THEY had toys they ’d bought as gifts ready and waiting. It had been so long since they’d seen their grandkids. Johan and Winnie Jordaan were counting the days.
En route home from a holiday in the Kalahari, their daughter, Dané Carstens (32), her husband, Hendri (39), and their two sons, Pierre-Johan (5) and Magiel (3), would swing by in Barrydale in the Klein Karoo, Western Cape, for a long overdue visit.
Because of lockdown Johan and Winnie hadn’t seen Dané and her family, who lived on a farm near Prince Alfred Hamlet about 200km away, in months.
But then came the phone call that sent Johan and Winnie reeling. A fierce fire had struck the luxury holiday home where the family were staying with friends.
Dané and the boys had died and Hendri was being rushed to hospital, his life hanging by a thread.
“They would’ve visited us on the Wednesday,” Johan says, his voice breaking.
“We had the kids’ toys ready and waiting for them.”
Now they’ll never see any of them again. Hendri was airlifted to Cape Town but succumbed to his severe burn wounds.
“It’s especially hard because all four of them were taken,” Winnie says. “The loss is immense and will get worse.”
A HUDDLE of people has gathered to comfort one another in a barn on the farm Dennekruin near Prince Alfred Hamlet. In the orchards blossoms herald the arrival of spring, but inside the barn the atmosphere is sombre.
Everyone on the farm is struggling to come to terms with the devastating news about farm manager Hendri, his wife and kids.
Bu hikaye YOU South Africa dergisinin 3 September 2020 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye YOU South Africa dergisinin 3 September 2020 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
HOW TO BE YOUR OWN THERAPIST
With more and more of us struggling with our mental health, here's a common-sense guide to coping with life's ups and downs
SPUD: THE MAGIC CONTINUES
John van de Ruit tells us why he decided to write a sequel - and shares how his first book helped him find enduring love
SEX CONTRACT GONE WRONG
A Cape Town couple have been charged with using a young woman as a sex slave-but some say she lost the job she signed up for and now has a grudge against them
LIAM LAID TO REST
More than a month after One Direction singer LIAM PAYNE (31) tragically fell to his death from a balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, his loved ones finally got to say their goodbyes.
SHILOH HANGS OUT
THE two young women look like any pair of good friends chatting and laughing as they leave their dance class in Los Angeles.
LEO IN LOVE
He's just turned 50 and it seems Leonardo DiCaprio may finally be ready to settle down
PACKING A PUNCH
Irish actor Paul Mescal beefed up for his role in the blockbuster epic Gladiator II - and fans are loving it
I DIDN'T CHOOSE TO BE A LOVE CHILD
As the illegitimate daughter of the king, she fought to be recognised as part of Belgium's royal family, but Princess Delphine says she still feels unwelcome
'I STILL HAVE NIGHTMARES'
A bite from a spitting cobra 13 years ago nearly killed her but Mikayla survived - and she's made peace with her scars
THE CLAWS ARE OUT!
Things have grown frosty between the Beckhams and the Sussexes as Becks comes out in clear support of William