Rainy Days, Childhood Games & A Little Nostalgia

Dear KuierKos friend,

With the weather playing all sorts of games lately — sunshine one moment, rain the next — I found myself thinking about how our parents used to keep us busy long before mobile phones, iPads, and endless TV.

Back then, we simply played.

On rainy days, we gathered around the table for card games like Vang ’n Vis, Rummi, or Dammetjie. Sometimes the staircase became part of the fun with klippie skool — hiding a stone in one hand and guessing which one it was. If you were right, you moved up a step.

And when there was no one around, there was always a yo-yo.

I had a red Coca-Cola yo-yo that I absolutely loved. I earned it by collecting those little plastic seals from inside Coca-Cola bottle caps — a serious effort for a child, especially since we only had Coke on weekends. But if you grew up in South Africa, you’ll know that Brannas & Coke was every party’s favourite, which helped me collect those seals a lot faster.

My yo-yo was perfectly balanced. In my mind, I was quite the professional: The Sleeper, Walk the Dog, and Around the World — I could do them all. I still keep my yo-yo in my memory box, proof that once upon a time I had skills.

…And when the sun came out, we went straight outside. Drawing hopscotch in the sand, aiming the stone just right, hopping through without falling. Or playing hide-and-seek for what felt like an entire afternoon.

One game I’ll never forget was with my oldest brother, HP. I took so long to find him that we thought he had disappeared. My mom started to worry, and soon everyone on the farm was searching. Hours later, we found him fast asleep in the sandpit, completely unaware of the chaos he had caused.

All that playing always made us hungry. My mom made sure there was something ready: koekies with Oros, or on rainy days, the best treat of all — warm pannekoek with cinnamon and sugar.

Living in the Netherlands now, with all the rain, that would probably mean pannekoek every day.

So while the weather keeps changing, maybe it’s a good excuse to slow down a bit. Play a game. Share some delicious KuierKos goodies. Enjoy the moment.

Warm regards,
Marnella & Andreas
KuierKos