1953

 I returned to school the following year as it was deemed necessary that I should at least have a JC certificate. My failure did not come as a surprise to my family or anyone else. Least of all, for me, I was especially unconcerned.

About six weeks into the new year, I was summoned to the headmaster's office. I anticipated the customary rebuke as I stood submissively at his desk. Instead, he declared that he was satisfied to promote me, provided that I understand that if I did not pass the final examination in two years, I would have neither a JC nor a Matriculation Exemption.

I accepted his proposal and set about making a move. I don't recall discussing the offer with anyone. No comments were forthcoming, and life carried on, bearing in mind that I was now weeks behind. I faced a new extended syllabus. The change did not unduly faze me; it did introduce a greater volume of work that necessitated an intensified commitment to study. That alone motivated me and stirred my inquisitive mind beyond the mundane and customary facts.

Toward the end of the second year, just before writing the final examinations, there was much activity. Classmates were frequently involved in private interviews with teachers, presumably to discuss their future. I was never invited nor sought an interview.

The long-awaited day dawned, seated formally within the school hall, we began the disclosure of our knowledge.  I know it seems odd to those who read this, but I was not unduly disturbed by the gravity of the occasion.

I had recently acquired a drivers licence, so it was thought to be a good idea after the exams if I drove my mother to a Drakensberg resort for a week. While there, enjoying the pleasures of life, I received a telegram - I had passed.