About Turn

About-turn

There were many things Sara was afraid of, things of which she knew, she should not be afraid. She was afraid of spiders, afraid of frogs, afraid of insects with antennae. She could handle all these fears, as long as the things she feared, remained outside of her space.

She was also afraid of Joshua!  He was very often in her space because they were neighbours and their parents were friendly. They were neighbours in town and neighbours on the coast where they had holiday cottages. Joshua and Sara attended the same school. He was a fair haired youth interested in all outdoor activities . His father took him fishing for the first time, when he was 6 years old, on a small fishing boat on the wild Coast. They would fish for squid before sunrise and take home, the catch. He became accustomed to handling all manner of wildlife.

 Sometimes Sara would answer the door and he would be standing there with a bucket swinging from his hand, a bucket of newly despatched squid. He would smile and offer her the bucket.

“ We had a good catch today, so Dad said I could  bring some over for your supper.”

“Mom, Josh is here with some squid.”

 She could not bring herself to take the bucket from him. She could not look at the tentacles and the eyes that would still be looking at her. There was nothing on earth that would make her take the bucket into the kitchen and nothing on earth that would get her to clean and cook them. You had to pull the tentacles away from the body, remove the insides and the clear quill, slice off the fins, cut off the head and remove the beak. Her mother had once made her watch the procedure.

 She could see the derision and  contempt  in  Joshua’s eyes.  What sort of person refused an offer of a healthy evening meal?

“What’s the matter Sara? Feeling too squeamish to take hold of a bucket of squid?”

“Mom is coming now.  She’ll  take it.”

“The trouble with you, Sara, is that you don’t mind eating what other people kill for you!”

“The trouble with you, Joshua, is that you very consistently show me the beastly side of your nature!”

When they, one evening,  attended  the same party, Sara went to sit on a sofa in the garden patio.

It was the month of April and the evening breeze was fresh and cool against her cheeks. Darkness cloaked the shrubs and trees and the light from  inside, cast shadows of the dancers on the lawns. She was feeling peaceful. It had been a difficult few months, settling into her new work place but now,  here  in this garden, there was harmony, socialising with friends.

She saw Joshua approaching her with what she thought was an offering of a sandwich. Too late she caught sight of the Emperor moth, which he put gently onto her shoulder. These huge moths which had images of eyes on their wings had terrified her from childhood. They were quite a common occurrence in the Transkei. They rested so silently and menacingly, seeming to watch her as she skirted around them, to go through a door.

The thought of this moth nestling close to her neck, was all the trigger she needed to start  screaming. The whole party stopped eating and dancing. The noise was ear piercing. Joshua stood stunned into silence and immobility. He hadn’t expected such a spectacular reaction. Frank came off the dance floor and taking the moth in his hands took it out to the garden.

“It’s alright Sara it’s  gone. You can stop the noise.”

She went home, after that, both shaken and ashamed .

In the next two years Sara lost track of Joshua. She never wanted to see him again anyway. She started swimming competitively and trained as a life saver.

“ Hi can you do life saving duty for me on Sunday next week?”

“Sure, Freddy,  I’ll be there at 9am is that Okay?”

“How are you doing Sara? How is your work going?”

“Fine thanks Sean. It was a big change  working with chemicals after being a paramedic and always  being on call. ”

They were lounging on the platform overlooking the beach, watching all the nippers playing in the breakers.  Sharp, diamond shaped flashes of sunlight, caught them in the eyes, making Sara pull her peak cap down.

“ Are you and family going to the wild coast this year?”

“Yes I am looking forward to that and swimming in the estuary.”

Sara was talking about the Qora river  estuary at Qora Mouth.

“Have you seen Josh lately?”

“No and I have no wish to see him!”

“ Josh is basically a good sort. He enjoys teasing people. He carried a torch for you, you know.”

Sara frowned at Sean,

“No I did not know. I have no intention of forgetting what he did to me with all the  teasing. It is unforgivable. I will never forgive him.”

Now it was Christmas time. All the families converged to the holiday camping spots on the Wild Coast.

Sara sat on the side of the river mouth with her sister Margo. There were children playing in the water.

Sara jumped up and ran to the water’s edge.  Running  in, up to her hips she grabbing the child she had seen against  the backwash of the tide and pulled her up on the sand. The little girl started crying, her mother appeared from nowhere.

“Thank  you so much, I just turned  my head for a moment to see to her brother  and then, there you were!”

“You were amazing Sara. I saw what you did, from the river bank. I have never seen anyone move so fast, but then you have always had fast reactions, as I remember.”

“ My life saving  training taught to me to watch other people when there is water about.”

Looking up she saw Joshua watching her,  an older  Joshua , a  more mature Joshua.  His powerful, brown arms  were muscular, with a light covering of dark hair.  His  eyes  still had the mischievous look she knew so well and which had so often  annoyed her. He was looking at her bare legs and she gave a slight shiver.

Just at that moment there was a lot of shouting near the  rondavels  that housed the resort staff, further up the hill. A crowd had collected outside. One of the men ran down towards Joshua waving his arms and screaming.

“Come! Come and help us. Inyoka!  Inyoka yephimpi!”

“Come with me Sara but stay in the background. I may need your help.”

They stopped in front of the rondavel. The woman in charge pointed to the inside .

“Has someone got a sack or bag of some kind? I need that and a broom.”

A man produced a pocket half full of  potatoes, which Josh emptied on the ground .

The woman gave him a worn looking broom.

“ Keep the people away, Sara and keep back, yourself.”

Joshua walked in to the rondavel and Sara could see he was trying to entice the snake into the potato bag. It took something like 15 minutes .

She stood with bated breath.

Joshua waved the people back as he came out with the cobra. He tied the neck of the bag fast .

“I am going to let it loose on the mountain. Please tell the folks that I will be late for supper tonight.”

Sara had been spell bound with the feelings that had erupted in her whole being.

It was dark when he came back. Their parents had gathered around a fire together and were braaing hoendertjies.

“I am glad to see you Josh.”

“I never thought to hear you say that Sara. Can we be friends from now on? I never meant to upset you with my teasing. I have googled ‘teasing’ on the internet and found that it is something that lies between Love and Hate. Which one will you choose? I have already made my choice!”