I was with my journalist Nadine Maré when we met Meneer Emmertjie.
If you are not entirely sure who I am talking about, click here to read more.
I went with Nadine because we were not 100 per cent sure how he would react – I mean, we had just published an article about a few motorists’ dissatisfaction with him.
As we walked up to him, before he realised we were going to approach him, you could see that he was just someone who had been dealt a few bad cards in life.
He was not aggressive at all. His first words to us were quite endearing. He was friendly and very approachable – maybe he could see that we were nervous, and maybe he realised that we were his only platform to set things straight with the public.
What I did not see was the bad person so many people said he was. I am not saying that these people lied to us about their bad experiences with Jacques van Vuuren, I am just stating that the person we spoke to was almost child-like.
After our interview I couldn’t help but tear-up. As I was looking out the car window while driving back to the office, all I saw was people trying to make it through the day, just like we were. Just like Jacques was.
I felt so sad, because I have so much to be grateful for. I felt so sad for Jacques. Even though he told us he is happy and doing fine, there was just something in his voice which told me he longs for something else. Maybe its for companionship, unconditional love, comfort or even just acceptance. How many of these things do we have and take for granted every day? How sad is it that we do not appreciate it?
Tonight, after eating the delicious dinner I cooked in my own home while watching my favourite shows on my flat-screen TV, before climbing into my snug bed with my loving and adoring husband, I will say a prayer. I will ask God to forgive my selfish ways. And I will ask God to bless Jacques.
Can you forgive Jacques if he was rude to you? Can you turn the other cheek?
Something to think about, Krugersdorp … until next week.
