Lost & found
The truth behind Karmen’s disappearance is finally revealed
7de Laan Weekdays SABC2 (*192) 18:00
It's been months since Karmen (Gabriella Linton) went missing from Hillside and sent her parents Vanessa (Ingrid Paulus) and Xander ( Theordore Jantjies) into a tailspin. Viewers have been just as passionate in wanting the child’s return and it seems the powers that be are granting their wish on Friday 3 November when Karmen flashes onto screen again. It’s revealed that she has been living in a squattercamp with a lady named Hettie (Karin van der Laag, Maggie Webster in Isidingo, 1998- current) and her son Tjattas (Rikus Strauss). And if the name Tjattas sounds familiar, that’s because he is currently being treated for his leukaemia by Hillside’s resident doctor Alexa (Carina Nel). It’s a shock to see Karmen again as she’s been missing since March but this is just the beginning of a complex and intricate storyline on the soapie.
A SPECIAL BIRTHDAY GIFT
Alexa has developed a soft spot for the dirt-poor Hettie and Tjattas, as well as the little girl Hettie refers to as “Kleintjie”[Alexa hasn’t seen Karmen at Hettie’s place yet]. “[On Wednesday 8 November] Hettie invites Alexa to a birthday for Kleintjie – it’s not her real birthday but rather a symbolic celebration to remember Hettie’s late husband, whose birthday it would’ve been,” says Karin. Alexa unfortunately can’t make the party but she makes a special visit to Hettie on Friday 10 November to give Kleintjie a little gift. And that’s when this rescue storyline really kicks off – Alexa immediately recognises Kleintjie as Vanessa and Xander’s missing daughter Karmen.
BOMBSHELLS FALL
The last thing that the Meintjies family are thinking about now is Karmen’s return, especially after Monday 13 November when Vince (Jacques Blignaut) learns the truth about his new son. Vince’s brother Xander is the father after his fling with Vince’s wife Bonita (Hildegardt Whites). And it gets worse, because Xander has to tell his wife Vanessa what he’s done later that same day so that she doesn’t hear it from anyone else. Ingrid doesn’t pull any punches when she reveals how angry her character is with Xander: “Her trust in him is shattered after finding out that he slept with Bonita in a moment of weakness when Karmen first went missing. News that Xander is a father now is the straw that broke the camel’s back,” says the actress. “She doesn’t see a future for their marriage now.”
TIME TO PACK & RUN?
Alexa struggles to tell Hettie and Tjattas who Kleintjie is because she knows that it will break their hearts. She does the right thing on Tuesday 14 November and Karin says that “Hettie is devastated. She doesn’t want to let Kleintjie go and she considers taking the girl and fleeing Hillside”. Alexa arrives with the police just before Hettie can get away and the next day on Wednesday 15 November, Xander goes to his mother-in-law Charmaine’s (Vinette Ebrahim) house to tell Vanessa that Karmen is safe. “Vanessa is in disbelief. She wants to see her daughter wit h her own eyes before she will believe it,” says ingrid..
CHAOS IN THE HOUSE
Tensions run high on Thursday 16 November when the parents must wait to see Karmen. “The situation is delicate because the girl is a minor and a social worker needs to assess if her home is safe for her following this traumatic event,” says Ingrid. “They could lose her for the second time!”
KARIN’S HILLSIDE STOPOVER
Karin can’t stop gushing about her new role and the 46-year-old adds that “it’s an absolute pleasure and I love this character. It was a bit of a challenge – I’m playing someone who doesn’t have an ounce of makeup on and my own sense of vanity was screaming out at me.” How long she and Hettie will stay is up to the “big bosses, but I will gladly grab a permanent role here,” Karin says.