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Niksie word 'n Ietsie (deur Wilma Coetzee)
"Prrrrrt! Ag, waar is daardie ellendige wekker tog?" Niksie vat hier en vat daar in die donker, maar kan net nie die wekker raakgevat kry om dit dood te druk nie.
"Ek gaan net nog so'n klein rukkie lê voordat ek opstaan," dink Niksie. 'n Rukkie later staan Niksie traag uit die bed op, slof-slof badkamer toe en bekyk homself in die spieël in 'n poging om wakker te word. Dis nou nie eintlik die mooiste of die vriendelikste gesig wat vir hom kyk nie.
â€œAg, ek wens ek kon soos ou Breker gelyk het – sterk gebou, aantreklike gesig en almal dink hy is omtrent die beste ding wat Ietsie-Bietsieland nog getref het! Ja, hy weet ook mos alles van alles en hy kan enigiets beter doen as die res van die ouens in Ietsie-Bietsieland. Maar nou ja, wie en wat ek is, is natuurlik heeltemal â'n ander saak"
"O aarde, kyk waar loop die tyd al, ek beter klaar maak as ek nog betyds wil wees!" Hy hap gou 'n happie, drink gou 'n slukkie, skud homself reg, en bêre sy eina-gedagtes diep weg.
In Ietsie-Bietsieland gaan dit goed met almal. Dit is net Niksie (of so dink hy) wat nie aldag so lekker regkom en inpas nie. Daarom kan hy nie met sy eina-gedagtes uitgaan en daar buite rondloop nie. As iemand dit moet agterkom" Nee wat, daar buite maak hy maar asof hy nes die res is en doodgelukkig is. Maar hierdie gedagtes bly knaag aan hom en dit pla hom.
Hoekom is hy nou eintlik hier in Ietsie-Bietsieland? Hoe kan hy regtig gelukkig wees? Hoekom voel hy so leeg?
Niksie het al baie planne gemaak. Hy weet as hy so 'n lekker cool sonbril opsit, lyk hy 'n bietjie beter. As hy vreeslik hard werk en goed presteer, lyk dit of almal hom darem raaksien. Dan voel hy nogal geliefd. Maar dis tog asof die gevoel nie lank genoeg wil hou na sy sin nie. Dan probeer hy maar weer iets anders.
Net toe Niksie by die voordeur uitstap, sien hy 'n pakkie op die trappie lê. Hy tel dit op, baie verbaas om te sien dat dit mooi toegedraai is en sy adres op het. Dit moet dus vir hom bedoel wees, maar hy verjaar nie en buitendien stuur niemand eens vir hom briewe nie, wat nog te sê pakkies!
Hy maak dit gou oop en sien dat dit 'n boek is. Die boek se naam is vir hom baie interessant: Die Enigste Handleiding. Hy kyk weer in die pakkie om te sien of daar 'n gebruiksartikel saam met die handleiding gekom het, want sekerlik moet die handleiding vir jou verduidelik hoe werk een of ander ding. Maar behalwe die handleiding, is daar niks anders in die pakkie nie.
Niksie bêre gou die handleiding en trek die deur agter hom toe. Hy wonder wie die handleiding vir hom gestuur het, en wat hy daarmee moet doen. Hy besluit om dit vanaand goed te bestudeer. Miskien kan dit tog nuttig wees.
Daardie middag kan hy nie wag om huis toe te gaan nie. Hy is nuuskierig om te sien wat daarin staan; miskien sal hy kan agterkom wie dit vir hom gestuur het as hy weet wat daarin staan.
By die huis aangekom, strek hy homself behaaglik uit en gaan sit in sy luilekker stoel. Hy trek Die Enigste Handleiding nader en begin lees. In die voorwoord staan dat sy Maker dit geskryf het. "Wel, dit is nou interessant" As die handleiding geskryf is deur die Iemand wat my gemaak het, sal ek dalk hierin bietjie inligting kry oor hoe ek aanmekaar gesit is, en hoe ek werk"
Niksie begin lees en kan net nie die Handleiding neersit nie.
"Ek het jou spesiaal gemaak. Jy is Myne. Ek het jou op jou naam geroep. Jy dink dalk jou naam is Niksie, maar dit is nie waar nie. Ou Jokker het vir jou gesê dat jy sommer 'n Niksie is, en jy het hom geglo. Maar die naam wat Ek vir jou gegee het, is Ietsie-Spesiaal."
"Ietsie-Spesiaal" Ietsie en nie 'n Niksie nie. Spesiaal, en nie maar net nog een van duisende ander nie.
Niksie se hart klop al vinniger. Hy voel opgewonde, hy voel hoe die bloed in sy are bruis. Hy kyk buitentoe en sien die mooi sonsondergang wat omraam word deur sy sitkamervenster. "Ek is spesiaal, ek is spesiaal, ek is spesiaal" jubel hy dit uit.
Hy besluit om dadelik 'n SMS vir al sy familie en vriende te stuur: "Fout ingesluip tydens naamgee – Niksie is eintlik Ietsie-Spesiaal." Hy wag opgewonde dat almal 'n boodskap terugstuur, maar ontvang slegs een van Ietsie-Oulik. "Bly om te hoor jy het die Waarheid ontdek in die Handleiding."
"So, dan is dit seker sí½ wat die pakkie vir my gestuur het. Ek het nog altyd gedink dat sy anders as die res is – so asof sy 'n gelukkige geheim binne-in haar bewaar. Ek wonder of sy die Maker persoonlik ken – hoe anders sou sy 'n handleiding in die hande kon kry, en dit nogal 'n getekende kopie? Ek moet haar tog vra as ek haar weer te siene kry."
(Die storie word gebruik met vriendelike vergunning van www.skatkis.com
â€œPrrrrrt!â€ â€œOh, where is that silly alarm clock?â€ Little Nothing grabs here and there in the dark, but just can't get hold of it to hit the kill switch.
â€œI am going to lie for just a little longer before I get up,â€ thought Little Nothing. A while later Little Nothing gets lazily out of bed, slo-moâ€™s to the bathroom and looks at himself in the mirror in an effort to wake up. It is not exactly the most beautiful or the friendliest face that is looking at him.
â€œAh, I wish I couldâ€™ve looked like old (heart)Breaker – well built, attractive face and everyone things that heâ€™s the next best thing that Itsy-Bitsyland ever experienced! Yes, he also knows everything about everything and he can do anything better than the rest of the guys in Itsy-Bitsyland. Anyhow, who and what I am, is a completely different matter altogetherâ€¦â€
â€œOh goodness, look at the time, I better finish up everything if I still want to be on time!â€ He takes a quick bite, (and) takes a quick sip, pulls himself together, and buries his painful thoughts away.
Everyone is well in Itsy-Bitsyland. It is only Little Nothing (or so he thinks) that doesnâ€™t really fit in. As a result, he cannot go outside and walk around with his painful thoughts. If anyone should become aware of itâ€¦Ah no, outside he presends like the rest as if he is as happy as can be. But these thoughts keep gnawing at him and it bothers him.
Why is he now really here in Itsy-Bitsyland? How can he really be happy? Why does he feel so empty?
Little Nothing already made lots of plans. He knows that if he puts on his cool sunglasses, that he will look a little bit better. It feels like everyone notices him if he works hard and performs well. Then he actually feels loved. But it is as if the feeling does not last long enough for him. Then he attempts to try something different.
Just as Little Nothing walked out of the front door, he sees a package lying on the steps. He picks it up, and is very surprised to see that it is nicely wrapped and has his address on it. This must mean that it is meant for him, but itâ€™s not his birthday and nobody ever sends him letters, let alone a package!
He opens it quickly and sees that itâ€™s a book. He finds the bookâ€™s name very interesting -- The Only Manual. He looks in the package again to see if thereâ€™s a user article that came with the manual. Because the manual should certainly explain how things work. But there is nothing else in the package, apart from the manual.
Little Nothing puts the manual away and closes the door behind him. He wonders who sent him the manual, and what he is supposed to do with it. He decides that he will study it well tonight. Perhaps it could even become handy.
That afternoon he couldnâ€™t wait to go home. He was curious to see what was in it, maybe he would find out who sent it to him if he knew what was in it.
He arrives home, stretching himself out and goes to sit on the sofa. He takes out the Only Manual and begins to read. It says in the foreword that his Creator wrote it. â€œWell, that is very interestingâ€¦If the manual is written by someone that created me, then I might find some information about how I am put together, and how I work, in hereâ€¦â€
Little Nothing begins to read and just cannot but the Manual down.
â€œI made you specially. You are Mine. I called you by your name. You may think that your name is Little Nothing, but thatâ€™s not true. The old liar said that you were a Little Nothing, and you believed him. But the name that I gave you was Something Special.â€
â€œLittle-Specialâ€¦and not a Little Nothing. Special and not just one of many thousands.
Little Nothingâ€™s heart beats faster and faster. He feels excited, he feels the rushing of his blood in his veins. He looks outside and sees the beautiful sunset that frames his lounge window and belts out: â€œI am special, I am special, I am special!â€.
He immediately decides to send a text message to all his family and friends. â€œError included during giving of name – Little Nothing is actually Something Special.â€ He waits excitedly for everyone to send him a message, but receives only one from Something-Cute.â€ â€œI am pleased to hear that youâ€™ve discovered the Truth in the Manual.â€
â€œSo, then it was probably her that sent me the package. I always thought that she was different from the rest- as if she was protecting a happy secret inside. I wonder if she knows the creater personally -- how else could she have the manual, and a signed copy at that also? I must ask her when I see her again.â€
Jacques du Plessis -- 19-04-2016 - questions/feedback/comments?