Lost his marbles?
Marko is stunned to learn that Dawid and Emma being in Hillside was just an hallucination.
7de Laan Weekdays SABC2 (*192) 19:00
“Tell me if I’ve gone mad,” Marko (Francois Lensley) pleads with his cousin Diederik (Hennie Jacobs) on Wednesday 7 December, referring to the traumatic events that he “witnessed” on Monday 5 and Tuesday 6 December. Marko was convinced that the love of his life Emma (Bertha le Roux) and her ex Dawid (Stian Bam) wanted to flee Hillside with their son Thinus (Ian Roelfs). But when Marko called the police to come and help a wounded Dawid after their fight in Stasie Ses, they couldn’t find any trace of Dawid. And to make matters even more confusing, they found even less evidence of Emma having been in Hillside. Then came the shocking revelation when attorney Xander (Theo Jantjies) broke the news to his friend: neither Emma nor Dawid have been in The Laan recently! “Marko’s shocked and confused,” says Francois. When Xander tells him on Tuesday 6 December that Emma has been in prison this entire time, where she’s serving time for murdering her ex-husband Rick (Darren Kelfkens) in 2013, Marko at first doesn’t want to believe him. Worried that he’s seeing things that aren’t there, he goes to see doctor Alexa (Carina Nel) on Wednesday 7 December. Later that day, Xander gets confirmation that Dawid has indeed not been in South Africa and Emma is still safely behind bars. Later, Alexa brings the test results along with a medical reason for his hallucinations: Marko has a brain tumour!
Francois says that Marko is dumbstruck by his diagnosis. “For most people, a brain tumour is a death sentence and that has Marko worried.” In this difficult time, Diederik becomes Marko’s pillar of strength and on Tuesday 13 December, the day of Marko’s operation to remove the tumour, Marko asks Diederik to be a father figure for little Thinus should things go wrong. “He’s just making sure that there will be someone good and responsible to be Thinus’s role model if Marko shouldn’t make it,” Francois adds.
SPOILER ALERT!
By Wednesday 21 December, it’s plain to see that something is horribly out of place with Marko. Even though his operation was successful, it seems like his personality has changed. Why is he suddenly so rude and sexist when he’s with his neurologist, who’s a woman? Vanessa is concerned about Bruynwaves’ financial position, Justin and Aggie promote 16 Days Of Activism, and Thinus visits Hillside. Connie opens up about her past and her broken marriage, while Alexa gives Marko bad news. Vince and Bonita worry about the flower shop’s future, and Alexa doesn’t trust Zelda.
Charmaine finds herself in a difficult position when a tree from her house falls over her neighbour’s fence. Connie decides it’s time for her to get her own flat, while Marko asks Diederik to be a father figure to Thinus if things don’t work out. Zelda has Chris right where she wants him, and Vanessa is under pressure to sort out the cashflow situation at work. Willem develops feelings for a Hillsider who recently moved back, Rickus wants Aggie’s help with T&T’s admin, and Mariaan agrees to work at Zelda’s salon to keep busy. Aggie is flattered by gifts from her secret admirer, while Chris realises that his family is falling apart after Rickus tells him how much the Welman siblings are stressing about their mom. Xander calls a family meeting to restore peace, while Hilda gives advice to frustrated Mariaan. Charmaine is excited about her Christmas plans for Christmas, and Aggie is shocked to find out who her secret admirer is.