The Silken Braid

Elisabeth Anne 1 story

Summary

“Damn, damn, double damn!” The twins and I giggled nervously as we listened to the explosion from our normally self controlled father. We were all tired of travelling, even fourteen year old Phillip The story follows ~three/four years seen through the eyes of a shy pre teen girl, Monica Tasker. She and her older brother, Phillip, and her twin siblings, Teresa and Tyrone, have just lost their mother. The whole family transfers from Johannesburg to Port Elizabeth. On the journey to their new home, they meet the Ridgeway family, Patriarch ‘Oubaas Piet’ befriends the children, telling tales of southern Africa – some of which appear totally unbelievable (baboons building a ‘toll road’ barrier for instance). The Taskers settle into Port Elizabeth and at their new school. Meanwhile their father, Richard Tasker, has found a new girlfriend. The children, with the help of Oubaas Piet and a cat, test Miss Alice Towers’ suitability as a potential stepmother. Monica learns how to cope with boarding school, make friends and how to overcome her shyness. Gradually Monica develops self confidence and begins to believe in her ability to survive her mother’s death.