Some reunions take a lifetime to happen. For Theresa Bengis (78), it took 52 years and a retirement village newsletter to bring her back together with a former pupil who had always held a special place in her heart.
Theresa was reading Tarentaal Village’s monthly newsletter in September 2024 when she spotted the name ‘Michael Chissick’. In 1972, a little boy with the same name had been in the Grade Two class she taught at Cyrildene Primary School in Johannesburg.
Intrigued, Theresa approached Michael (62) and asked which primary school he had attended.
“Cyrildene Primary,” he replied.
His face lit up when Theresa told him she had been his Grade Two teacher.
“He said that he thought he recognised me,” says Theresa.
The reunion became even more special when Theresa invited Michael to her flat and showed him their Grade Two class photograph. “I then gave him the photo, which I think is one of his prized possessions!”
A pupil she never forgot
For Theresa, seeing Michael again brought back a particularly sweet memory of him as a pupil – and a reminder of why he had always stayed in her thoughts.
One day, when the bell rang for break, all the pupils happily rushed outside. Theresa noticed that Michael had stayed behind.
“I said to him, ‘Michael, it’s break, you can go out’. He looked around to make sure none of his classmates was there, then came up to me and said, ‘Mrs Bengis, I love you, and I want to marry you’.
“As a teacher, some pupils leave a special place in your heart. As you can see, Michael was one of those very special pupils.”
Asked what went through his mind when Theresa recognised him as her former pupil, Michael says he was ‘amazed’.
He recalls her fondly, explaining that he had to repeat Grade Two and felt uncomfortable being in a younger peer group.
“But she was encouraging and compassionate. She taught me to persevere and be strong,” says Michael.
Theresa was 24 and pregnant with her first child when she met Michael. “I became friendly with Michael’s mother, Dawn, who was a supportive mom.”
At the end of 1972, Theresa decided to leave teaching and become a stay-at-home mother. In 1975, she bumped into Dawn at a shop on Louis Botha Avenue.
“I was pregnant with my second daughter and Dawn was also pregnant. We were hoping to be at the Marymount Nursing Home at the same time,” she says.
A life cut short
Tragically, Dawn died in childbirth. Theresa explains that she had recently returned home from hospital with her newborn when her husband, Bryan, saw her death notice in The Star newspaper.
Michael was just 10 years old at the time.
“Her passing was a shock. I was so saddened as she already had four young children at home,” says Theresa.
Now, five decades later, Theresa is once again a reassuring presence in Michael’s life.
“She and my next-door neighbour are like surrogate mothers and angels to me,” says Michael.
“I am so pleased that Michael and I have become friends,” adds Theresa. “He shares many stories of his past. On the odd occasions we go out for coffee, he shares with the staff and customers at the restaurant that I was his Grade Two teacher. I love to see how proud he is!”
Theresa has also encouraged Michael to join the Jewish fellowship she attends, where members meet with students from a local Jewish school.
A teacher to the end
Theresa probably touched countless other lives during her career as an educator. Although she gave up full-time teaching while her children were young, she eventually started filling in at local schools in Edenvale, where they lived.
“When my husband passed away in 2003, I decided to return to teaching as my daughters were already married and my son was at varsity.”
She taught at Edenglen Primary until she turned 60, the retirement age at public schools. She then taught at two private schools until she retired five years ago.
But teaching is clearly in Theresa’s blood. She still steps in when substitute educators are needed and gives extra lessons two afternoons a week.
Another treasured memory dates back to when Theresa left Cyrildene Primary School. As a farewell gift, Michael’s mother, Dawn, gave her a copy of Dr Spock’s book on caring for and raising children.
Dawn wrote a message inside: “I hope that you study this book as hard as Michael had to study maths!”
Caption:
Michael Chissick and his former primary school teacher Theresa Bengis with two old photos from Cyrildene Primary School, taken in 1972 and 1975.
