Catching up... Week 3

Friday 9th, pm
My friend Debbie drives up with her fiancé Alun. Debbie and I were good friends back in LST, and she came to Cape Town after graduating to work with a local homeless ministry: U-Turn. They quickly realised how gifted she is, and now she is spearheading U-Turn’s daughter project ‘Arise’ which cares for vulnerable children. Alun (also an LST grad) is the resident mentor at the U-Turn facility. We spend a lovely afternoon sipping tea in a gorgeous café in Simon’s Town, reminiscing about college days. Oh, there’s also so much to catch up on! It’s fantastic to at last see Deb and Alun together. I have a good feeling about this!! Their wedding will be in the UK in July, so that goes down in my diary as a ‘must attend’. We head back and spend the evening at her place in Claremont, a suburb right at the foot of Table Mountain.

Saturday 10th Feb
The day starts with a delicious lie-in. My CABSA hut-mates were all extreme morning people, rising between 4:30 and 5:00am, so I rejoice in this opportunity to catch up on missed sleep. Deb makes a pot of tea, and we chat the morning away in our pjs. After that extremely lazy start, we give in to the beckoning of the sunshine, and decide to head out. On the way, we pick up Denise who has recently come off the streets, and is struggling with life ‘indoors’. We drive over to Rhodes Memorial to get a view of Cape Town, but by that time the sunshine has given way to wind and rain. Because of Cape Town’s amazing weather ‘system’, we head over to the over to the other side of the mountain.

The beach at Muizenberg

At Muizenberg beach, the sun is blazing out of the bluest of blue skies. We stroll over to a café, but Denise is aghast as realisation hits that she’ll have to use a knife and fork, something she’s never learnt having spent most of her life on the streets. When our lunch appears Debbie and I tuck in, ignoring our knives and forks, and using our fingers, and Denise’s sweet smile is restored. We talk about her children, who have been taken out of her custody. She misses them. After that we take a walk along the strand, and we chat to other homeless people that Deb knows. The sunshine is glorious, and we have to drag ourselves away to get home.

Denise and Debbie

Sunday, 11th Feb
We rise early to get to Heideveld, a coloured township. Debbie is involved in the local church. I can safely say I’ve never experienced church like it! Debbie and I are almost done with the Sunday school lesson, and the kids are just finishing up their craft, when someone pokes their head around the door to let us know that the pastor is just BEGINNING the sermon – they’ve only just finished the announcements and testimonies!!!

Sunday School at Heideveld

When the service is finally over, Debbie and I go to pick up a homeless lady, Maria and her little son Likhona to join us for lunch at U-Turn. Maria’s new boyfriend Wallet joins us as well. Debbie first met Maria and Likhona 2 years ago. Maria had just been diagnosed as HIV positive, but her son was negative. Debbie is anxious when she hears that Maria has a boyfriend, as Maria has a track record of hooking up with abusive men. After lunch, we all drive over to Signal Hill from which we can see Robbin Island, as well as Table Mountain, and the Twelve Apostles. The view is stunning!

Debbie has read about Memory Boxes, as she determined to do make one for Likhona to help him remember his mother when he is older. Although Maria’s health is currently quite good, both Debbie and Maria are aware that Maria’s time with Likhona cannot be taken for granted. She takes photos of Maria and Likhona constantly for the box.

Monday 12th, Feb
Today is a day off for U-Turn staff, so Debbie, Alun and I team up with Joe (an LST student who is doing a six month placement at U-Turn) and David (another one of U-Turn’s staff) and head for Hout Bay. We can’t decide whether we want a long walk in the hills or the beach, so we decide to do both.

Tuesday 13th, Feb
My last day with Debbie, she is working so I spend the day at her place chilling out at her place. I start reading a fascinating book called ‘My Traitor’s Heart’, by Rian Malan, a descendent of one of the founding fathers of apartheid. Definitely one to look out for if you can. Deb and Alun get home after a gruelling day, so we go for my final (for now anyways!) walk in the hills.

Cape Town is such a gorgeous city – I really think I would be very happy to settle down here! Pity I have to go back to Pretoria... :)