READ: ‘Nothing is permanent’ Ashley Oosthuizen tells family, friends in letter
The 23-year-old woman from George in the Western Cape claims she was made the scapegoat for a crime committed by her ex-boyfriend when she accepted a package containing drugs while working at his restaurant in Thailand.
Oosthuizen was arrested in October 2020 after she had accepted a package containing ecstasy from a delivery man.
The 23-year-old has sent a letter to her family and friends from prison - detailing how difficult it has been since being convicted on drug-related charges in Thailand.
Oosthuizen said she draws her strength from three simple words; ‘nothing is permanent.’
“To prevent myself from falling into that abyss, I'd very much like to step back, step out and come and take a fresh look at it - but in my confinement, there is nowhere to step out to, and so I must turn inwards and look Upwards. And I draw my strength from three simple words: nothing is permanent.”
Oosthuizen was handed the death penalty, which was commuted to life in prison.
“The very notion of a life replete with resplendent colors and a myriad of moments overflowing with a vast array of figures, faces, words, voices and experiences absolutely charmed and delighted me! And though vaguely aware of those inevitable shadows, tints and irregular lines that make their way into every piece, I never fathomed what it would be like to live through them in reality.
“But perhaps for this particular period of my life, it is the sudden shock followed by such longevity that causes me, at times, to only see the abyss and then forget that this isn't the picture in its entirety,” Oosthuizen wrote in her letter.
READ FULL LETTER BELOW
"The idea of making my life a work of art appealed to me since that very first moment of inspiration, and although I don't quite recall its origin, it made a lasting impression on me. The very notion of a life replete with resplendent colors and a myriad of moments overflowing with a vast array of figures, faces, words, voices and experiences absolutely charmed and delighted me! And though vaguely aware of those inevitable shadows, tints and irregular lines that make their way into every piece, “I never fathomed what it would be like to live through them in reality. But perhaps for this particular period of my life, it is the sudden shock followed by such longevity that causes me, at times, to only see the abyss and then forget that this isn't the picture in its entirety.
“To prevent myself from falling into that abyss, I'd very much like to step back, step out and come and take a fresh look at it - but in my confinement, there is nowhere to step out to, and so I must turn inwards and look Upwards. And I draw my strength from three simple words: nothing is permanent. "
ALSO READ
