The Evidence of Providence

By Samuel

---

At the centre of the human psyche is a belief structure that defines who we are in terms of our existence. This belief structure reveals itself as a realisation/acceptance of God’s pre and self-existence as Creator and sustainer of all creation, visible and invisible. The story I am about to relate is a remarkable one, showing the Evidence of Providence. It is just one of the many that I have lived a wonderful life, that I truly didn’t deserve, yet one that I was given.

This story began at the end of my school years. Within that final school year, Matric as it was known, we had a weekly study period called Career Guidance. Being an individual from the then “Coloured Race Group,” I found the broad field of industry very limited to us. Job reservation for highly skilled workers and the majority of professions was reserved for the “superior” ruling class, white/European individuals. A chosen few Non-White individuals whose parents could afford it sent them to get tertiary education at colleges and/or universities. These “lucky” few mostly became doctors or lawyers. From a coloured perspective, most of our people entered the building industry (carpenters, bricklayers, plumbers) or the newly opened field of mechanical engineering (welders, boilermakers, pipe fitters). Most of the “clever” ones became teachers. One of the teachers came into our classroom and distributed forms to us. It was explained that on this form we need to put our details, name etc. and indicate in the section marked work preferences, what our goals were for going into the industry.

Filling out my form, I wrote two job descriptions: boilermaker and engineer. I had not been exposed to these career choices I made, except the few welders in our district had mentioned Boilermakers were highly regarded tradesmen with high earning power and the little I had read about Engineers being at the forefront of designing and managing the construction of oil refineries and bridges. This intrigued me.

It was January 1970 when I got my Matric results, I had passed. Now to go job hunting. A youth I had befriended, had an older brother who was an Apprentice Boilermaker at an Engineering Company called “JAMES BROWN AND HAMER,” located in the Durban Bay area. He planned to take my friend in. On the following Monday morning for an interview for a position as an apprentice boilermaker. Two things, one, I was not aware that the older brother was an apprentice boilermaker, and two, absolutely no knowledge of where the company was or how to get there. Arrangements were made to meet the brothers at the bus terminus at 6:00 AM on Monday. As long as I live, I’ll remember that fateful day of 12 January 1970.

We arrived at the company and after entry were taken to the Boiler shop Manager’s Office where we were to be interviewed. It was a fairly large office and there were already quite several eager young men waiting to be employed. Most of the men present had been there by prior arrangement, due to their family members being already part of the workforce. I was a stand-alone person, with no prior arrangement except having tagged along with my friend. There were roughly thirty of us who came for the interview. The assistant manager, who conducted the interview, announced the twelve spots available for the apprentice boilermakers had been filled, and there were a couple of spots left for welding apprentices. Holding a copy of my Matric results he offered me one of those spots. He was taken aback when I said I was not interested in welding but came in purely for a Boilermaker apprenticeship. As he handed me my results certificate, he said, “Sorry all those are taken”. At that very moment, the Works Manager had come in and in witnessing this exchange, requested to see my certificate. One look and he asked his assistant to add me to the list as number thirteen. I was both elated and relieved at the decision and thanked them both.

The welding apprentices were taken to the welder’s shop, us boilermaker apprentices were split into two groups, one group to the boiler shop and the second group, which I was a part of to the structural workshop. Here I had a sighting of my first “blueprint”, the drawings of the items that were to be manufactured. My initial reaction was that I would never be able to interpret these drawings. It was a NEW Language to be learnt. Through the encouragement of my journeyman, Bill, I learned and found it an existing experience as I was exposed to and now learned all the “tricks” of the trade. I found this was merely a stepping stone to a far greater “calling”. By the end of the three months, I was transferred to the boiler shop. Here begins my true journey. 

Alfred K., the boiler shop Foreman (superintendent) marched me down the shop to the end to a workstation where I met Paul T., the man who would ultimately play a very important role in my training and beyond, into my life. I did not notice it at first and only afterwards realised the importance of this moment. Paul, a European, giant of a man both in stature and expertise was the number one boilermaker, who had year in and year out refused to train any apprentice, all of them European youngsters. His normal traction I was told was to curse and chase both the Foreman and the young man away from his workstation. The workforce thought it might be an even worse reaction seeing it was a tall thin non-white youngster. To everyone’s surprise, in a soft-spoken voice, he said, “Leave him here, I will teach and train him”. Thus began my true journey with a man I have come to regard as a second father.

Over the next three years, we developed a bond that I believe was God ordained. It was not all sunshine and roses. I will mention a few occasions. He was a tough hard station master, and only later on I realised that this was the only way he thought he could teach me.

It was three of us at his workstation. Paul T., the qualified tradesman, Samuel N. (his faithful assistant of some twenty-plus years) and me Samuel, Son of John. The apprentice. Paul had his lighter fun side but he was mostly a serious focused individual. One day, the two Sam’s were laughing and joking and carrying on for ourselves, when, just in time we both ducked as a four-pound hammer, travelling at the speed of sound came whizzing over our heads. We quickly got back in tune with the program. In another similar case, I decided I had had enough. I went to the foreman and requested to be reassigned elsewhere. Even though it was considered a form of demotion, I accepted to work as a machinist on one of the machines. My transfer was short-lived. The next minute, Paul was standing next to me and in a stern voice said that I was not going to get away so easily. As I said, he was a giant of a man. He picked me up by the overall and carried me straight back to his (our) workstation. Setting me on my feet he gave me a bit of a scolding. Well, that was the last day we had a difference of opinion. I felt a bit humiliated as everyone who had witnessed that walk down the workshop had a good chuckle. I never ever viewed it as a walk of shame but rather as a match made in heaven. That day the bond of our father-son relationship was sealed.

Not to labour the point. I qualified as a top-class Boilermaker, thanks to Paul Turnbull. I qualified with a Master’s Degree in Engineering without attending or even setting foot on a university campus. You might ask, “How is that possible?” Let me explain, you got it by serving and learning from the MASTER, In my case Paul was the MASTER.

During my apprenticeship years, I had met a wonderful, beautiful girl. We got married at the beginning of 1975 and were not only glad but honoured to have Paul and his wife attend our marriage ceremony (church and reception). A couple of years later, we received news at work about Paul having passed away that morning. He had been on annual leave and the very Monday he was to return to work, he passed away at 5:00 AM. When workers saw me break down and cry, they knew it was a son mourning the loss of his father.

At Samuelshares.com you’ll never be blogged down but always uplifted!