Shahed Motara says Toktokkie was a fun game to play while growing up in Mohadin. “It was joyous, harmless fun that made life very special for me and my friends.”
In our ongoing series of articles that feature different cultures and customs, Eish! takes a look at the children’s game Toktokkie. Shahed Motara, senior internal auditor at the Institutional Office, says he fondly remembers playing it as a child while growing up in the Indian community of Mohadin in Potchefstroom.
Toktokkie, a game where someone, usually a child, runs up to a house, knocks on a door and runs away just before the knock is answered, is well known in most cultures. Shahed says Toktokkie, marbles, ball games and hide-and-seek were his favourites in the mid-1980s when children still chose to play outside and did not have PlayStation games and the internet to keep them occupied.
Knock!
Knock!
A game of adrenaline and mischief
“Nothing compares to the adrenaline rush a child of seven gets when he is trying to run away fast enough not to get caught after knocking on a stranger’s door.”
Shahed says he was part of a group of some 15 children ranging from seven to 12 years of age who played Toktokkie together. The general consensus among the children was that they were in it together.
If one got caught it was very likely that the others would also get into trouble and that added to the fun and excitement of the game. If one started running, the others would follow suit.
“We used to play the game mostly early in the evenings, just after church school and prayer. I believe that the community took our naughtiness in the same spirit that it was played in – as harmless fun. We were part of a community that accepted and loved us and, although sometimes getting slightly annoyed, knew we were just children playing.”
Every game has its injuries
Trying to run away fast enough sometimes backfired. “I once ran away and tried to hide behind clothes that were hanging on a rotating washing line. While pulling my legs up so that nobody would see me, I slipped and fell.”
Shahed still has a light scar on his forehead to remind him of that particular mishap.
A game for a different era
He says in a world where dangers can lurk behind every corner it is sad that Toktokkie cannot be played as easily as it used to be.
“Today children will have to get past high gates, security beams, alarms and vicious dogs if they want to play Toktokkie. Those signs that declare that one should be more afraid of the owner than the dog also seem to be very true in some instances.”
Eish! invites staff to tell us about their cultural customs and practices. Send your contributions to our Eish! journalist, Willie du Plessis, at willie.duplessis@nwu.ac.za.
He believes Toktokkie was especially effective because of its element of surprise. “People used to rush to the door when someone knocked but these days they are not as enthusiastic. In those days it would not have been strange to receive a surprise visit. Nowadays everyone texts or phones before visiting. If someone now hears a knock they did not expect, they are more likely to be suspicious.”
Shahed is convinced that in his childhood days people expected children to be mischievous. “I think they took it as a sign that we were healthy and happy.”
He says he will cherish the memories of Toktokkie forever. “I think people underestimate the importance of games. I believe it is universal to all cultures – it is important to play joyfully and without boundaries.”
