeant Pienaar and moves to the other side of the Thida. His horror-filled scream sounds surreal in his own ears when he comes across the gruesome scene. He kneels next to Antonie and picks up his lifeless son up in his arms, holding him close. Before he can prevent it, the anger inside him boils over.

  “Where are the bastards?! Where are they?! I’ll kill them slowly, one by one, I swear! I’ll hunt them down, one by one!”

  The officer on standby puts his hand on Otto’s shoulder.

  “Otto…”

  “Leave me alone, damn you! Leave me alone! Every one of you! Just leave me alone! Why?! Why Lord?! How could You?! Why did You make Antonie better, just to take him away?! Why?! I don’t understand!”

  The next day Paul arrives at the airport in Johannesburg and meets with his parents in the arrival hall where they are waiting for him. He feels very excited to see them, but is shocked by his parents’ facial expressions, realising something was seriously wrong.

  “Mom? Dad? Don’t you say hello? What…what is wrong?”

  “Paul, we didn’t want to phone you last night because you would have not been able to do anything about it. Antonie…Antonie was killed last night on duty.”

  Paul stares at his parents, devastated. Judged to the fact that both Lourens and Tersia’s eyes were red of the tears they cried he could tell what they told him was true. He takes a seat on his bags that he has put on the trolley and shakes his head in disbelief.

  “No…no…” he whispers repeatedly.

  “It can’t be true…please no…this can’t be…”

  Paul’s body convulses in shock and the sobs tear through his body. Tersia and Lourens kneel down next to him in an effort to provide him with comfort.

  “Why?! Please tell
me why?!”

  “Paul, it was Antonie’s time to go Home…maybe…maybe he would have become ill again with cancer and died as a result of it…or would have suffered…” Tersia tries to console him.

  “No!! It’s not right…it’s not fair…we were like brothers…No!! Please no!! Antonie!! No!! No!!”

  Lourens hugs Paul close and strokes with his hand over Paul’s hair in an effort to try to calm him down. It is then when one of the airport personnel approached them.

  “Sir, is everything all right?”

  “Do you have a clinic here at the airport, please?”

  “I’ll call a doctor for you.”

  “Thanks. We’ll wait here.”

  They don’t have to wait for too long before the doctor arrives. Tersia briefly explains to the doctor what was wrong and gives him Paul’s medical history. Lourens still hugs Paul close while the doctor carefully injects Paul with a sedative.

  “I’m going to arrange for a wheelchair for you, sir.” the doctor says politely.

  “The sedative will make him very sleepy.”

  Thankfully Paul started to calm down but the tears still silently run down his cheeks and Lourens can see his son is crushed by the news. Hopefully the doctor will bring sleeping tablets too so that Paul can sleep that night. When the doctor finally arrives with the wheelchair Paul was already very sleepy. Lourens and Tersia are grateful for it because at least Paul will be sleeping on the way home and for the night.

  Some days after the shooting incident and with all practical arrangements done for Antonie’s funeral Paul stops at Otto and Trudie’s house in Sinoville with his motorbike one afternoon.

  The last couple of days were very difficult to Paul and he struggles to come to terms that Antonie will never return. He rings the doorbell and waits a while before Trudie opens. She smiles bravely at Paul.

  “Hello, Paul. Please come inside.”

  Paul enters the house and allows Trudie to hug him close for a long while. Antonie’s death was a big loss to Paul, but he couldn’t start to imagine how Otto and Trudie felt. Antonie was their only child.

  Endless bouquets of flowers were inside the house and the flowery aroma filled the house. Paul forces himself not to look at Antonie’s photos. They brought back too many memories.

  “Trudie, I…I just wanted to drop by and hear if there is anything I could do or where I can help with any other arrangements.”

  “Oh, Paul. You have your own loss to work through. We have a lot of support and we really appreciate your support as well, but it is so important that you take care of yourself and your needs too.”

  Otto enters the lounge. He became old overnight and has the appearance of a sixty-year-old man. His eyes were bloodshot as a result of a lack of sleep and he looked overtired.

  “Hello, Major.”

  “Paul, please. You’re inside my house now, not at the station.” he embraces Paul tightly for a while.

  “Thank you so much for coming. You’ll never know how much this means to Trudie and me. Paul, I’m heartbroken. Not just because of the fact that Antonie is not with us anymore but because I’ve never have had the opportunity to thank you personally for helping Antonie. If you didn’t help him back then, the little time he had would have been even shorter.”

  “I blame myself for not being there, Otto. I wish I was there to protect Antonie. And I couldn’t…”

  They take a seat on the couches.

  “Paul, Antonie worked with one of my most experienced members. That Sergeant was stationed at the Riot Unit for a very long time. He is trained for situations like what happened the other night. He himself couldn’t protect Antonie or prevent what has happened. You meant the world to Antonie. He talked non-stop about you. You were his best friend. You are the brother he never had. We are so grateful for everything you have done for Antonie. You have given him the second chance he deserved. Not just with the bone marrow transplant but your testimony led him back to Christ. And for that we are eternally grateful.”

  Hundreds of people arrived for Antonie’s funeral. The whole funeral was a formal military funeral and many high profile commissioned officers were also present. Dressed in his ceremonial uniform and uncertain if he will be able to cope with the expectation set to him Paul walks to the front when he is called forward.

  Otto told Paul that when Antonie was diagnosed with cancer Antonie told him and Trudie that at his funeral ‘The Last Tattoo’ must be played in the church service and at the grave they needed to play the Scottish Regiment’s Amazing Grace.

  Paul takes out his trumpet with a lump in his throat. He takes a deep breath in an effort to calm down. He needed to make this moment perfect in honour of his late best friend. A sad silence descents over the congregation as Paul starts playing ‘The Last Tattoo’. After a short while, Paul puts the trumpet away but just as he wants to walk forward, Otto gently takes him by the arm.

  “Paul, I know you haven’t prepared for this, but…please, will you mind making a short speech in honour of Antonie?”

  Paul silently nods and puts the small case down before taking up the microphone.

  “The honourable minister, all commissioned officers, fellow colleagues, ladies and gentlemen.”

  Paul stays silent for a brief moment, swallows hard at the lump in his throat.

  “I’m not prepared for this moment.” he says softly.

  “I don’t see chance for this. I don’t know if I can do this last gesture of honour to Antonie - ” Paul’s voice breaks and it is evident he tries his outmost best to fight back the tears.

  Silence rules for a short while.

  “My best friend, you were borrowed to me for a very short while to be my best friend and were as good as my own blood brother. Your bravery made you to pay the highest price to your country. We will miss your spontaneous laugh, your razor sharp sense of humour and all the pranks you could pull on us. When I get back to Jeffreys Bay - ”

  Paul lowers his head as he can’t fight back the tears any longer and starts crying softly. He tries his best to calm down to speak again.

  “When I’m back in Jeffreys Bay…”he starts bravely again.

  “I’ll see you in my memory as we would fish and talk on end…rest in peace, Antonie. Enjoy the love of your Creator who needed you more than we did…we’ll miss you…”

  Otto realises that Paul can’t continue anymore and silently takes the microphone from Paul before he takes him in his arms, holding him tightly. He ignores all protocol. That is of no importance right now.

  At Antonie’s grave Paul allowed Antonie’s parents to spend as much time at the open grave as they needed. The music of Amazing Grace starts in the background and all the commissioned officers dutifully salute. In his heart Paul salutes Antonie too. As a non-commissioned officer he wasn’t allowed to salute Antonie as a last gesture of honour.

  Filled with sadness his eyes follow the coffin going down the grave and with the last notes dying off in the distance Paul fails to fight back the tears. His parents as well as Otto and Trudie form a protective circle around Paul and hug him close, allowing Paul to cry himself out. They break the circle only slightly to allow people to sympathise with Paul and when most of the people left, Otto puts his hands on Paul’s shoulders.

  “Paul, Trudie and I are asking you and your family a big favour. I know you’ll never take Antonie’s place but…you are like a son in your own right to us and your parents are like family to us. Please, don’t break contact with us just because Antonie is not with us anymore.”

  “That, Major, I will never be able to do. I will never forget you. My parents and I love both of you too much.”

  The high pitched call against the sapphire blue sky of an eagle sounds in the distance and Paul looks up. Antonie was crazy about eagles and it was as if this was Antonie’s way to tell everyone that everything will be all right, that he was safe and that he doesn’t want anyone to mourn over him.

  n Archive.