31 December 2022
I don’t like this time of year. I never did.
For some or other reason it always seems as if I am being hoodwinked into believing that for a whole month, everything comes to a halt. Life as I know it briefly stops and I am forced to dealing with only myself. And the demons of life that I have rushed through out the year to escape, avoid, and ignore come at me with the force and persistence of a fully armed battalion.
So, this past Wednesday I decided to recapture all the positive memorable moments on my WhatsApp status – as it happened from January 2022 until this day.
I was in a rush to have it all done by today – in a sense I guess I was attempting to spread some hope for the ones who felt a bit destitute by the push and pull of life, but mostly for myself – a reminder that all is not in vain.
I was thrilled as I recollected all that I accomplished through out 2022 – all of life’s arthritic wear and tear forgotten as I posted each day.
It provided me with a renewed sense of divine purpose. I’ve seen so many things, encountered kindred spirits – some “important” others not so much in the eyes of society – each with their own heartbreak, solitude, destitution and victories.
My exhilaration for victories lasted until around 13h15 this afternoon when Zalman sent me the first photo.
Zalman S. Davis is one of the kindred spirits I encountered this year and I now have the honour of calling him harts – vriend. A poet, youngest publisher in South Africa, freelance radio presenter and 2020 winner of the Kokertoekenning for his contribution and advancement of Afrikaans.
Zalman is currently on a month long visit to Kenya and today he visited a Maasai village.
And he sent me pics as he was en route.
There were two photographs that fascinated me.
The one was of an eldery lady who’s eyes have this piercing look. As if she was seeing right through me, into the deepest crevices of my soul, my being.
Another one he sent was of a Maasai man – I don’t even know if I can call him human, because his stance, his dress, everything about him appeared almost godly to me. He is staring knowingly at the camera, perched on one foot, his one arm hidden under his colorful wrap. He is taaaaaaalllll. And his eyes, contrary to the piercing look of the lady, carries an awe inspiring, delicate love. And the way his head is bowed announces to me; “Welcome” or Karibu in Swahili.
I felt time capsuled and I literally shouted WOW, WOW,WOW!!! To Zalman via WhatsApp.
“Video call!, I want to video call while you are there. Perhaps they will allow me to say Jambo en Asanté and mumble incoherencies. They will understand me, I know!”
But alas, the internet connection got lost because of their remoteness. A good thing, I guess.
They are free from what we, in our arrogance think is normal is my perception.
What I do take away from these two pictures specifically, is the knowing. Call me crazy, loony bin whatever you want. I felt them; I could smell them through those pictures. Perhaps it is because of Zalman’s presence there and his beautiful heart that I love. I don’t know.
All I know is that my day – and even my vision for 2023 changed after seeing these pictures, changed after that.
Gone was my excitement to post my victories. My achievements. All that remained was and still is a longing to be there. Where time, accomplishments, who and what you are does not matter.
It’s been a while since I have felt this sense of peace, of pride in who and what I am, but above all, I feel renewed and ready for the rest of this period, perhaps also this feeling is enhanced by the lightness of being in Zalman’s voice after his return from the village.
My dream of going to the Maasai people came true via Zalman – I was there, time capsulated by the love I carry for him and his for me.
But see for yourselves in the pics below.
Photos Courtesy of Zalman S. Davis.
One day I will go there in person.
For now I am where I need to be.
Ek wens almal die aller, aller, allermooiste en beste toe vir die nuwe jaar.
Karibu 2023!
!Gãi se! Gü re –( julle moet mooi loop)
Tsui||gaob – (God seën)
© Audrey Jantjies
Audrey Veronica Jantjies van Suurbraak, net duskant Swellendam, het na skool joernalistiek aan die destydse Skiereiland Technikon studeer, maar kon weens finansiële beperkinge ongelukkig nie haar kursus voltooi nie. Dit was nog altyd haar passie om mense se stories op te skryf. Sy het onlangs ʼn skryfkursus van Ingrid Winterbach bygewoon en dit het haar siening oor die “Afrikaans-wat-ek-ken” en haar manier van dink oor die “Afrikaans-waarmee-ek-kan-skryf” verander. Belangriker is die dringendheid waarmee sy opnuut besef het dat die stories van haar mense – die mense van Suurbraak se wêreld – vertel moet word, want hierdie mense het baie om te sê.
