Things happen to our family. We never know what is going to transpire from the moment we wake up to the moment we go to sleep at night and even then things happen. The phone will go in the wee hours of the morning and it will be something to worry about (usually). Last week, it was a phone call to say that my brother was on his way to Livingstone hospital because he had been stabbed whilst drawing money out of an ATM. He survived, Praise be to God! Or we get visitors pitching up on our doorstep who we have not seen for ever! Thats a GOOD surprise. Most, however are not good. Like the time we heard at 10.00pm that my daughter in Pietermaritzburg was rushed to hospital with appendisitis (at other times it was an epileptic fit then a burglery) and I had to be at the airport at 5.30am to be on standby to catch a flight to Durban. Same thing with Simon when he and his buddies spent the night in jail for a stupid misunderstanding! I flew into Durban at 8am, got him out of jail and flew out again at 12.30!
We live with our three aged parents. My father (Grandad) who we brought down from Zimabwe after nearly dying there, lives upstairs with us. He is semi-invalid and sits in front of the TV morning till night watching BBC world and as many other news channels as he can find! I never need to read the newspaper because his is my Minister of Information,,both locally and internationally. I am kept fully up to date with all the sports results and the world tragedies and disasters and can speak fairly knowledgably on many current affairs because of him. Brians Mom and Dad (Ouma and Oupa) live in a little self-contained flat downstairs and are (or were) independent. Not very much so any more as Oupa is really too old (86) to drive very far now, (besides, his memory is getting poor and he can't remember where he is always) so they go down to the shop every now and again. Ouma keeps independent, but Oupa depends on her. But he seems happy to potter around the house and garden, tinkles on the piano and pets the dogs.
We also have my brother Roger living with us. He has been here since last year and now has a job in an hotel. He is helpful sometimes and sometimes is anything but!! Like when he didn't come home the one day and I tracked him down in the prison. He was working in a Snooker Bar at the time and was held up and robbed as he was closing for the night. The security called the police and they arrested Roger!! Then the last time he didn't come home he was at the hospital with three puncture wounds in his stomach and back! He is a source of concern.
And then we have Blondie, the dearest and blackest Blondie you ever saw! She started off her career here as my dads nurse and then became my housekeeper. She has an amazing talent for cooking! Especially Ginger Biscuits! She and Ouma are great friends and worry each other to death. If the electricity is getting low (we have a pre-paid meter) Ouma will point it out to Blondie who will start to panic and I will get a voicemail on my phone "Mam, Ouma is very worried because the electricity, she is getting low! Please buy electricity today!" I dutifully oblige and get home to find that we have at least another weeks worth on the meter! Or Blondie will see some sand on the tiles by the door and see a couple of ants around there. She will point it out to Ouma who will lie awake all night worrying that the ant-workings are causing the foundations of the house to crumble. Seriously, it really is like that. Between the two of them I know when the various machines are making a funny noises, when the dogs have got runny tummies and when the newspaper has been delivered late (or not at all!) Ouma keeps tabs on all the family news so we can answer just about any query on any member of the family- internationally!
And then we have the two dogs - a highly allegic Pekingese and a geriatric Great Dane cross Weimaraner who was rescued from certain death by injection when her owners relocated to Scotland - and who drive everyone crazy with their noise and ideocyncrasies, plus a canary that was rescued from the talons of a Fiscal Shrike and sings with unceasing joy for the gift of life the whole day long, plus a Rosy-bellied Conya who we inherited from folk who moved to Australia, and who hates everyone except Simon who doesn't live here any more! Poor bird!
Well, thats the who all lives at our house. Plus Brian and myself ofcourse. We live in the top left quadrant of the house, with our books and the dust (Brian hates having his stuff touched so Blondie is not allowed to come in and dust,,,,and I don't do dusting!) But more of that in another episode. Hope this hasn't been too tedious reading this. Its been good for me! See you another day.