CHALLENGES AT GLEE

My builder, Crazy S, did a beautiful job of renovating my cottage. I call her Swanky, ‘cause she is faaaar swankier than she used to be.

Swanky Before

Swanky After

What Crazy S also did very well was to dump me in deep dwang. He hastily built up rather a rep in these parts, repeatedly driving well inebriated through farm fences and then calling up my neighbours for assistance! In hindsight, these Crazy S shenanigans are probably the reason Meanie Man took such an aversion to me. As much as I felt trepidation in moving somewhere new, Meanie Man was feeling the same: terrified a hooligan hellraiser was moving in next door!

I hope I have put his mind to rest.

Crazy S left me with the other rather large balls up of my non-existent solar and gas connection. Unbeknown to me, he had completely alienated himself from the companies involved. M and I had been living very rough, so when I had the phone slammed down in my ear, it was the last straw! Friends came to my rescue and sent out a Facebook plea to get me some help. That very day, my solar was connected.

Well, M and I were styling. We had POWER! Fridge! Lights! Movies! But still no joy from the company I had already paid to connect the gas geyser and oven safely. It was to be 2 months till we got hot water, and even then, I had to find another company to help me. It boggles the mind. The first company was happy to take my money, but not so happy to do the work. Pigs.

Oh, and the saga of getting the furniture down to Swanky! I insisted on a small truck and even offloaded furniture so everything would fit into a smaller truck. I gave the company pins and pics of where the furniture actually had to go. A monster truck arrived! When the driver eventually got down into the valley, he motioned with his finger that he would like to slit my throat. I realise it hadn’t exactly been an easy journey for him, but my skin crawled. This is not a gesture to be taken lightly in the light of the horrifying farm murders in South Africa.

I was relieved when he left.

Queenie and Finn were safely at the top of Glee, preferring to remain there as the valley is challenging for a flight animal being so enclosed. Queenie had lost a lot of weight from the stress of the journey, but they were settling in nicely and seemed to enjoy their birds eye view of the neighbouring horses, cows and general farm goings on.

With the horses at the top, it meant a lot of work for M and I and poor Trusty Steed Eliot, as we had to drive up and down three times a day to take up water, feed and check for ticks. Now there was a horror show!

M, as always, such a calm presence, quietly went about clearing the area around the dwellings, building an amazing chicken coop, helping with the horses, tending to the veg garden, boiling kettle after kettle for ‘showers’ and even cooking supper! While I ungratefully got increasingly irritated. I had flu which didn’t help matters and neither did my money woes. But I could see there was something bothering M. It turns out, stoic M, had a few woes of his own.

We don’t have a signal down at Swanky as it is too hidden in the valley. So, M set up a chair about 300m up the hill where we get good reception. I fondly refer to it as ‘le phone booth.’

Le Phone Booth

Every morning and night, we go up to check phones, make and receive calls. We are getting fit! Le phone booth is a lovely arrangement for us, but not for M’s family. They are getting increasingly antsy as they can never get hold of him. M has been accused of ‘playing around’. This has hurt him deeply. He needs to get home. He wishes to appease his wife and grandmother. But, most importantly, he wishes to meet his daughter. M’s wife had a beautiful baby girl in December 2019. M has still not met her. It is only fair he goes home.

In early March 2020, I waved M goodbye at the bus station as he set out on the long journey home to pacify his woman and kiss his precious baby girl hello.

I didn’t know I would not see him again for much longer than the mere month I anticipated. I didn’t know I would be alone for, so far, nearly 8 months and counting. M has still been unable to return.

I miss him terribly.

M and Faye

APPRECIATIONS

Isabel for finding me my solar heroes.

JLS Solar. For your speedy assistance and professionalism. For boosting my morale.