Leonard

By Nico Verwey

Leonard a little boy was born in so much hate and pain. His father was the rapist of his mother and his mother the abuser of this little boy. He grow-up in a house where his Grandma was his only guiding light and Jillian, his adopted mother, loved him with all their hart. Leonard battled the darkness in his life and worked hard to change his life to overcome the curse and legacy of his father. Leonard became the change he wanted to see in the world with his destiny becoming twisted and intertwined with deceit and death. Would he be able to change the circle of abuse and death or would everything be in vain. This story is written to give hope and show people that by becoming the change you want to see in the world that your legacy my just save that one person that will change the world.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Nico Verwey
• Release date: Jun 1, 2012
• ISBN: 9780620530910

Nico Verwey

I am a partime writer drawing my insperation from God and life. My stories have a real elemant and comes out of my own personal life and some out of the news. i pray that my books will touch the reader and show them the grace of God!

Book preview

Leonard

Leonard a little boy was born in so much hate and pain that he could have been seen as a cast out and loser. He grow-up in a house where his Grandma was his only guiding light and Jillian was his adopted mother whom loved him with all her might. Leonard battled the darkness in his life and worked hard to change his life. Leonard became the change he wanted to see in the world. His life is a shinning example of how darkness was defeated and how the light changed peoples lives.

This story is written to give people hope and show how we can defeat the darkness in our lives.

I need to give God the honour and gratitude for giving me the story of Leonard to share with this world. To my wife, son and family thank you for the support in this time. Corné my wife, thank you for your love and understanding for all the hours spend alone while I was writing this story. Love you much babeface.

Nico J Verwey

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Leonard

Nico J Verwey

Published by Nico J Verwey at Smashwords

Copyright 2012 Nico J Verwey

This book is also available in print at Nico J Verwey

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Website:

www.nicojverwey.webs.com.

Leonard

First Edition 2012

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Editors:

Corné Verwey, Hester Smith and

Yolandi van Deventer

First print 2012 By:

Mat516 Productions (PTY) Ltd. 2012/041940/07

http://mat516publishers.yolasite.com

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Table Of Contents

Chapter 1 - The Beginning

Chapter 2 - Oh! What Horror!

Chapter 3 - Beginning of the Curse

Chapter 4 - Little Demon, Little Angel

Chapter 5 - Schooling of the...

Chapter 6 - Almost Human

Chapter 7 - Hormone Valley

Chapter 8 - Being an Adult in Hell

Chapter 9 - Treachery and Forgiveness

Chapter 10 - The Final Battle

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Chapter 1 - The Beginning

I still remember the young man I knew a long time ago. His name was Leonard, meaning Strong as a Lion. If he only knew how true this meaning would be in his life. He was followed by so much anger, hatred, grief, pain and violence that one could have mistaken him for Lucifer’s son.

Looking at his history and measuring it to the standards of man, he could have easily been labelled as a loser, criminal and wash out. The circumstance in which he was conceived in was that of a demon moulded by evil itself. You would not wish his life on your worst enemy and if it was anybody else that had to live through this, they would have most probably jumped off the highest building just to stop all this madness. His existence was defined by his pain and trying to solve the problems of the world, because of who he was and how he was brought into this world.

Leonard was a fighter and he was always trying to correct everything that was wrong in the past, present and future. He did not always get it perfectly right but he tried to correct that which had gone so wrong in his life. In most cases his effort was met with disgust and rejection but he still pressed on. I can say without a doubt that he became a great example of what man would say is from the dark pit of hell, to what God in his infinite wisdom would say was in his planning and was perfect in His sight. He became a success in the eyes of God that outshone the beauty of many diamonds, of a sunset in the Karoo with all its splendour and a creation that God would be proud of.

Thinking back at his life he had no chance to make it. The way he was conceived could be labelled as violent, with pain, in hatred and death. It all started in 1969, the end of the hippie era, as mankind moved from free love, drugs and demonstrations to the disco era, where fun, designer drugs and night clubs were the measure of the times. Who could forget John Travolta and Saturday Night Fever in the seventies? A very fun background setting to a very sad story.

In Kimberley, a small town in the Northern Cape, lived a young and beautiful girl. Her name was Annette, meaning Grace or Favour. This name described who she was in body, mind and soul.

Annette, at the tender age of sixteen, was a beautiful vibrant girl who had it all. Her long brown hair with its very slight natural curl was like chocolate and velvet all mixed together. Her face was white as snow and reminded one of porcelain. Her eyes were bright green and sparkled like emeralds in the sun. Her nose was fine with a slight turned up profile and perfect proportions. Her lips were plump and had a natural red tint that looked like bright red cherries with a slight pink blush in her rosy cheeks. Her neck was long and slim ruling a tiny body sculpted by the Creator himself.

From an early age she won every beauty contest in town and even went on to model for the local designers. Her voice sounded like water flowing in a little stream, ringing like fairy bells, capturing your attention and captivating your soul for the few moments she spoke to you. Her soul was white as snow and she loved God with all her might, power and emotion. God saw his creation and was pleased.

Her father and mother decided to let her take singing lessons at an early age. How can I forget how the teacher, Miss Grimmel said This little one, she will go far with the grace of God! Miss Grimmel, a music teacher of over 30 years, saw something in Annette that some people thought would disappear as she got older, but Annette’s voice only grew better and better. Miss Grimmel decided to ask her father and mother if they could let her take part in a music contest held annually in Johannesburg. This annual contest was held in search of fresh talent and only the invited elite could partake. The winner would be given a seven single contract and if the seven single was successful, a full contract would be negotiated. Miss Grimmel, a patron of the contest, knew that Annette would be a great success and that she had to share her gift with all.

You know, said Miss Grimmel to Annette’s parents, your daughter has a gift from God, YA. I would like to take her to the music competition in Johannesburg, YA. I feel we cannot hide this beautiful young girl from our country, NEIN, the whole world! I believe she could even win! Annette’s father and mother were sceptical, but after a lot of discussion and planning, decided that they would let Annette go, on the condition that her dad goes along. So it happened that they left for Johannesburg on 18 January 1969 to go and compete in this competition. They arrived late Sunday afternoon in Johannesburg and booked into the hotel. Annette looked at this big city with big eyes and became very afraid of this Sodom and Gomorra city, as their pastor in Kimberley described it. John, Annette’s father, looked at his daughter and smiled, Don’t worry my child, I will protect you and you know that our God will look after us in this city. Miss Grimmel called Annette after they booked into the hotel, Mine libje, you must rest tonight we have a long day tomorrow.

Monday morning Annette was awakened by the sound of honking cars and screaming people in the streets of the big city. After breakfast they travelled to the auditorium for the competition auditions. Miss Grimmel, on arrival, went to greet her old friends and left Annette to warm up her voice. John helped, Okay Annette from the top.... Annette started singing, do, ray, me, fa, so, la, tee, do.....do, tee, la, so, fa, me, ray, do. Okay Annette next octave.... Miss Grimmel arrived and told them that Annette would be next. The song that Annette would be singing was Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound. This song not only said it all about who Annette was, but also showed of her voice that was taken from an angel and given to her. Dad, Annette said, Yes my angel? John answered, Do you think I can do this? John looked at Annette with so much love in his eyes that it easily could have smothered her and said; What do you think? This gave Annette some comfort that no matter the outcome dad would be there to catch her.

Annette, it’s time! said Miss Grimmel. My libje just sing to the ears of God and man will listen. Annette walked to the centre of the stage and stood to attention on a big white cross and waited for the music to start. As the piano started playing, Annette imagined that God was standing in front of her as she opened her mouth to sing with all the love in her for this great God who had so much grace for her. This emotion erupted in her voice and filled the auditorium. The beauty of this song captivated the audience and they stopped breathing for a second or two in awe of this beautiful little girl. The sound of it brought the auditorium to tears and made many a strong man search for breath. It reminded the audience of the wind moving through a leafy tree and the sound of water running down a little stream. Her song let people experience this grace that God has for us as humans and let them see His love for each person in the auditorium and the world. As she finished they all stood up and gave her a standing ovation.

After a long afternoon of auditions it was time for the judges to tell her and her fellow competitors if they would go on in the competition. The judges looked at one another and said, Annette, we believe that it would be unfair to let you compete in this competition. Annette started crying, But the judges said, We believe that you are far above the standard of our competitors and that you should meet our music company, Gallo, and start you future immediately! Annette stood there in absolute awe and said, Thank you judges and thank you Lord. As she walked of the stage she was greeted by a very proud father and Miss Grimmel.

The meetings with Gallo were finished quickly that evening and a date was set for the recording of her first seven single, ten months later. That night she went to bed with a smile, thankful and dreaming of her new life and God’s grace. After breakfast the next morning, they packed up and got in their car and left for home. With joy in their hearts and praise on their tongues, they were totally unprepared for what would happen with this small beautiful little angel.

On the other side of town lived Leonard’s father. He was the dark side in Leonard’s life and could have easily been Lucifer himself, embodied in this young man. Leonard’s dad was the opposite of Annette. He had carrot red hair with streaks of dark brown and blond. His face was full of freckles with a nose as big as a pig’s. He was teased about his face a lot and yes, Squeal was his nickname. He was born with a slight hump on his back and due to the curvature in his spine; he walked with a slight limp. He was called the Tokkelosh of Kimberley and parents would tell their children that if they did not behave that they would call him to take them to hell.

This gave Squeal a sense of power, although he was shunned by most people. The day he was born his mother gave him a name that to this day still is seen as derogatory. His name was Kaffer, meaning faithless or Godforsaken one. When she was asked why she gave him this name, she said, Somebody born this ugly, this deformed and with so much pain cannot be from God. His mother saw Leonard’s dad as a curse from God because she had an affair with a married man that brought forth this demon from hell.

Leonard’s father never knew money, good family or loving parents. He never loved by people, let alone his mother. He was convinced that God had forsaken him and that he was alone as his name was given. The darkness in his soul increased and the hate for all that was good and beautiful consumed his being. One night as he walked past the graveyard, he met an old man that sat next to a fire. The old man looked like a vagabond and was eating from a spit; the meat could easily have been a stray cat or dog. This old man introduced him to something that accepted him and took him in as he was. He did not know at the time that this acceptance would come at a terrible price. The vagabond told him about the angel that looked after people like him, those ones that God did not want. Squeal was impressed and decided right there and then that he and this angel should meet. He, right there and then, prayed to the angel, Dear angel of the lost and lonely, I am Squeal and I want to meet you. I don’t want to be alone anymore and I am so tired of people giving me the backside of their hands. Please, please accept me as your servant and please help me. I beg this of you! Amen. He looked at the vagabond and said I don’t feel anything and nothing happened? The vagabond looked at him and replied, You will see the dark angel not long from now, you will see!

Squeal left the vagabond and walked further down the road on his way to his room in the back of his mother’s house when he was approached by a group of silly boys. With their testosterone levels higher than their IQ and the one’s mouth bigger than the other, they were cheering and challenging one another as to who would hit Squeal first. They made a circle around him and had no idea of what they were about to unleash on Kimberley. What happened that evening can only be described with these words; HORRENDOUS!

Sam, one of the gang, started punching him around, screaming: Come on Squeal, come on Kaffer, we heard you praying to the angel for the lost and lonely. Let us see what he can do!!!! They started beating him with sticks and stones, kicking him until he blacked out. It was in this stupor that it became dark and cold with a voice calling him, Kaffer..., Kaffer..., Squeal... Suddenly he was standing in a room with the smell of rotting corpses and eggs, where this being came to him and said:Kaffer you wanted to meet me? Here I am! What can I do for you? Kaffer looked at him and said:All I want is to belong! My mother hates me, the people hate me and God does not want me, because if he did I would not be here! The angel looked at him with a gleam in his eye, grinned and said, From this day on you are mine! I will call you Lucif derived from my name Lucifer. You’re my son now and your son will also belong to me by our blood bond, and his son’s sons, and I will be your god. You see, this angel knew that this young man would become the instrument of destruction in his hands, that would destroy anything that was of worth and beauty.

Leonard’s dad woke up in hospital alone with a broken body, but with the glow of darkness in his soul that brought him the feeling of belonging. Squeal was transferred from the school in Warrenton, where he was in a boarding school. This was done due to him being beaten so much that he spent more time in the hostel medical rooms than at school. He was transferred to Diamantveld High School in Kimberley where he met miss perfect, Annette.

His problem of being shunned by the people around him was still very real, but he met this beautiful girl Annette who saw in him what God created him to be, not the Godforsaken one, but the boy that had so much potential. To him this was different and in him the darkness started stirring and the hate started growing. In a dream one night the angel came to him and said; You must not listen to this girl Lucifer hissed, Because she is just like the rest. You are a nothing, an ugly boy with no worth to her. Squeal woke up with tears in his eyes and from that day on, Annette became his obsession. He wanted to prove to the angel that this was not true.

Annette worked hard at befriending Squeal and brought him some bread to school. She did not know that the darkness was busy working in him and that he would be the one that would snuff out the light she had in her.

Squeal, why are you always so angry? Annette asked her new found friend. Squeal looked at her with anger in his eyes, You really want to know, Annette? Annette looked at him with a smile and so much tenderness Squeal almost melted, Yes, I would not ask if I did not care about you Squeal, silly! Squeal looked at her, Well if people did not talk to you, beat you up and laughed at you just because you looked like you did and talked like you did, how would you feel? Annette looked at him, You know Squeal, God loves you just the way you are and ... Suddenly Squeal jumped up and screamed, STOP, STOP if God loved me or even cared then why is my name Kaffer? The faithless one or godforsaken one! Why would people hit me and laugh at me? You are just like the rest! as he stormed off, he looked back to her and thought to himself, Lucifer was correct; she is just like the rest!

As Squeal walked away, Annette jumped up and made the mistake of a lifetime and grabbed Squeal and gave him the biggest hug she could master. Squeal resisted at first ,but feeling the tenderness and seeing the tears in Annette’s eyes, he lost it and just held on to this soft, cuddly person that gave him something that he never ever thought was possible… love. Squeal, for the first time in his life saw and felt love and he wanted more. He could not let this feeling go. He lay in his bed at night dreaming about Annette holding him in her arms and ran the image around in his mind over and over again and for that few brief moments he felt like a king.

Poor Squeal did not understand love between friends, nor did he understand the love between boyfriend and girlfriend. He confused a moment of compassion with that of love. He fell head over heels for Annette and could not always understand that she did not want to be with him. Then one day Marius came into the picture. He was the captain of the first rugby team and rich, or rather, his dad had some money. Annette started spending more and more time with Marius and Squeal drew back further and further into the darkness.

As the autumn dance was only a week away, Squeal decided to ask Annette to the dance as a last effort to get back what he so longed for; that moment of love he had a glimpse of a few weeks ago. He walked up to Annette, A...A.....Annette, I would like to know if y...y....you w...w....would go to the dance with me? Annette looked at Squeal and thought of the weekend when Marius came to visit her and how he asked her to become his girlfriend, o how dreamy it was. They went to the bioscope and after that they went to the roadhouse where she had a cream soda float and Marius drank some herb beer float. How could she say to Squeal that Marius already asked her for the dance and that she could not go with him? She looked at Squeal, Yes, I will, but I will meet you there, okay? Squeal’s heart jumped and his skew body followed into the air. He laughed like a little boy. You see, Annette did not understand yet that when you lie it becomes a web that entangles you to the point that all becomes lost and your house of cards come tumbling down.

Annette told Marius about how she felt sorry for the poor sob and she said she would meet Squeal there. Marius was furious and could not understand why Annette said yes. Annette then made a mortal mistake and told Marius about Squeal’s past. Marius listened and laughed, You mean this guy is a loser and deserves every name and beating he got? No wonder you try and help out this pathetic excuse of a human! Annette felt bad, but she was relieved that Marius understood and agreed to one dance with Squeal. Marius told everybody at school, Ha, ha, ha the loser! I am going to teach him a lesson he will never forget!

Squeal did not see the other kids laughing at him, nor did he hear their comments. He was on cloud nine and all he could think of was Annette. Marius was one of those vindictive people and he had plans for Squeal. How dare he ask Annette to the dance? I will show him how it’s done and when I am done with Squeal, he will run squealing back to his mommy! Marius thought to himself.

The night before the dance Squeal climbed into bed and smiled and thought, Tomorrow it is my time! I will be the prince of the ball and Annette my princess! With that he closed his eyes and drifted into the dark oblivion in his mind where the angel wandered. He looked for the angel in his dreams and eventually found him in the darkest reaches of his mind. My god my saviour I was looking for you! I wanted to thank you for taking me in and giving me Annette! The angel looked at him in disgust and said: I gave you nothing! That girl is playing with you and you will see that tomorrow, don’t you worry! But if you really want her you can just call on me and I will be there and then, my dear Lucif, I will show you what it means when I give you something! Squeal looked at him, I am sure you must be wrong my god! S...s...she is not like that! The angel growled at him, Surely before nine ‘o clock you will know the truth and then you will not only believe in me but will trust me forever!

I will never forget that night and as old as I get it will forever be burned into my mind. Annette came from her room and Marius met her in the living room. Annette’s father and mother were so proud of their beautiful daughter. Annette’s dad gave his usual speech and let Marius know that if his daughter was not looked after the shotgun would talk. With a laugh and a kiss Annette and Marius left for the autumn dance. Marius looked at Annette, My princess I have a surprise for you tonight and after tonight Squeal will never ever bother you again! Annette smiled