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<strong>LitNet</strong> Akademies Jaargang 9(3), Desember 2012<br />
Bear<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> m<strong>in</strong>d that he always had a secure background of wealth, the period <strong>in</strong> the<br />
army is important as be<strong>in</strong>g the only period <strong>in</strong> the past 20 years when he had to<br />
conform to an orderly work situation. The story of the court martial and the second<br />
board (when he was declared totally unfit for all forms of service <strong>in</strong> October 1943)<br />
suggest that this char<strong>te</strong>red accountant met difficulty <strong>in</strong> adjust<strong>in</strong>g to a clerical post <strong>in</strong><br />
the army. It is sugges<strong>te</strong>d that without his wealth he would not have been able to break<br />
off de<strong>te</strong>riorat<strong>in</strong>g bus<strong>in</strong>ess and d<strong>om</strong>estic relationships before land<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> serious trouble.<br />
Daar is dus reeds vroeë aanduid<strong>in</strong>gs dat ’n lewe saam met Pratt moeilik was. Nadat hulle<br />
seuntjie op vierjarige ouderd<strong>om</strong>, op 10 Maart 1945, oorlede is 29 het Mary h<strong>om</strong> verlaat. Sy<br />
was ’n tyd lank <strong>in</strong> Durban. Hy het talle briewe aan haar geskryf, en sy maak verskon<strong>in</strong>g dat<br />
sy eers op 8 Mei 1945 geantwoord het. Die trant van <strong>die</strong> brief kl<strong>in</strong>k asof sy wou wegk<strong>om</strong> <strong>om</strong><br />
na <strong>te</strong> d<strong>in</strong>k oor haar lewe. Sy skryf:<br />
I don’t know what your feel<strong>in</strong>gs now are, but fr<strong>om</strong> your let<strong>te</strong>rs I s<strong>om</strong>ehow th<strong>in</strong>k you<br />
want to try mak<strong>in</strong>g a go of th<strong>in</strong>gs aga<strong>in</strong>. I’m conv<strong>in</strong>ced it won’t work out for either of<br />
us. And that it is bet<strong>te</strong>r to make a break now. It will be hard and lonely, especially at<br />
first, but honestly David, I th<strong>in</strong>k it will be best. I’ve given the mat<strong>te</strong>r a great deal of<br />
thought as I have led a very quiet life here. I’ve had plenty of time for th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
Sy skryf verder:<br />
At this po<strong>in</strong>t, I do want you to know that neither Jack nor Sandra have at<strong>te</strong>mp<strong>te</strong>d to<br />
<strong>in</strong>fluence me. I’ve c<strong>om</strong>e to the decision by myself. I simply announced when I arrived<br />
that we were part<strong>in</strong>g, that was that.<br />
Mary berig dat Jack aan <strong>die</strong> manuskrip oor sy “Grecian adventure” werk en dat sy dit vir h<strong>om</strong><br />
tik. Sy laat deurskemer: “I feel I’m do<strong>in</strong>g s<strong>om</strong>eth<strong>in</strong>g useful at last.” Die Jack waarna sy<br />
verwys, was klaarblyklik majoor Jack Gage. Hy het sy ervar<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>in</strong> Griekeland tydens <strong>die</strong><br />
Tweede Wêreldoorlog neergepen. Dit het <strong>in</strong> 1950 as The Greek Adventure verskyn (Gage<br />
1950). Die volgende adres was boaan <strong>die</strong> brief gedruk: Rathl<strong>in</strong>, 155 Goble Road, Durban. 30<br />
Gage se pa was van Ierse <strong>af</strong>k<strong>om</strong>s en het na Suid-Afrika emigreer. Dit was blykbaar tradisie <strong>in</strong><br />
<strong>die</strong> familie <strong>om</strong> hulle huise na <strong>die</strong> Ierse eiland Rathl<strong>in</strong> <strong>te</strong> vernoem. 31 Jack Gage was <strong>in</strong> ’n<br />
tweede huwelik getroud met <strong>die</strong> narkotiseur Helen Alexandra (Sandra) Hatrick, wat skynbaar<br />
aan Mary Hatrick verwant was. Beide Hatrick-dames het <strong>in</strong> 1935 getrou. 32<br />
In <strong>die</strong> brief vra Mary of David vir Susan saamgevat het na <strong>die</strong> Peace Decorations <strong>om</strong>dat sy so<br />
baie van vlae hou. Sy vra verder uit of Susan se hoes al be<strong>te</strong>r geword het en sê dat <strong>die</strong> huis so<br />
leeg is sonder haar – waarskynlik ’n heenwys daarna dat Susan, toe sewe jaar oud, op skool<br />
was by St. Andrew’s <strong>in</strong> Johannesburg. Dis opvallend dat sy niks sê oor <strong>die</strong> seuntjie wat<br />
skaars twee maande <strong>te</strong>vore dood is nie. Sy skryf bloot dat sy Pratt sal kontak sodra sy <strong>te</strong>rug is<br />
<strong>in</strong> Johannesburg sodat hulle d<strong>in</strong>ge kan uitpraat, en dat sy na <strong>die</strong> woons<strong>te</strong>l toe gaan, nie plaas<br />
toe nie. Sy la<strong>te</strong>re egskeid<strong>in</strong>gsdagvaard<strong>in</strong>g gee haar adres aan as Osborneweg 42, Orange<br />
Grove, Johannesburg. Vermoedelik het sy reeds <strong>die</strong> woons<strong>te</strong>l betrek voordat sy Durban toe is<br />
<strong>om</strong>dat dit naby <strong>die</strong> skool was. 33<br />
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