Nelson Mandela's Warders (page 19)

But usually we were out without anyone knowing. We drove around everywhere: across the Boland, up the west coast, around False Bay, even to Hermanus. Nelson also wanted to see Hout Bay so we went there and ate crayfish which he bought for us from his own pocket. Once when we were driving to Saldanha we past a field with a lot of melons on the veld. He asked me, ‘What are those? I said it was kaffirwaatlemoen. He said, ‘What!’ He didn’t like the word. He made this snorting sound when he was upset. He did this snort and then he kept quiet for a while. So I asked Gregory, ‘Hey, tell me, what is kaffirwaatlemoen in English, a nice name, because the man is upset now!’ He said to me, ‘No, it stays kaffirwaatlemoen. It's just like that.’ But Mandela wasn’t cross for long and was soon asking us questions again.’ It was not long into the Victor Verster months when Gregory’s son Brent died in a motor car accident. Brent Gregory had also joined the prison services and had been seconded to Victor Verster to handle Mandela’s administrative matters. In response to this tragedy Mandela wrote a note quoted in Gregory’s book: I was deeply shocked to hear of the tragic death of your beloved son, Brent, and on behalf of myself and family I send you our sincerest sympathy. Few things are as painful as an invisible wound. But I hope you and your family will be comforted by the knowledge that Brent was loved and respected by almost all those who came into contact with him. Once again, our deepest condolences. (p328) Six days after the funeral Gregory returned to work and in his book described an intimate moment with Mandela as they walked in the garden. [...] he began speaking to me. ‘It has happened. It is a terrible thing. I am feeling for you ... (p329) Then Mandela referred to the time his own son Thembi had died in a car accident in July 1969 and to the words Gregory had said to him, adding, ‘Many people are saying the same things to you now. They care now