Love and Peace Street.
And that was the beginning she said as she softly stroked her groggy childÂs resting head. The little figure across her lap satisfied to be near her warmth and to hear her voice fought a yawn trying to delay the inevitable end of the story with sleep.
The day was over, the night just begun as the last fall of light outlined her bent head intent on the story that she was too familiar with, seeped in tradition and very old for she could remember her grandmother repeating the same words to her as she sailed to the dream world all those seasons ago.
Her nostalgia was disrupted by the loud silence and the odd croak and chirp of frogs and crickets, she looked down on the face of her daughter and had never known a love like this, so strong that she would stop at nothing , no one would ever take this child away. Her place in her mothers heart secure .
The child stirred her deep breathing never faltering as she searched for what she took for granted.
Patience turned away as she had much to do before tomorrow like every day a hard unthankful day. Taking the water buckets she went of to fill them from the communal tap on the edge of the little circle of shacks.
As she walked the chickens made a loud noise as they signaled her presence but she was immune to their ignorant ranting. She passed them and turned the tap on top of the long flimsy pipe that was the little group of huts only source of water.
The slow trickle of water made a splashing sound as it swirled round the bottom of the first bucket. Sitting patiently, careful to watch the level of water and twisting the tap handle to stop the flow of water in between the buckets being filled.
When both of her buckets were three quarters full-she did not fill them all the way as not to spill and waste water on her track back to her home.
As she braced herself for the load of the water across her shoulders she sang softly to herself all the way back.
Unloading her heavy familiar burden she arched her back then busied herself with the last of her work.
The sound of one small but trying to be invisible crept up on her, Hope? She put down her pots and straightened her back. Looking up the child was framed by the door bringing in more light than she shadowed.
My sweet dream child from the stars you have been carried to me on the back of my desire. She thought of the times when Hope was just a thought that she had willed into existence. A imagined joy, too good to be true she was when the stars finally brought her.A beautiful wet bundle more precious for the pain. That was two years ago. But Hope had lived in her heart many more years than that.
A little hand felt for hers and immediately clung for all its warmth. Toola ,toola my child ,the dark is just a blanket that God throws over the sky to help us sleep.And the stars? Asked Hope looking up at her with wide endless eyes filled with wonder.
They are the holes that have not been mended and the light shows through.
The soft light of her words wrapped in myth, legend of her fathers tribe passed down to her child.
Looking down she searched that face, that beautiful moon reflected oval of her daughters.
Her eyes perfect as the moon showed so to the ears, mouth and nose.
Her heart felt burst in pride, millions of feelings swept her like a tide. Guided by moon light she placed Lucky softly on her bed. She bent and kissed the head.You, my star were worth the wait.
For now Hopes fear of the dark would be appeased by the comfort of her arms. Patience sighed as she thought of how her mother had soothed her own fears in a similar way.
The night closed in on itself and gave way to dawn.
The clean morning sang a new day to birds gone wild in praise. They sang their heart song to the beat of Africa.The mountains blue in height and framed the hills that were their neighbors as deep valleys took cover ,willing their water cool and pure. The velt wild and free breathing the wind alive again. Swirling grassland playing the air with fingers of stem. Springbok jumped for show to a kingdom of timeless circle.
Patience emerged from her dream to her reality. Gathering up her blanket she wrapped it around her body tucking it into its self just above her breast.
The fire needed more wood.
She went to the pile that she had gathered yesterday after work on her way up the mountain home. It lay neatly beside her home and still had the shape of when she had carried it on her head. Wood was becoming more and more hard to come by and she, like others was being forced to go deeper and deeper into the reserve to find the right type to fuel her fire. It was harsh life but that she didnt know it was, familiarity ingrained a sense of identity that would be hard pressed to move.
There was a better life for Hope though, always a better life. She would have an education and a future, not just an existence.
There was only the tap that showed progress even that they where lucky to have.
Life stirred in Love and Peace street high up in the hills of a newly created game farm complete with electric fences and barbed wire.- The Bas didn't want elephants and lions escaping. Unsaid was that the current kept anything else unwanted out as well.
these little boys...excuse me....these boys were always hanging out by the post office and were the only ones I could ever seem to manage to find, the older boys were too selfconcious to ever let me take photos...well actually I knew one of the little guys from kickboxing so he knew me enough to trust me. I'd always try and take a few photos and show them...one of the reasons I like digital...they could come and see what they had done wrong and try and fix it the next time...I only wish I could have spent more time with them.
