Journey to Jo'burg

The Role Models take on the City of Gold

It was a time of many firsts. Leaving the familiar rural village limits for the first time in their lives, the Role Models set their sights on the biggest city in Southern Africa, unaware of what to expect on the other side.

The eve of our departure, the adventure had seemingly already begun. Thursday night, the Role Models and I closed the library at its normal 6:00 pm time. Thereafter, in caravan fashion, we proceeded to navigate through the darkened dirt village paths, guided by a silvery sliver of a moon to visit each Role Model’s home. Our first stop was Secret and Karabo’s kokwana’s (grandmother) home. While kokwana was bathing, The Role Models and I waited patiently outside. Illuminated by the light on the side of the house, children from the corners of the street saw us and surged in our direction. A group of smiling faces and wide eyes circled us. With a muffled cell phone spewing South African house music in the background, we started dancing, and before we knew it, a full-fledged dance contest commenced. After several rounds of daring moves, widespread laughter, and much applause, kokwana emerged from the side door in the shadows.

Silence fell amongst the crowd of children, and many dispersed into the darkness while I greeted kokwana. Culturally, children are not encouraged to speak while adults are engaged in conversation. Kokwana and I discussed the details of the upcoming journey to Jo’burg and questions were asked and answered. Kokwana gave her blessings and support for the trip, and bid us farewell moments later.

The Role Models and I marched proudly and lit the night sky with bright smiles as we continued to walk down the path into the darkness. We stumbled, tripped, and fell on the eroded streets and but soon arrived at Eric’s home. We sat on the floor with Eric’s kokwana and again restated the itinerary of our excursion to Jo’burg. I provided contact information and we helds hands in prayer, asking for a safe trip.

This sequence of visits continued at each Role Model’s home. We ate biscuits and scones and drank cold drink (soda). We remained long enough to be respectful, but did not overstay our welcome. Our final stop was Love’s home and after eating vuswa (maize meal) and nkaka (green, leafy vegetable with peanuts) I headed home after 11 o’clock to prepare my bag and bake cookies for the road.

Friday was filled with extreme excitement and eagerness. Several hours before boarding our train, the boys grudgingly attended their classes. When the final school siren sounded, the Role Models rushed to the library and waited out the final 3 hours before we closed up shop and headed for the train station in the next village. With bags in tow, we trekked the 2 kilometers to Ximhungwe/Ireagh train station. A rickety train came to screeching halt within minutes and amongst the clamor of a crowd celebrating a family member’s homecoming, we boarded. The Role Models scattered in every direction. They rushed towards open windows and immediately pushed them open to see the wave of activity from an elevated perspective. Looking down on the crowd, the boys waved and the whistle sounded. The clickety clack of the tracks commenced and we departed from our predictable, comfortable, rural habitat.

As we picked up speed, and raced down the tracks, the boys shoved their heads out of the small open windows to experience the World flying by outside. The wind rushed against their faces as they saw new territories. We drove past Kruger National Park, and spotted elephant, rhino, buffalo, and giraffe just meters from the tracks! We saw villages on mountain tops and hillsides and factories in the provincial capital, Nelspruit. The World showed a different side of itself to the Role Models they had never seen before!

At dusk we pulled into a station to continue the journey aboard an overnight train. While we waited on the platform, we played an animated game of charades. I scribbled scenes in my notebook and the two teams plucked them at random, giving way to hilarious sights that caused Eric to fall to his knees and clutch his sides aching from laugher! We recruited a 5 year old child looking on from a distance who inched his way closer to the uplifting group of teens, leaving his family behind. Little did we know, throughout the rest of the night, he would be drawn to our lingering trails of laughter and our deep bags of candy and sweets.

The second train was a new environment that the boys were eager to explore. The moment we pulled out of the station and the ground began to move beneath our feet, the Role Models raced through each compartment. They quickly discovered a small kitchen and several bathrooms. They read each and every sign strewn about the walls, doors, and windows. A crowd of police officers and train workers huddled around to learn why a white man was traveling with a group of black children. We would continue to draw attention throughout the weekend, as is typical when we leave the village together. The boys, led by Secret, returned a long list of questions to these “outsiders.” After learning about the staff quarters in the train, they requested a tour. We walked into the staff compartment of the train to see showers, bunk beds, and a common area. The boys were fascinated by the depths of this moving village on tracks!

Karabo said proudly, “I will stay awake all night, not to miss anything!” For most of the evening, in spite of the bitter cold seeping through the cracks of the train, his words rang true. Karabo managed to stare into the darkness with his face glued to the frosty windows. Every jolt on the tracks, stirred the others out of a restless sleep. In spite of just a few brief hours of sleep, the boys surged on adrenaline as the train pulled into Park Station, our final destination in the city center of Jo’burg.

We were greeted by friends Bee and Moira who patiently waited for our delayed train to arrive. In their hands were gift bags they assembled for the boys the night before, packed with goodies, snacks, and magazines. They wrapped us in nurturing bear hugs and quickly memorized the Role Models names. Within seconds, the anxiousness of a new place had subsided, as the boys felt welcomed and invited in such a foreign place. Two strangers quickly became friends, as they reached out with love and respect to each of the Role Models.

The boys spun around in circles soaking in the lively atmosphere and overwhelming stimuli that enveloped them. Neon signs, store fronts, and thousands of people created a dizzying atmosphere. We boarded out hosts’ cars, and caught our first glimpses of the towering city from ground perspective. Looking up at the skyscrapers, the Role Models arched their necks. The streets were littered with heaps of trash at every corner, remnant of the workers’ strike which started the week before. We zipped up and down side streets through the City Center. Wendy commented on all of the tsotsis (thugs/thiefs) he spotted amongst the crowds.

We pulled to a stop and got out in front of the tallest building in Southern Africa, Carlton Center. We entered the shops below and proceeded to the escalator. Wendy stopped dead in his tracks as he approached the platform and teetered over the edge, lightly touching his foot to the moving waves of steps. Paralyzed by indecision, he stood there as a queue of people formed behind him. I encouraged him to jump on the steps, but he remained frozen. A group of comical security guards managed to distract Wendy’s attention enough until he boarded the steps, freeing up the congestion of human traffic.

Another first would come, when the Role Models reached the elevator and climbed inside. Secret quickly pushed the button and we began our rapid ascent. The looks on the boys’ faces morphed from smiles to squirming frowns, as their ears struggled to equalize during our push to the top. When the doors popped open, the boys ran to the wall of glass that wrapped around the fifty-fifth floor. Perched high in the sky, the Role Models gained a unique vantage point never before seen. As far as their eyes could see, they spotted an ocean torrent of peaks and rooftops. Until the horizon there were overflowing buildings in all directions. Love flapped his wings as if he were flying above the clouds. Our hosts gave a tour of the city, moving their fingers around on the glass pointing the sprawling sections of Jo’burg.

After a quick poll, a unanimous vote to eat breakfast sent us back into the elevator to descend from our cloud. The doors opened leaving us near the entrance of two distinct, golden arches. None of the Role Models had ever eaten at McDonald’s, so during a day of exploration, our friend Bee found it fitting to corrupt the taste buds of the boys. A round of happy meals came to the table. The toys were more popular than the food, and much to our surprise, some of the boys did not enjoy the meal. Karabo said, “it is not nice.”

Back in the cars, our sightseeing tour continued as we viewed the city improvements for the World Cup. The pinnacle of the advancements is Soccer City, the new stadium, near completion. The architect, eager to include aspects of distinct South Africa culture, designed the bowl shaped dome to appear like a bubbling pot of vuswa (mealie meal porridge), a staple part of South Africans’ diet.

Just further down the street, is the Apartheid Museum, our next stop. Our entire trip was established around the idea of entering the museum to learn more about South African history. Dazed by a lack of sleep, the Role Models staggered to the benches outside the ticket office and collapsed. The frenzied pace of the day’s events, left the boys gasping for breath. When we entered the exhibits, the boys became lost in endless panels of writing. The prospect of so much reading became an arduous task, and some of the Role Models shut down. They skimmed through the museum and searched for visual pictures, and artifacts. They jotted down notes on paper to remember key points of their visit.

We enjoyed a savory meal provided by our friends Bee and Moira who sought to offer the boys an energy boost after several hours perusing the museum. Recharged and energized we walked on the outskirts of an amusement park and saw roller coasters plunging towards the ground at incredible speeds. The boys watched again and again as new groups of people raced down the same path chased by a shadow of screams. A distant rumbling and pulsing in the air was heard and the Role Models inspected the source. A helicopter nearby was landing and the boys rushed over to catch a glimpse. After snapping a few photos, we turned to meet with my South African cousin, Fortune and her husband, Shoni.

Piling into two cars we received a different perspective of Jo’burg as we ventured into the scenic suburb of Kempton Park. A product of the growing middle class and the future of the new South Africa, our guides and hosts Fortune and Shoni exude such complimentary, fun, and positive energy. In their tranquil, peaceful home, the boys felt at ease and began watching television and playing video games. In spite of the chilly autumn breeze, the Role Models asked to swim in a pool. A series of back flips, belly flops, and cannonballs broke the ice on their first swimming pool experience in their lives.

Fortune and Shoni’s fifteen month old son Gumi eagerly emerged from the bedroom to greet the newcomers. He was elated to be around the teenagers who entertained and played with him. Wendy charismatically stepped forward and gave Gumi his happy meal toy.

The night was full of excitement and games until the early morning hours. Despite sleeping less than a handful of hours the night before, the boys managed to survive on the excitement of videogames, frigid temperatures in the pool, and a new environment.

The morning began with a refreshing dip in the pool and a trip down the street to O.R. Tambo International Airport. The boys, Shoni, and I entered the grand hall of an elaborate, state of the art building, which will serve as the first patch of South African soil, international visitors will see upon their arrival in a few months for the World Cup. The grandiose structure is lined from top to bottom with polished granite a touch of elegance. The boys were awestruck at the organized chaos they witnessed as crowds of people flocked in every direction. After a quick tour, we headed to the top observation deck to watch planes arriving and departing from all over the World. Secret said, “I will call you at America one day when I am on one of those planes. I will say, ‘Nkateko, I’m in a plane. I am coming.’” Each of the Role Models shared the name of the country they would travel to if they were on one of those planes. All votes for America were unanimous.

We boarded a taxi, and waved goodbye to our hosts and to the city of Jo’burg as we departed from the rank. As we crossed the country, we stole a few last glimpses of the city skyline. We reflected on our weekend and compiled a top three list of our weekend activities. Secret then said, “this weekend has felt like 15 days!” Within a short period of time, a new World of endless possibilities was opened.

Stay tuned for the next adventure!