Cliff Richard and the Shadows completed their magnificent “Reunion” tour last night at Kirstenbosch. The gardens are chiselled out of a vast mountain fastness overlooking the sprawl which is Cape Town. As Cliff graciously left the stage to his one time backing band, they played their favourite tunes. When it came to “This Wonderful Land”, it seemed as though this greatest of all instrumentals was the real star and the spindly men with their famous guitars became mere shadows in attendance. As the tingling ebbed and flowed, the hit song also seemed emblematic of a great and surging nation.
The evening before we had spent with the St. Kizito groups of Paarl. It, too, was a moving reunion as we sat in attendance upon a people who love the poor with passion. As we shared together in the heat, we began to see a glimpse of how real love works. The women spend their time with the hopeless and the abandoned and give what little they have. They want to do more, have more to give, make a real difference. But already, the hopeless are no longer hopeless, and the abandoned are no longer abandoned. And this is the gift they spread in the community they serve.
Cape Town’s arterials are still a warren of road works as the country makes ready for its World Cup. One wonders what will happen when the jobs disappear. At least it will be cooler in June. Paarl recorded a temperature in the low 50’s earlier on the day we visited. You can only imagine what this pink man looked like!
Followers of this blog will know that things happen on the beach at Milnerton. On the day we encountered the lovely, waist-coated pet pig, we noticed an army of sea rescue personnel wading in a line into the sea towards Robben Island. Further out was a small flotilla of red boats criss-crossing the waves while overhead was the drone of a lone helicopter. As we made our way home we believed we had seen a routine exercise. Far from it; the next day, the Cape Times carried a report that a man had stabbed his ex girlfriend - in the apartment complex we occupied on our last visit – and had then run into the sea. She will live. He has not been found. Memory of the incident returned while Cliff was singing “On the Beach” high up in Kirstenbosch.
The evening before we had spent with the St. Kizito groups of Paarl. It, too, was a moving reunion as we sat in attendance upon a people who love the poor with passion. As we shared together in the heat, we began to see a glimpse of how real love works. The women spend their time with the hopeless and the abandoned and give what little they have. They want to do more, have more to give, make a real difference. But already, the hopeless are no longer hopeless, and the abandoned are no longer abandoned. And this is the gift they spread in the community they serve.
Cape Town’s arterials are still a warren of road works as the country makes ready for its World Cup. One wonders what will happen when the jobs disappear. At least it will be cooler in June. Paarl recorded a temperature in the low 50’s earlier on the day we visited. You can only imagine what this pink man looked like!
Followers of this blog will know that things happen on the beach at Milnerton. On the day we encountered the lovely, waist-coated pet pig, we noticed an army of sea rescue personnel wading in a line into the sea towards Robben Island. Further out was a small flotilla of red boats criss-crossing the waves while overhead was the drone of a lone helicopter. As we made our way home we believed we had seen a routine exercise. Far from it; the next day, the Cape Times carried a report that a man had stabbed his ex girlfriend - in the apartment complex we occupied on our last visit – and had then run into the sea. She will live. He has not been found. Memory of the incident returned while Cliff was singing “On the Beach” high up in Kirstenbosch.
The picture is for Anna and Lee and other besotted dog lovers!
Enjoying your words again. Sara.
ReplyDeleteThanks Dad!!!!!!! Love you, love your work!!! Anna xxx
ReplyDeleteMissing you, keep writing. Sally and Robert
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