1
Main events in Hoopvol in chronological order
Nathalie de Koker's parents, who ran the plumbing business in Hoopvol, die in a car crash
on the Oudtshoorn road when she is 13 years old.
Pastor Chalmers and his awful wife have since been Nathalie’s foster parents (for 5 years –
she is currently 18). They live in the house in Olive Schreiner Street which she will inherit at
21 years of age. She must perform various household chores, like doing the laundry and is
regularly reminded by Mrs. Chalmers how grateful she should be to them.
Nathalie's matric class held their matric farewell's afterparty on the van Eeden’s farm,
Soetwater.
In January she goes with a group of school friends to say goodbye to Jorrie at the Total
garage in Hoopvol. He was heading to the University of Stellenbosch to study through a
scholarship.
Since this farewell, Nathalie is panicking about the idea that she is going to grow old here
and never leave. She would like to go somewhere else.
The young people who are left behind in Hoopvol drink almost every night or drive to
Beaufort West or have sex among themselves to fend off their boring lives - job
opportunities and recreational facilities are non-existent.
Nathalie has been working as a receptionist since the end of her matric year at the Rose
and Crown Hotel. Nathalie must also make sure that the rooms are ready for the guests
who come to stay. Aunt Lettie appointed Nathalie and Liefie with the idea of showing them
the ropes so that they can take over the management of the hotel one day.
One day Nathalie had to work until after six o'clock in the evening, and only after she got
another drink for Tannie Lettie and Laetitia September, and had to be lectured on how
tannie Lettie did not consider her to be a nine-to-five worker, could she go home.
Gielie, a boy who matriculated with her, meets her on her way home and asks her to join
him and the other youngsters at the Rose and Crown later that night to play pool, but she
does not want to go. Gielie has long been fond of Nathalie.
Nathalie gets home and after she has warmed up her food in the microwave and eaten, she
does the laundry.
One day, Nathalie struggles with a rep who offers to take her to Cape Town for a few days,
and who clearly wants to seduce her. Tannie Lettie has little sympathy for Nathalie and
says that she should not allow strange men to upset her because she should rather focus
on the bigger picture of her future.
During her coffee break, Nathalie first witnesses an argument between Liefie and Mietie,
the cook, about how much salt is in the food, after which she and Liefie sit on the back
stairs and talk about their lives in Hoopvol. Liefie seems to be more negative about their
lives here in Hoopvol than Nathalie.
Copyright © 2018 by Martin Huysamer. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form
or by any means without prior written permission from the author huysamer@sjc.co.za
, 2
One day, Tannie Lettie announces that Nathalie and Liefie must work in a temporary
capacity for Laetitia September. The mayor’s PA, Sherelene, must go to Port Elizabeth
because of a death in her family.
On the same day, Sakkie Strydom (007/Constable Pickup) comes to eat lunch at the hotel -
he has been fond of Nathalie for a very long time, but he only irritates her with his courtesy
because she is not at all interested in him. His main responsibilities are to chase stock
thieves and sometimes to catch drunk people in the police pickup van.
Nathalie turns down Sakkie's invitation to go to Beaufort West with him, but when Nathalie
and Liefie eat their lunch, Liefie tells Olivia and Nathalie that she agreed that all of them
would meet Sakkie at seven o'clock that night to enjoy a drink in the hotel's pub. Nathalie
knows that Olivia's parents would never allow her to go, and she is not very excited about
this evening.
After Nathalie washes the dishes at home that night, she decides that she would go to the
hotel's pub after all. Liefie drinks far too much, and Sakkie offers to take both of them home
in his police van. Liefie insists on sitting in the back, and Nathalie sits next to Sakkie.
Sakkie first drops Liefie at her house, and while driving to Nathalie's house he offers to give
her driving lessons in his Renault, but Nathalie does not accept his offer. She is very rude
to Sakkie and feels guilty after he drops her at her house.
Nathalie goes to the ugly municipal building to fill in for Sherelene. Fiona works behind the
inquiry desk and points out where Nathalie's desk is in the foyer in front of the mayor's
office.
Nathalie first looks at Laetitia September's office and sees that the ugly carpet is exactly the
same as the one in the rectory. The entire office exudes a sad atmosphere.
She correctly guesses Sherelene's password with Fiona's assistance. Shortly thereafter,
Liefie, who is working as the receptionist in the hotel in Nathalie’s absence, calls to say that
the mayor has enjoyed her breakfast and is heading to her office.
Nathalie hears how Miss September cries behind her closed office door, and after asking
Fiona what to do she takes a cup of coffee to the mayor. They both sit on the couch in the
mayor’s office and Miss September indirectly tells Nathalie that a man she is clearly still in
love with, broke her heart somewhere in the past.
Nathalie spends all week as Miss September's personal assistant, and Nathalie realizes
that she enjoys the job and the strange mayor, while Liefie is also enjoying her new job as a
receptionist at the hotel.
Miss September unexpectedly changes her afternoon routine: instead of going to the Rose
and Crown after working hours for a sundowner, she asks Nathalie to buy a bottle of wine
and to drink a glass or two with her in her office. Nathalie realizes that the mayor likes her
and appreciates her company - or at least her presence – more than Tannie Lettie's.
Nathalie also enjoys the office work, especially because she can perform Sherelene's
responsibilities much better than Sherelene can.
Copyright © 2018 by Martin Huysamer. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form
or by any means without prior written permission from the author huysamer@sjc.co.za
