Achmat Emeran 1931

Achmat Emeran

I was born on 21 April 1931. 

The third eldest child of Gamiedoen Emeran & Zubeida Joseph.

 Rashad and Sukayna came before me.

We lived in Hudson street then Loader street then Leeuwen street. We had a lot of stuff because we were a lot of children. From there we went to Worcester Road (to the Soekers) in Walmer Estate. We all stayed in one room. We did everything in that room. It was a fairly big room, that time the rooms were big. Saadick was the baby. Rashad and Sukayna stayed with my mother’s family (the Josephs), they stayed in a big house there in Pepperstreet. When we moved from Worcester street  to Sachs street, we didn’t have a car or lorry to take all the stuff,  so we had to take the stuff our self. I carried the headboard from District 6 to BoKaap! We didn’t walk together, everyone was carrying something. We had to go back and forth, even though there was alot of us, 2 or 3 times.

We didn’t have toys – it was bad times, we needed money for food.

I went to school when we lived in Walmer Estate – to Rahmaniyeh . No one else went to school – only me.  I only did primary school. At the end of primary school the principal came.

The school term ended and I was playing cricket in the street.  I saw the principal at our house in Sachs street. The principal’s sister worked at a place called Light master and they wanted a boy to help so they came to ask my father. I knew my father needed money and so I accepted. I had to write letters to send to the shops that owed money. I was an office boy so I didn’t do a trade. My father needed us to work to help him because no one was working that time. I got R29 a month. That was a lot of money. That helped my father pay off debt. It was hard times. I worked there for 5 years.  When I worked at Light master, opposite they sold toys. Those people were very fond of me, I would buy toys and give to Noejfa (eldest child of Rashad).

My parents decided I must go for a trade. I didn’t know what trade, so I tried tailoring. I went to family in District 6, they did tailoring. I had to deliver the completed jobs to Darling street , so I didn’t have a trade.

Minnie had a friend, Elizabeth and her husband gave me a job at Bonwit/Truworths, it wasn’t a trade but it was in the clothing line, I was running the cutting room.

Recently I met one of the workers in Gatesville. He wanted to introduce me to his wife because when he worked even if he was ill he wanted to come work because of me. I always took it the workers came first, the boss came second.  I was popular at work.

We were affected during the war. The lights had to go off. We had blackouts. There was electricity, but they put it off and men had to walk with torches. When we went to buy food, there was an army lorry and we had to queue for rice, sugar, potatoes.

I was called vissie, actually Rashad was called vissie, but we had the same eyes (Rashad, Fuad and I) because of our eyes, our eyelids are too long. Back then everyone had a nickname, if you had a nickname you were known.

I played cricket and rugby for the  Zawia team.

Everyone called me Goeie  Achmat because everything they asked I would give to them.

I was the 3^rd eldest, but I was doing most of the worrying for the family, I was always involved.

I taught Nabeweya how to drive. I took her up Longmarket street. I don’t know why I did that, but she started to panic!

Minnie jumped out of the car when I took her up there…...

Minnie (Amina , 83)

I met Minnie when I came from the Zawia!

 The rugby team finished playing, we stood on the corner of Jordaan and Pepper streets,  by the shop talking nonsense about the rugby  of course. I was a good rugby player. Minnie was visiting some family of hers and she came passed and I said “salaam alaikum  kan ek nie saam loop nie?”  She didn’t say anything  but smiled and I think she meant “ Ja, kom”. She went to Church street to visit family. I didn’t go into the house because I wasn’t a pretty polly and she was a beautiful girl. I didn’t want to go in, because they might reject me. She stayed there quite a time and I didn’t want to lose her so I waited. From there we went through the (Company) Gardens because she lived across the (Company) Gardens.  I used to come to the house and her mother allowed me to take her out. I had a car you see, if you have a car you can go.  Gem, Avalon, palace, international bioscope is where we would go. One day we went to the Gem. I sat but the guy said he was keeping seats for his friends. They called a guy and when he saw it was me he let me sit. Samson and Delia !! That was the show !! (can’t remember an hour ago, but you can remember Samson and Delila from 100 yrs ago ! said Minnie)

When we got married she was a beautiful bride. We got married in 1957. I brought Niefie Sadan to her and they took over the wedding. They made 2 dresses and headgear.

A guy from Rhodesia lived downstairs (house in Sachs street) because we needed to rent as my father needed money. But we fixed it up so that Minnie and I could live there. I had to do a lot to make it nice for her. She lived in Plein Street and they had horses and carriages used for the opening of Parliament.

So on our wedding day, we had a carriage with 6 horses and everyone came out to see . The horses had feathers in their manes.  We went all the way up to Buitengracht street and then got into cars.

   Her dress was like a mermaid style !!

   I wasn’t a pretty polly!!  

Our wedding was in our house and it was just family and friends. The cake was bought by the confectioners. Our wedding photos were taken in Greenmarket Square. We got  married on mi’raj… so the wedding was short.

We have 6 Kids : Shamieg, Shihaam, Adnaan, Shanaaz, Adiela, Tasneem

We would go on holiday over Easter to Faure, Kramat. The children would get special clothes, mocassins, jerseys, caps, torch. We would go through on a Friday.

Once, I got the factory van  and we did a surprise trip to Mossel Bay !!

My children weren’t naughty, they all like their father … Goeie Achmat!!

They all work, all help me. When Shamieg and Shihaam  started working they started paying for stuff for the children like their Eid clothes. I would get sample dresses from the factory and give to Shihaam and then it would be passed on to all the other girls.

I took Minnie to a lot of places. I took her to Makkah !! In 1994 we went for Hajj. We went on Umrah with Adnaan, Minnie’s sister, Minnie’s other sister.

 There’s money now, no more stress. You struggle but  then it changes.