The same is true of the train that stops daily at the station – the people here call it the Thabo rail. The rumour around town is that Thabo – a non-local in this town, built this train station after he had come into Kasilami and found favour with its people. When the Pirates were defeated in Kasilami, they retreated a little further north and found a home in the city.

But they didn’t fit in well there. They didn’t meet the high set criteria of jet-setting and sophistication. They were strange. They were raw. They stood out. They caused trouble and they were not welcome. The people in the city had heard rumours of Madiba’s heroic acts and needed to consult with him on how he defeated the Pirates. The city mayor sent a letter to the mayor in Kasilami asking for their aid. Thabo was then sent to Kasilami. He was being set up to be Madiba’s successor in defeating the estranged Pirates.

Thabo was honoured to meet Madiba and was grateful for his time. He brought many fine gifts with him for Madiba and the mayor of Kasilami in gratitude and friendship from the mayor in the city. Instinctively, upon mere introductions, Thabo found good favour with Madiba and the two men consulted in length over battle strategies and different combat methods.

Thabo stayed in Kasilami for two full months in preparation for the combat that was to take place. He was studying and learning simple principles and disciplines on how to win a battle from Madiba and the army of men he fought against the Pirates with. The locals described Thabo as someone who was better off. He had a larger-than-life presence about him. He was a man of few words. He wore the finest cut linens they had ever seen. He walked around the markets in Kasilami observing their way of life and their attitudes towards life. This was rural living and he was used to the totally opposite. The city was a roaring lion that needed to be tamed, and here in Kasilami life was predictable, safe, quiet, simple, repetitive and monotonous.

He walked around with a silver steel pen tucked behind his ear. He was always seen scribbling down notes; no one can tell if he scribbled words or numbers. His notebook was always open. He was a thinker; a strategist, a hero-like character. His city energy filled the whole small town of Kaslami and there was no one like him here nor one that matched his fine quality in material wealth. He spoke to some of the locals – whilst out at the market place. He spoke to anyone young and old that had the time to share their experiences with him. He spoke to the eldest pensioners and also showed interest in the smallest toddlers.

He spoke to the hobos and drunks that lay about on the sidewalk. He was surprised by what he found out. Many of them had never been out of this town. Many of them did not know about the towns and cities that lay on the other side of Mount Madiba. Almost all of them did not know the world he came from. But the same was true for him also, though he knew there was a town called Kasilami, he was never interested in it.

He did not know much about Kasilami until the defeat of the Pirates. Now that he was here -he liked being in Kasilami. He liked its scenic views. He liked its people. He liked its innocence; how unexplored it was. He liked its potential. But he totally disliked its darkness. There was ignorance in this place, compared to the city life he was used to. There was a tangible energy of tameness, a restriction, a limitation. And whilst on his walks observing in the market place daily, he scribbled down in his notebook things and ways he could possibly do to bring about civilization and see if he can influence them somewhat.

The time arrived for training to begin and Thabo asked for his troops of army men to be sent to Kasilami from the city. The city was slow to respond to his request. There was neither efficient nor modern nor sophisticated mode of transportation that reached the small town of Kasilami. Training was delayed by days as the troops from the city arrived uncomfortably in horse pulled wagons whilst others arrived on horseback and went and hid at the bottom of the mountain, inside the stomach of the mount Madiba, inside a cave.

Madiba made a call again, for the young and old, strong and brave men of Kasilami to help him train the troops from the city. This battle was going to be totally different to their spear and shield battle. The troops from the city had real ammunition. They had steel guns and gunpowder. Yet the principles to win the battles were still the same. Madiba trained them and trained them. The women brought the troops from the city food and water by day and went and prayed for their victory in battle by night-time at the church.

Disturbing news came in a letter addressed to the mayor in Kasilami from the mayor in the city. The letter informed them that the Pirates were looting their shops and they were burning their homes. Anger ran high as the men in the cave were told of the proceeding back at their homes. Thabo asked to be released from training with his troops of army men, but Madiba denied them permission to leave, he was not confident yet, that the troops understood the course they were fighting for beyond their anger. Training continued a little longer and in a little while Madiba was confident the men had already won the battle in their minds and released them to do and fight.

Leaving Kasilami was far more troublesome than when they came in. The troops had a great sense of urgency to return home yet there was no efficient, nor sophisticated mode of transportation at their disposal. The troops were still waiting for their mayor to send horses and horse pulled wagons to collect them and their heavy ammunition. Madiba spoke to the men in Kasilami and in brotherhood, they gave up their horses and horse pulled wagons to the city troops to leave for combat instantly. Days later, a letter arrived at the office of the mayor of Kasilami addressed to him, and it read:

To my friend and dear brother

The troops told me of your kindness whilst they were in Kasilami. Thabo told me that his time in Mount Madiba with Madiba surpassed all other experiences he has ever known. We now understand combatting with a purpose. The pirates are gone, defeated and shall never return.

Thabo will return to Kasilami and bore a hole in Mount Madiba and build a railway line and a train station. He tells me you have a marketplace that needs vibrance. People from the city will ascend the train and come to your market place to barter and buy. Tourists will ascend the train to come to your market place to barter and buy.

I will ascend the train to come and see you, Madiba and the wonderful people of Kasilami I have heard about. Kasilami will ascend the train to see the lights that shine beyond and above Mount Madiba.

I hope this has been the light you have needed. The troops all told me how dark it is there.

Please accept our gesture.

Your friend and dear brother

CITY MAYOR.

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Tell us: Is there a village or town you know like Mount Madiba?