Nine decades of miracles for local bookshop owner

While much of the working class is more than willing to accept retirement when it comes, there are those who won’t go down without a fight.

Alma Coward celebrated her 90th birthday on 16 June and every day she wakes up early and prepares for a full day of work in her book shop called Abundant Life. Born and raised in Polokwane, Alma was a part of a big family and vividly remembers her excitement when, after the children were washed and ready for bed, they could flip through the encyclopaedia, reading and marvelling at the pictures.

For as long as she can remember, Alma has not only loved books, but respected them. Her passion for reading turned into an impressive intelligence, resulting in her skipping both Grades 9 and 11 during her schooling. After leaving school, she explored her career prospects, eventually becoming a successful business manager, but when her lifelong breathing problems resurfaced, the need for a more relaxed career became prevalent. After moving from Cape Town to Lindhaven, Alma used all her savings to open Abundant Life 45 years ago.

Not long after the store opened, she saw the need for Afrikaans children’s books, prompting her to translate four of her favourite children’s books into the language. She didn’t stop there though. Alma wrote two children’s books and published a few more. Her publishing business also helped keep the book shop open for many years. “The fact that I’m still open is a miracle,” said Alma. She explained that whenever her store is going though a rough period, her faith and prayers keep her motivated.

She believes her life has been filled with miracles. After being told she would only have one child, Alma defied the odds and now has two daughters and one son, but the biggest miracle is her breathing. As a child, she had been very susceptible to pneumonia and as she got older, her breathing problems worsened. She remembers being told that she had cancerous growths in her throat, but that nothing could be done about them because surgery was too dangerous. A while later, doctors became concerned about her health. She needed five pillows to prop her up while she slept or she wouldn’t be able to breathe. Alma was told that, despite the risks, surgery was the only option. She reached out to a group of people steadfast in their faith, and to this day, believes their prayers are the reason she is okay. Alma explained feeling a tremendous difference after their prayers, and even telling the doctor that surgery wasn’t necessary. “The doctor didn’t believe me at first, and said that we must operate to stop the cancer from spreading, but when he got the tests back, there was no cancer in my throat at all,” she smiled.

“Life is a faith game, and the Lord has always been here for me,” Alma concluded.