One cannot always see it for what it is, but many times there’s a bonus in all the frustration that goes along with train delays. We have to try to see it as a chance to step out of the morning rush and madness and live up to the saying ‘rather late than never’.

Whether you like it or not; Never is Forever.

What if someone were to say to you today, “I never ever want to see you again,” and then lo and behold, it came true?

Often we hear of people who could have had their lives turned upside down by a disaster but because of a delay they are still around. They were not where they usually would have been at the time when disaster struck and they turned out to be safe from harm.

Of course the word ‘never’ does not apply to Metrorail. They never say they are ‘never early’ instead they say they are ‘usually delayed’.

I have many times heard that ‘the devil is in the details’ but I’m pretty sure that sometimes the devil is in the delays as well, trying to delay you from reaching your divine destiny.

However delays are not always the ‘work of the devil’.

Many times a delay is a blessing and sometimes having a little patience reveals a better outcome than what we could imagine.

A wise man once said “that which reason could not solve, delay has often cured”.

I would not have made it in time for this train which I’m on if the train was on time. The only reason I am still on time is because the train was delayed.

A Rastafarian stands alone in the corner and has the familiar smell of wild marijuana surrounding him. His eyes have a glossy look about them and they are bloodshot.

His motions are somewhat robotic and delayed… in anne woorde… hy’s dik geroek.

“Jah bless brother,” brom hy deur sy moustache. “Gaan die trein… dinges… Ysterplaat om brother?” he almost forgot where he was going. Dagga does that to the short-term memory.

“Vekere trein my brother. Vat n trein terug Mutual stasie toe,” I inform him. “We’re at Koeberg already.”

“Irie brother. Ek moen ees… dinges… what u call it… 9 o’clock daa wies. Ek’s darem noggie soe delayed ’ie,” his reply comes through slowly and delayed.

“Ja right…” I think almost out loud.

At Koeberg he gets off and greets me with “Jah guide brother” while the knuckles of our left hands have a coming together.

Suddenly a lady comes flying through the carriage doors. It resembles a scene from the Matrix, her coat making wings behind her.

“What’s the right time please?” she asks out of breath.

“Seven minutes to eight,” I reply.

“Oh my gosh. Thank you. I’m delayed,” she says with a concerned look.

“Don’t worry about it. It’s gone forever. You can never catch up again. Be anxious over nothing,” I try to calm her down.

She blows a sigh of relief as the words sink in.

The train is still at Koeberg station a few minutes longer and the voicemail lady on the PA system confirms that there was no need for her to rush.

“All trains to Cape Town are delayed due to electrical problems,” and in all these delays a cure is often hidden.

***

Urban Dictionary
anne – The Afrikaaps form of “ander” meaning “other”.
vekere – The Afrikaaps form of “verkeerde’ mean “wrong/incorrect”.
dinges – Used as a ‘filler word’ in both Cape Flats English and Afrikaaps when a person cannot come up with the correct word, name or concept they want to convey. Similar to ‘er’, ‘um’ and ‘thingy’.
“…in anne woorde, hy’s dik geroek.” – “…in other words, he is high from smoking dagga”
‘…brom hy deur sy moustache” – “…he mumbles through his moustache” (to brom means to mumble).