Judging by the lack of my front teeth, this was round about 1984. My brother arrived by train from Worcester where he attended school, and his padkos was in a plastic bag, not the rattan picnic basket he had for that purpose. Inside the basket was a rooster named Geelbek. On the train trip My grandfather felt this was newsworthy, and soon a reporter and photographer from Beeld was in our living room.

Geelbek live a long and prosperous life on my grandparents’ property in North West, where he roamed free and happy. He was also only the first of several animals my brother “smuggled” home over holidays.

Tomorrow I will tell you about my ultimate dream job.