Knitting for Africa (part 12)

July 20, 2011

By Roger G McDonald Reunion’s Rain With six day’s break, we have at our disposal the latitude to feel each other out. Six days—what an infinite proposal; a luxury of time, reprieved from doubt. Reunion’s rain relieves the family drought. The heat grows—and the pace begins to slow. Shared news becomes discussion, turns to chat, [...]

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Knitting for Africa (part 11)

July 14, 2011

By Roger G McDonald Secret of the River ‘To the left. Can you see?’ I say: ‘I know.’ Out across the flood plain—muddy red, our first view of the locals—great white rhino. The moment pierced my heart. I think it fed a prayer I’d mostly call mere thanks instead. The sunrise is another place, defined [...]

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Knitting for Africa (part 10)

July 13, 2011

By Roger G McDonld Pulse of the Bush Our high thatched dwelling sits above the river: The Crocodile (Ngwenya) forms the line where, to the north, Kruger will deliver, or withhold, its secrets. But now it’s time to bow to heat, then toast the sun’s decline. A knock. Sandy spreads across the ceiling. A daughter [...]

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Knitting for Africa (part 9)

July 11, 2011

By Roger G McDonald First Date Through Witbank, Middleburg, Machadadorp, the road descends to valleys and to hills. Fields of sugar form the weft and warp of lower tapestries. A torrent spills beside us. It’s the dream our stream fulfils. Then on, to Nelspruit, huddling in the rocks, Matsulu, Malalane and Hectorspruit. Komatipoort will turn [...]

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Knitting for Africa (part 8)

July 8, 2011

By Roger G McDonald Road to Wildness Africa invented the safari. So we set out, the biggest group we’ve had since politics removed us from Harare. Ahead, the Kruger bush and heat. We’re glad, though neither Coward’s Englishmen, nor mad! The road to wildness takes us through the veld; through rolling miles of maize mole-hilled [...]

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Knitting for Africa (part 7)

July 5, 2011

By Roger G McDonald Collective of the Silent And knitting talk soon lifts its happy head: the blanket squares for charity that crowd our Ronda’s kitchen, lounge, spare rooms, and bed. They seem like monuments, built by a proud collective of the silent, knitting loud. And that’s not all! The knitting from afar understates the [...]

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Square Million. Suspend reality and see what is possible.

July 5, 2011

You may have noticed in the last ezine, ‘we’re back’, that we pointed out that G4S’s prison inmates, who are sewing blankets for the orphans and vulnerable children, have the capacity to sew 100,000 squares a month. That’s 1.2 million squares a year. Heart stopping! 1.2 million squares certainly sounds impossible, if you imagine it [...]

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Knitting for Africa (part 6)

July 4, 2011

By Roger G McDonald Soul Survivors The chatter is of children; of their growth; of sisters, brothers, parents, husbands, wives. Compacted news is traded with the oath that distance must not interfere with lives. We marvel how the family soul survives. Close-knit—of course! The best analogies emerge when blood and brain can recognise each other [...]

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Knitting for Africa (part 5)

June 30, 2011

By Roger G McDonald Relation to Relation Officialdom, that universal curse, meets us with its shrug of indifference. If immigration’s terse, then customs’ worse, regardless of the reason for our presence. Politeness isn’t all about pretence. No matter. Public space gives private lives a welcome meal after long privation. And there’s the family. Each of [...]

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Knitting for Africa (part 4)

June 29, 2011

By Roger G McDonald Seconds First Travelling west is easier than east. In winging left, you fly back into time; like eating your seconds first at a feast. There’s less that sense of weariness and grime that leaves most flyers well short of their prime. Johannesburg—the gold-born city. Heat soaks the concrete, slowing down its [...]

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