Had a fantastic day, which started
with a choice I had to make when Mama Miriam came by (while me and Thobile were
having school). She asked for me to take her and some other ladies to the chief’s house and bring them back
later so that they can pick up the vegetable plants that the government is delivering to the people. (A new thing they're doing, they also gave out wheelbarrows, spades and rain-tanks some days earlier). So, I guess whoever made it there could get plants. My first instinct was to say no, I’ve got to teach, but then I reckoned,
hey, this sounds important, it won’t be the end of the world if we moved our
class. So I said, right, 'masihambeni' (Let’s go).
We were supposed to be back
an hour later, at 11, but I only got home at 5:30 after a pretty awesome day.
We got there and heard the news that the delivery people were only just leaving
from Umtata, so we had to prepare ourselves for at least a 2 hour wait, probably way more. All I had on me was my camera and about
R9.
There were already a lot of people there when we arrived. Mostly mamas and
a few men on the side. They don’t
really mingle. Men keep to their
own side. Anyway I felt like I was
sitting in a field of beautiful flowers, cause all the mamas were dressed so
beautifully in their bright outfits.
I soon started taking pictures of the mamas, whoever wanted, and we had a jolly old time, I was loving it, joking
with them, telling them 'Musa ukuhleka!' (Don’t laugh) because they always have these serious faces on for
pictures, when meanwhile they have these beautiful smiles and a lot of them have
gapped teeth, very becoming really.
There were also this optometrist couple
from Mercy Ships, said they were from Cape Town, but they sounded European,
nice people, they’ll be back in September, God willing. It’s a great service they are able to
bring to the people, there are many people with eye troubles here, conditions
that can easily be remedied with some help.
Later we walked to a shop nearby and
although we had very little money between us, I got 2 slices of white bread and
a slice of polony, which I thoroughly enjoyed, washed down with some cola
twizza, a 2 litre bottle that we shared by taking turns with a couple of small
plastic empty cool-drink bottles.
We sat there for a while as some hungry dogs scurried around for a
morsel of anything, licking out old empty plastic pockets that used to contain
a handful of nik-naks type chips (hand wrapped) or empty bread packets.
Hungry dog
To the clinic
A bit later mama Gloria and I walked back,
because she wasn’t feeling well, she hasn’t really for months now, but I think
today she felt particularly ill, as she was almost clutching her stomach and
trying to be brave and not complain, but I could see she was struggling, so
eventually I said let’s go to the clinic and she hesitated cause she was
worried about how much the petrol was going to cost, but I told her no problem
(I don’t know how to say don’t worry about it’ in Xhosa. She was also worried about the ’ikadi’
she needed before you can get treated.
(ikadi- just a notebook with your name and address and I guess
information about previous treatment, if you had any) Anyway, we went to the closest clinic which was closed and
decided to go to Ngcwanguba which is a bit further but not too much, if you
have a car. There I let Gloria
wait in the queue, while I quickly went to the shop to get a book for R2. If this mama was on her own without a
car her life would’ve been so much more difficult at this point in time.
There we waited, not too long, she was
on the short list to get her blood tested, it was also about 3:30 and I had to
cancel my Umdumbi outing with Thobile.
Then we had to wait for the pills from the pharmacy which took quite a
while, but we were patient and got someone to fill my water bottle, because I
saw the mama was quite thirsty and I reckoned part of her problem might have
been lack of water – it’s hard to know when you don’t speak the language and
for the people also, medically they’re mostly in the dark, no one explains to
them what is happening with them, they have no idea if it is a serious thing or
not. And if it is you almost want
to hide it from them, to keep them from stressing. I don’t know, that’s just the way it seems.
The people were super friendly and
someone thanked me and said they love me cause I try to speak Xhosa. That felt good and will inspire me to
learn even more. Actually the
whole day was awesome, because all the mamas could only speak Xhosa, there
wasn’t one today, well, maybe like one in the hordes somewhere who could speak
English. Only Roy was there who
could speak English, so sometimes I would go over to him and ask what the
people said. Wow, I didn’t realize
how rare English really is amongst the mamas. In fact the only mamas I know who can speak English are
Lucy, Busi, Mphetane and other people working at the backpackers or
hotels. Crazy! English speaking Xhosa people are so
valuable here.
I became aware of not feeling like it’s
wise to drink from the water bottle, if you don’t know what makes someone sick,
they don’t even know themselves, perhaps you shouldn’t share eating utensils,
like cups or water bottles. It’s
difficult in a community sort of setup where you share everything. Anyway, so I was really thirsty, but
God kept me strong and in good spirits.
And eventually it looked like Gloria was feeling a bit better too.
To pick up the vegetables
When we drove back to the chief’s house,
I phoned Miriam and she told me the delivery was there. When we arrived everyone had already
gotten their vegetables (2 bags filled with soil and I think carrots, cabbage
and onion or something like that.
Couldn’t really make out. Anyway
it was heavy.
So I promised Roy earlier I’d give him
and a friend a lift to the tar road, about 5 km. From there they could catch a taxi. So I took a load of people and their
bags stuffed into the boot (I also have some boxes with books and stuff inside
my car still). It’s a pretty bad
dust road to travel on, but I prefer it to potholes. Anyway, many more people asked for lifts and I wish I
could’ve helped them all, but alas.
On the way back Gloria and her friend had already hit the road and I
stopped because I told Gloria earlier we’d squash her into the car, she can’t
walk home so far, being ill. But
she walked because I really only had space for one more person, but she had her
friend and wasn’t going to let her walk alone. That’s just ‘ubuntu’ living itself out here.
Mama Gloria and her friend. 'Ubuntu'
So I went back to fetch the other mamas, last
left at the house and got a huge cheer from them when I arrived. Love them. When we got back to Gloria and her friend, I just said,
you’re getting in, both of you.
And the other mamas squashed up and no-one complained and my car still
drove fine. (I believe Jesus was
carrying us) because all the way the mamas sang, Miriam (Nocountile) taking the
lead, all in Xhosa and we danced and lifted our hands to Jesu and the car was
flying over the road. Everyone we
passed on the road waved at us and all seemed happy, even the ones who still
had to walk far. A lot of them
would only get home long after dark. I pray the plants will grow abundantly and give them
all the nutrients they need to be healthy and strong!!!
Happy at the end of the day...
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