Small gave Cape Times his best, and his last

WHEN, on Thursday, we received what turned out to be the last e-mailed letter Adam Small would send us (through his wife and comrade-in-everything Rosalie Small) we knew he was in pain.

He certainly was in a lot of physical pain, preparing for hospitalisation and a vein-bypass operation the following day.

But not that kind of pain. It was much deeper. He wrote:

Dear Aneez

I thought I would forward you this appreciative letter regarding the Van Wyk Louw article (of 17 June), sent to me by Professor Ampie Muller, formerly son-in-law of Louw.

Yours

Adam

Beste Adam,

Ek het iemand gekry wat die koerant en artikel vir ons gehou het. Ons dink dit was een van jou bestes en teken Van Wyk as intelektueel uit die voete uit. Ons sou graag ‘n elektroniese kopie wou ontvang om aan vriende en familie in die res van die land te stuur.

Ek sou dit waardeer indien dit moontlik was.

Groete, Ampie Muller

What Adam was actually referring to, although he was not the type of decent human being to actually say so, was criticism in a letter from reader Sandra Thomas we published on June 20.

That he had sent us Ampie Muller’s letter showed he was clearly stung, and hurt, by Thomas’s letter, which read:

I know that every individual is entitled to an opinion, be it middling, intelligent or just plain trivial, but I am really sick of being exposed to Adam Small’s articles in which he never fails to mention NP Van Wyk Louw and this week you afforded him a whole article on what he calls ‘poetic mastery’.

Please, this is is the same person who refers to winners of the Nobel Prize for Literature as being middling.

Enough already of his insights. You should be using somebody of the calibre of Mr Lionel A Adriaan to write your ‘insight’ articles. He will give your readers food for thought.

I replied to Adam’s letter:
 Thanks Adam, was a bit painful running that letter, with which I vehemently disagree, but ethics demanded it. There was a subsequent letter supporting the first, but I spiked it for it was gratuitous and racist.

We would love to run Ampie’s letter to you. Either you or us could ask him for permission, if you approve.

Hope your health has improved.

Any sign of your ID?

Warmest, Aneez

Adam’s rock Rosalie responded (which should have forewarned us Adam’s health was more precarious than we had thought):

Dear Aneez

Adam says, by all means publish Ampie’s letter if he agrees. We understand the publication of that other letter, of course! That is how commendable journalism works.

Adam has had the dreaded colonoscopy procedure done today – all very well so far, but will attend further tests later. He is rather tired right now, but fine.

Tomorrow is the BIG ONE when he undergoes the vein bypass. Projected discharge on 29 June. We will keep you informed as to his progress. (He is already talking about the next Counterpoint!)

Regards

Rosalie

PS. No sign of ID!!

I replied:

Thanks so much Rosalie. Please pass on our very best to Adam, he is always in our thoughts. All the best to you too.

We’d like to send some flowers, where do we send it to please?

Rosalie: Adam will be at Kingsbury hospital in Claremont. After today’s procedure he will be in High Care ward. I will keep you informed.

With thanks and appreciation.

Imagine the shock then, when Rosalie mailed me:

It is with sadness that I have to inform CT Editorial that Adam passed away early this morning – 25 June at Kingsbury.

At a rare loss for words, I could but say:

So sorry to hear that Rosalie. We extend our deepest sympathies to you, the family, friends and all who learnt so much from Adam.

What a gift he was to humanity. Thank you Rosalie for giving us the last, the best.

Please let us know if there’s anything you need us to do.

Gasant Abarder, two years ago still the Cape Times editor, and I, his deputy, were elated when I suggested to Adam he pen a column for the Cape Times, after he had sent us a letter or three for publication, which had not happened before, and to our surprise, he agreed.

Adam was, in fact, delighted.

He had previously spent some time writing for Die 
Burger, but was long 
disillusioned by the crude race issue and a selfish refusal to embrace a non-racial present and future, even though the blood they had helped apartheid spill still lay thick on their hands.

The Cape Times is deeply grateful we were able to provide Adam with a platform for his many creative talents, suppressed for so long, in what turned out to be the twilight of his life.

We shared his last, his best.

A measure of the true greatness of this poet, playwright, writer, philosopher, Kaaps klong and downright decent human being, is that he had already completed his next Counterpoint column, subject to minor edits which Rosalie will so expertly do.

It will be the Cape Times’s honour and privilege to run it posthumously in his regular fortnightly spot on Friday, July 8.