A Mitchells Plain ouma says she’s finally taken the plunge to put pen to paper and tell her own story in her own words.
Farieda Abrahams, a 59-year-old mom of three and granny to six, on Sunday launched her book, called My Lover, My Country, which is the story of her growing up and then being removed from District Six when she was just seven years old.
The ouma is the Social Auxiliary Worker at Sultan Bahu Drug Rehabilitation Centre in Westridge and her book was launched at the centre in a special ceremony attended by her friends and family.
Farieda, who lives in Lentegeur, says she’s always loved writing.
“This project started as writing plays for fundraisers at the rehab 13 years ago. Everyone always encouraged me to turn it into a book but I didn’t think it was worth a book,” she says modestly.
“While studying addiction care at UWC in 2013, my lecturer would read my writing and also encourage me.
“I remember watching a show where (comedian) Soli Philander said ‘Cape Town’s people have stories to tell but are too lazy to write it’, and this sparked my writing even more.
“I decided to self-publish but I didn’t know how to go about it.”
INSPIRED HER TO WRITE THE BOOK: Soli Philander
She says one day she had lunch at a restaurant and spoke to the owner about her dreams, and he helped her.
“I was so overwhelmed. I don’t know how but after that conversation, everything was paid for and I was able to launch my book.”
She says the novel is historically accurate “with a healthy dose of fictional love drama” and that the “lover” in the title is a fictional character.
“One of my favourite true parts in the book is about my teenage sister who acted as our ‘Robin Hood’, when we lived in Constitution Street in the Ses.
“She would steal from the whites and sell their things, and when she came home she would share with all the children or even have a party in the street,” says Farieda, adding that when their parents found out, her sister was sent off to live in Joburg for a while.
There’s also a chapter in her book called “All White”.
“I could never understand why my mother and others cried the day we got the eviction letters in District Six, I was about seven at the time,” says Farieda.
“I always thought that District Six being declared all white meant all the houses were going to be painted all white.”
Her book is selling for R130 and proceeds go to a children’s homes in Mitchells Plain and the rehab centre where she works.
To order your copy, call Farieda on 061 461 8427.