(*1960)
From what I know, I was born in the Matopos area. I know very little about my father. My mother was a Ndebele woman. My father died and we were taken to Sacred Heart, a boarding school run by German nuns. A lot of the children there were from Blacks and Whites. Maybe the nuns felt responsible, I don’t know. They took most of these kids because at the time, Whites weren’t allowed to mix with Blacks, and their offspring were kind of frowned upon.
Growing up was difficult as I had no clue who I was and where I came from. The connection between myself and society, where do I fit in, was quite difficult. We did bond at Sacred Heart, but each kid was trying to find their own space. We didn’t have an outlet, we bottled it. A lot of guys turned to drugs and alcohol. When the government changed hands, welfare was disbanded. We were given the choice to find our own sponsors or leave school. I was stunned and didn’t expect that. I wanted to study further and proceed to university, but thought it was the end of the road. I tried to find work, but the employment agencies closed. There was panic because Whites were leaving, and companies were closing…we got caught in the middle of all this. I did try, but I couldn’t find a direction. Colour shouldn’t take away someone’s dream, it’s not fair.
Photo (L): Patrick standing, in yellow, with childhood friends.
I think there was something missing, in not having my own family. It is character building, it does something to a person, but if you don’t come out of it eventually it makes you quite withdrawn from society, from people.
The world is demanding and cruel. You have to overcome the barriers of your past so that at the end of the day you can be part of something.
In many ways I’m still a child as I have so many more things to learn. I have read a lot and done research on how the human mind works, and how we should relate to each other. You have to say – let me try and grow as a person. I've tried to expand my way of thinking. I admire art, and read books that you won’t normally read – it’s the refining process of the human character. I can even listen to opera and enjoy it. There’s something in man that is meant to grow and change.
