Around the World with Bradley: Christmas

Christmas Eve.

Sheila wants to for a walk. Longer than one hour.

Sheila: Too dangerous around the farm. Need to go somewhere like Umgeni Valley Resort. Private Game resort. Need to pay.

I go for a run. On front of a bus is a sign saying “Trust Nobody”.

All the guard dogs come to their front gates and stare at me. The big solid fences protect me from the dogs.

All the gates have a sign saying: “Rapid Response” or “Armed Response”.

We arrange tables on the deck. When due to eat somebody moves the tables inside. They are moved then dumped. No chairs. No room for chairs. Somebody says: Take the armchairs out. Neal and I move an armchair. Someone else says: Put it back.

We put it back. Lionel and I take a table onto the deck.

Sherry says: Put it back.

The kids have got hold of hooters, whistles, crackers and things which pop. Noise. Noise. Noise. The adults all sit in the next room. Full of food.  Not commenting on the noise.

Neal: Good food.

Garrett: I want to thank everybody who cooked anything.

The young kids and Garett start dancing to disco music. American and British disco dance music. They are hyped and dancing ono-stop and posing for photos.

Some of the adults drift outside to smoke.

 

Christmas Day. We open presents.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Ma: Look at all these presents made in South Africa. Everything you have given us was made in
China.

Drive to Neal and Vanessa’s house. The boys are playing cricket in thew drizzling rain. Braai is going. Very smoky. Going out. Ronald fans it. Flares up then dies down and smokes. After a couple of hours they start cooking the meat. First meat taken off and put in the oven. Lunch is served at 2:40pm. Then we go for a walk in the rain.

Debbie and Lionel go about 2:00 pm.

They say: Have to visit Lionel’s sister.

Andy (Angela’s husband) talks to me about emigrating to Australia. He knows all about the point system. Has to migrate in the next 3 years before he turns 40. Says he will go to NZ for a few years then to Australia. He never says why. Nobody listening ask why.

Wesley has a girlfriend. She’s Afrikaans. Her present to Wesley is a photo of herself in a frame. Vanessa likes it. She is a model or could be.

Byron and Wendy give Ma and Pa a sign. The sign says: Nana and Papa’s place. No adults allowed. All kids spoilt.

Ma and Pa like the sign.

Ronald gets his magnum gun from Ma’s safe for the journey back through the Transkei to Cape St Francis.

Ronald: If I break down and I have to leave Sheila to go and get help.

Before they go Sheila tells me about her church.

Sheila: A word centered church where God lives. Healing by hands. Charismatic. Incredible growth. 800/900 people in the church from nothing a few years ago. Multiracial.