The weather prediction for today is all doom and gloom. The voicemail lady announces that all trains are running late due to bad weather conditions.
Vasco Da Gama didn’t name Cape Town “Cabo Das Tormentos” for nothing.
At work Rattlesnake Rachel is not going to be impressed with her staff being late… Again!
A lady looking like she can’t be anything less than 8 months pregnant is standing in the corner of the waiting area shielding herself from the icy breeze which is howling down the length of the platform..
A vagrant wakes up from underneath his newspapers and cardboard; looks at her and smiles.
“Good morning mother-to-be,” he greets her politely and tries to smile but it seems like his facial muscles got frozen during the night.
She in return compliments him with a beaming smile and returns his gesture by politely greeting him “Good morning sir”.
He remains in his horizontal position on the bench and continues the conversation by asking her: “And what is the name you have in mind for your little one?”
“Oh, Rosemary-Ann,” she replies still smiling; the cold breeze not getting the attention it calls for.
He thinks for a moment looks at her and says: “You are a brave girl to give the child such a name. I haven’t heard that name in ages,” whilst still lying on the bench with both hands under the side of his face.
He turns to lay on his back; the cardboard following him, and stares into the sky as if the roof doesn’t exist.
She gets his attention when she replies: “That’s the names of both my grandparents. They were big influences in my life and that name is in honour of them.”
His right hand brushes over his unshaven face then settles on caressing his beard.
In a soft voice he whispers: “My late mother’s name was Rose and she was the rose amongst the thorns. When she passed away, life was just not the same anymore.”
At that moment he sits up. The cardboard and old newspapers loosen their grip and end up on the cold cement floor.
“By the way people prefer names like Chloe, Zoë, even Joey and also Ron, Riri; not to mention Ray for girls, in this so-called modern world we are living in,” he continues. “Old traditions are fast becoming a thing of the past; en ek moet klaar maak. Die dag wag vi my want my Engels is oek nou op.”
With that he picks up the papers and cardboard, steadies himself and walks out towards the platform with his ‘blankets’ under his arm, where he is greeted by the icy breeze blowing in his face, tugging on his faded jeans and worn out jacket.
He walks away like he never had that conversation; his face expressionless.
He didn’t say goodbye. Maybe he never says goodbye. Could it be possible that goodbye brings back memories of years gone by?
Was there a goodbye he never wanted?
The train appears with people clinging onto it for dear life, people sitting in between carriages, almost on the roof, hanging outside the doors.
They are all desperate to be at work on time, whilst this train is so desperately late.
***
Urban Dictionary
“…en ek moet klaar maak. Die dag wag vi my.”
“…and I have to finish up. The day awaits me.”
“My Engels is op.”
“I’ve run out of English.”
This is a phrase used by Afrikaans-speakers on the Cape Flats who have English as a second language and who have reached the limit of how much they can eloquently express themselves in English, and they say this to indicate that they would like to switch to their first language.
It is also jokingly used to refer to someone who has reached the limitations of their ability to speak English as in:
“Hom / Haar Engels is op.”
“He’s / She’s run out of English.”
“Cabo Das Tormentos” – Portuguese for “Cape of Storms”