Donker Web – Fanie Viljoen
School edition
Reboot
This is a flashback (terugflits) to Onderwêreld where Eckhardt
Wilkens’s father, the judge (regter) was taken away (weggeneem)
and killed (doodgemaak) when Eckhardt was 11 (elf) years old. It
is now revealed (aan die leser bekendgemaak) that Eckhardt’s
real name (regte naam) is actually (eintlik) Xander Gericke.
It states (stel) that it has been six (ses) months since Xander first
saw (gesien) his dad slumped over (sy lyf gebuig) his desk
(lessenaar), holding a 9mm pistol and looking at (kyk na) a yellow
(geel) envelope (koevert). Xander has since (sedertdien) turned
(geword) 12 (twaalf).
Xander enters (gaan in) his father’s study (studeerkamer) again: it
still (nog steeds) smells (ruik) like polish (politoer), just (net) like
(soos) the previous (vorige) time (keer).
PROPERTY OF M SOUNES NO COPYING, SHARING OR DISTRIBUTION OF ANY KIND ALLOWED 1
,His father asks if everything is alright where he is sitting in front of
(voor) the fireplace (kaggel). There is a Montblanc-pen in his hand
and a book on his lap (skoot): Xander immediately sees the place
where his dad took the book from.
Xander tells his father that there are two men at the door, asking
for his dad. The boy thinks about the men’s appearance
(voorkoms): they were dressed (aangetrek) differently (anders) to
the men who usually (gewoonlik) frequent (besoek) Xander’s
home (huis), since these men were wearing (dra) jeans and black
T-shirts, which showed off their muscular arms (om hulle boarms
span). The men who normally visit Xander’s father, wear (dra) suits
(pakke klere) with crisp white shirts (kraakwit hemde) and ties
(dasse).
His father frowns (frons) as he puts the pen down, saying he is not
expecting (verwag) anyone and that he is rather (nogal) busy,
asking if the men gave their names. Xander replies (antwoord)
that the one said “Tok” sent them. Regter (Judge) Gericke asks if it
was not maybe “Dok” and Xander confirms (bevestig) this.
His dad gets up quickly (vinnig), as though (asof) he now only
(eers) realizes (besef) what is happening (aangaan). His hand is
shaking (bewe) when he touches (raak) his son and tells Xander to
find (soek) a place where he can hide (wegkruip). Xander is not
allowed (mag nie) to come out until his father calls for him.
A woman screams (gil) somewhere in the house. This knocks
(stamp) the breath (asem) from Xander’s chest (bors) when he
asks if that was his mother. Regter Gericke grabs (gryp) Xander by
the shoulders (skouers), telling him he loves him and that Xander
should always remember (onthou) that, no matter (maak nie saak
nie) what happens. His father then kisses (soen) Xander on his
forehead (voorkop) as he tells the boy to always think smart (dink
PROPERTY OF M SOUNES NO COPYING, SHARING OR DISTRIBUTION OF ANY KIND ALLOWED 2
,slim) and to immediately (dadelik) go hide (kruip weg).
Xander feels as though the darkness’s (die donker se) cloak
(kleed) pulls (trek) tighter and tighter (stywer) around him and the
more he tries to work out what is going on, the tighter (stywer) this
grip (die houvas) becomes.
Dok. It has something to do with that.
Xander hears the visitor (besoeker) mention (noem) his dad’s
name and he looks back (terug) over (oor) his shoulder (skouer) as
he is running down the passage (gang). He can see the men’s
shadows (skaduwees) moving (skuif) over the wall (muur) in the
foyer (portaal) and they look like monsters.
Fear (angs) pulses (pols) through his brain, his mouth is dry (droog).
Xander hears his dad asking if there is something he can help the
men with before he hears the sound of a fist (vuishou) and sees his
dad fall down (inmekaarsak) from the shadows (skaduwees) on
the wall.
This is what fear (vrees) feels like (soos). Fire (vuur) shoots (blits)
through your body (lyf), every nerve (senuwee) awakened (ruk
wakker), adrenaline throws (gooi) your thoughts (gedagtes) into
speed gear (snelrat), your eyes open wide (sper oop), your
breathing (asemhaling) stops (hou op) and your chest (borsholte)
tightens (pers saam). And you hear it – your own (eie) heart.
Beating (klop), beating (klop), beating (klop).
Recovery Drive
<h1>Scream (Skree)</h1>
Greg Owen is dead (oorlede). A team (span) of divers (duikers)
PROPERTY OF M SOUNES NO COPYING, SHARING OR DISTRIBUTION OF ANY KIND ALLOWED 3
, took (gehaal) his body (liggaam) from the Canále Grande in
Venice (Venisië) yesterday (gister).
That’s what the newspapers (koerante) in the Turret Media-group
is reporting (berig) about (oor) me.
Can it be true (waar wees), after (ná) everything that happened?
Maybe (miskien) there is more to the story.
Yes, I was in Venice (Venisië), where the main canal (hoofkanaal)
winds (kronkel) through (deur) the city (stad) like a giant snake
(reuseslang), and yes, someone did take me out of (gehaal) the
dark (donker) water. But there were other (ander) people with
me. There was 5 (vyf) of us.
One of them is dead.
This is our story.
Our house in Sandhurst has become a dusky (skemeragtige)
place, mostly (meestal) without (sonder) sound (klank), except for
(behalwe) a ringing (luiende) cellphone, a car in the street, a chef
(sjef) cooking in the kitchen {meaning after “losing” everything,
they are still very wealthy and live a comfortable life, as they did
when his father was not in jail} or when I deliberately (doelbewus)
turn up the music to chase the silence (stilte) away (te verdryf).
When you enter the house, a heavy (swaar) feeling (gevoel) takes
hold of you (binne jou lê), like a curled-up (opgekrulde) snake
(slang). This feeling started the evening we arrived home in the
middle of my matric year when I left (verlaat) Lawson College,
almost a year and a half ago (gelede). Time has gotten a
different (ander) meaning (betekenis), especially when coming
home after a day in court (in die hof), wondering how you made it
through.
PROPERTY OF M SOUNES NO COPYING, SHARING OR DISTRIBUTION OF ANY KIND ALLOWED 4
School edition
Reboot
This is a flashback (terugflits) to Onderwêreld where Eckhardt
Wilkens’s father, the judge (regter) was taken away (weggeneem)
and killed (doodgemaak) when Eckhardt was 11 (elf) years old. It
is now revealed (aan die leser bekendgemaak) that Eckhardt’s
real name (regte naam) is actually (eintlik) Xander Gericke.
It states (stel) that it has been six (ses) months since Xander first
saw (gesien) his dad slumped over (sy lyf gebuig) his desk
(lessenaar), holding a 9mm pistol and looking at (kyk na) a yellow
(geel) envelope (koevert). Xander has since (sedertdien) turned
(geword) 12 (twaalf).
Xander enters (gaan in) his father’s study (studeerkamer) again: it
still (nog steeds) smells (ruik) like polish (politoer), just (net) like
(soos) the previous (vorige) time (keer).
PROPERTY OF M SOUNES NO COPYING, SHARING OR DISTRIBUTION OF ANY KIND ALLOWED 1
,His father asks if everything is alright where he is sitting in front of
(voor) the fireplace (kaggel). There is a Montblanc-pen in his hand
and a book on his lap (skoot): Xander immediately sees the place
where his dad took the book from.
Xander tells his father that there are two men at the door, asking
for his dad. The boy thinks about the men’s appearance
(voorkoms): they were dressed (aangetrek) differently (anders) to
the men who usually (gewoonlik) frequent (besoek) Xander’s
home (huis), since these men were wearing (dra) jeans and black
T-shirts, which showed off their muscular arms (om hulle boarms
span). The men who normally visit Xander’s father, wear (dra) suits
(pakke klere) with crisp white shirts (kraakwit hemde) and ties
(dasse).
His father frowns (frons) as he puts the pen down, saying he is not
expecting (verwag) anyone and that he is rather (nogal) busy,
asking if the men gave their names. Xander replies (antwoord)
that the one said “Tok” sent them. Regter (Judge) Gericke asks if it
was not maybe “Dok” and Xander confirms (bevestig) this.
His dad gets up quickly (vinnig), as though (asof) he now only
(eers) realizes (besef) what is happening (aangaan). His hand is
shaking (bewe) when he touches (raak) his son and tells Xander to
find (soek) a place where he can hide (wegkruip). Xander is not
allowed (mag nie) to come out until his father calls for him.
A woman screams (gil) somewhere in the house. This knocks
(stamp) the breath (asem) from Xander’s chest (bors) when he
asks if that was his mother. Regter Gericke grabs (gryp) Xander by
the shoulders (skouers), telling him he loves him and that Xander
should always remember (onthou) that, no matter (maak nie saak
nie) what happens. His father then kisses (soen) Xander on his
forehead (voorkop) as he tells the boy to always think smart (dink
PROPERTY OF M SOUNES NO COPYING, SHARING OR DISTRIBUTION OF ANY KIND ALLOWED 2
,slim) and to immediately (dadelik) go hide (kruip weg).
Xander feels as though the darkness’s (die donker se) cloak
(kleed) pulls (trek) tighter and tighter (stywer) around him and the
more he tries to work out what is going on, the tighter (stywer) this
grip (die houvas) becomes.
Dok. It has something to do with that.
Xander hears the visitor (besoeker) mention (noem) his dad’s
name and he looks back (terug) over (oor) his shoulder (skouer) as
he is running down the passage (gang). He can see the men’s
shadows (skaduwees) moving (skuif) over the wall (muur) in the
foyer (portaal) and they look like monsters.
Fear (angs) pulses (pols) through his brain, his mouth is dry (droog).
Xander hears his dad asking if there is something he can help the
men with before he hears the sound of a fist (vuishou) and sees his
dad fall down (inmekaarsak) from the shadows (skaduwees) on
the wall.
This is what fear (vrees) feels like (soos). Fire (vuur) shoots (blits)
through your body (lyf), every nerve (senuwee) awakened (ruk
wakker), adrenaline throws (gooi) your thoughts (gedagtes) into
speed gear (snelrat), your eyes open wide (sper oop), your
breathing (asemhaling) stops (hou op) and your chest (borsholte)
tightens (pers saam). And you hear it – your own (eie) heart.
Beating (klop), beating (klop), beating (klop).
Recovery Drive
<h1>Scream (Skree)</h1>
Greg Owen is dead (oorlede). A team (span) of divers (duikers)
PROPERTY OF M SOUNES NO COPYING, SHARING OR DISTRIBUTION OF ANY KIND ALLOWED 3
, took (gehaal) his body (liggaam) from the Canále Grande in
Venice (Venisië) yesterday (gister).
That’s what the newspapers (koerante) in the Turret Media-group
is reporting (berig) about (oor) me.
Can it be true (waar wees), after (ná) everything that happened?
Maybe (miskien) there is more to the story.
Yes, I was in Venice (Venisië), where the main canal (hoofkanaal)
winds (kronkel) through (deur) the city (stad) like a giant snake
(reuseslang), and yes, someone did take me out of (gehaal) the
dark (donker) water. But there were other (ander) people with
me. There was 5 (vyf) of us.
One of them is dead.
This is our story.
Our house in Sandhurst has become a dusky (skemeragtige)
place, mostly (meestal) without (sonder) sound (klank), except for
(behalwe) a ringing (luiende) cellphone, a car in the street, a chef
(sjef) cooking in the kitchen {meaning after “losing” everything,
they are still very wealthy and live a comfortable life, as they did
when his father was not in jail} or when I deliberately (doelbewus)
turn up the music to chase the silence (stilte) away (te verdryf).
When you enter the house, a heavy (swaar) feeling (gevoel) takes
hold of you (binne jou lê), like a curled-up (opgekrulde) snake
(slang). This feeling started the evening we arrived home in the
middle of my matric year when I left (verlaat) Lawson College,
almost a year and a half ago (gelede). Time has gotten a
different (ander) meaning (betekenis), especially when coming
home after a day in court (in die hof), wondering how you made it
through.
PROPERTY OF M SOUNES NO COPYING, SHARING OR DISTRIBUTION OF ANY KIND ALLOWED 4
