Death of the Beast ...

Good afternoon faithful readers,

Apologies for not being touch over the last couple of days – had some discussions with Telkom about internet access. It is still not resolved but I’ve decided to use internet cafes until then.

I promised to get to the demise of the Beast. I have wrestled with writing this post for a long while but have not had the courage to attempt it until this first wintry autumn day here in the Western Cape. Our Belgian guest student exclaimed this morning: “The mountain is gone!!!”

It was, shrouds of sifting rain, mist and clouds filling the space where it normally stands. Smoke and mirrors for sure but it looks so real, like some powerful magician has been at work overnight – yech!

It’s almost like our media who tried for a considerable period to convince us that our present president is evil incarnate,   until one of them broke ranks recently and admitted that the campaign was an opposition-driven election stunt. Shutting everyone’s eyes to the good our government has done recently and hammering the bad stuff, of which there were admittedly quite a bit caused significant damage to our country. If there was balanced reporting however, the good would have outshone the bad.

Anyway, back to the Beast. Sentimentality aside, I acknowledge that I was responsible for its demise.

There, it is out in the open!

I gave the keys to my study colleague to go to Pietermaritzburg without taking into account that: 1) the Beast, with its powerful V6 engine, required good driving skills and 2) I did not have any idea how good my colleague’s driving skills were.

I ran the bare minimum due diligence i.e. that he had a valid driver’s license and that he could actually drive.

 My colleague begged the Beast off me, to ostensibly go to an essential family function in his hometown of Pietermaritzburg, about 90+ km from Durban.

For those who do not know, one of the world’s toughest road running ultra marathons – the Comrades Marathon – is run annually between Durban and Pietermaritzburg. It is a 86km race for which pre-qualification via certain standard marathons is needed. Check its website if you still want to partake.

He was so convincing about the visit’s necessity, it never occurred to me that he simply wanted to go for a jolly! If I had a sniff of the latter, he would have had no chance because the latter kind of visit normally involves alcohol which reduces one’s driving skills AND the Beast was booked in for a service immediately after the weekend.

So I handed over the keys to the Beast on a fateful afternoon of the last working weekday. It was not with trepidation, because I swallowed his story HLAS (hook-line-and-sinker). He and the Beast was going to be back in Durban the morning of the second day of that weekend.

That morning came and went!!

We did not have mobile phones in those days, so I was resigned to receiving an explanation via the landline at our Melbourne Rd residence.

The expected phone call never came and my anxiety was reaching critical levels.

To be honest, and this may sound callous but the Beast was my first car, I did not care much for my colleague’s well-being but I was really worried that something happened to the Beast. Every male’s first car is special and the Beast, although it was bought second-hand, squarely fell into that super special category – which explains why it still pains me to blithely speak of its demise.

The first inkling I got of the last breath of the Beast was the afternoon of first working day of the next week when my colleague came home on crutches. I was by then beyond anxiety to hear news – any news – of my beloved Beast!! He apologised to me and explained that the Beast had expired on Field’s Hill on the way back from Pietermaritzburg. He then proceeded to bemoan his condition while my mind was beset with the Beast. I vaguely heard him complaining about pains, etc. I did not listen too intently however, hope you do not blame me.

So, it came to be that the Beast came to an undignified end on Field’s Hill, somewhere between Durban and Pietermaritzburg and was taken to a scrap yard in Pinetown. I had no desire to see its last resting place once I heard that it was way beyond repair! – I had the last happy picture of a healthy Beast in my mind and wanted, irrationally, to remember it that way!

The Beast was no more but after that I bought a yellow Ford Cortina V6 (the Yellow Fellow) as a replacement but it was not the same.

I trust the Beast will rest well in rust heaven!

Keep the keys to your first car to yourself only – this is my advice to anyone who will listen! So far my daughter is doing well in the listening stakes J

Travel well and I hope your first cars passed on in a more dignified fashion.

Sante!