Sunday 12th March 2023
I never mentioned my tour of Pretoria having to be cancelled because of lack of interest, yesterday. I'd forgotten about it, as I'd had my emotional break during the week when I realised that nobody had booked. Lots of young girl issues being triggered but I'm feeling much better now.
Speaking of little girl stuff, today I met up with my extended 'family' in my South African home town in the Vaal triangle. 51 years ago our family moved into a close network of immigrants, all with the same employer, same contract, same housing and same context. The support system developed over the years and although the network stretched, employers changed and context dissolved, the bonds still keep us connected.
I went down to the town an hour away and my Smartie drove like a dream. Being Sunday, the trucks were fewer than the weekdays and the open fields had lots of cosmos flowers smiling at me. It's such a familiar road, it's etched into my mind forever. It's the road that I couldn't wait to leave on, as soon as I finished school. The frequent trips with my brother to watch football up and down from Johannesburg. The smelly, industrial air as I reached the outskirts made me cough today and I realised that I haven't coughed in months. I thought about the slow motion journey down when Mum died, noticing in minute detail everything about the road as my brain turned to 'neutral' things to buffer me from the trauma.
But today was a happy drive and a lovely lunch, great steak and fabulous company. The drive back saw me at the outskirts of the big storm clouds and fortunately I got back with only a few drops. The Johannesburg hills from the south always looks so pretty. I thought about the gold diggers and pioneers, chiseling through those hills with oxen and wagons. I was very grateful it took me only an hour, instead of a few bumpy days. Who knows what humans will be using for transport in a century's time, lol.
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