Today we went to Hluleka to one of our smallest yet vibrant congregations. Its a four hour road trip on a rural and gut-shaking road which would even lead a n experienced sailor to seasickness. I had to sit in the back of our Isuzu bakkie with my black outfit and stockings with a hole on my big toe and a gap in my gums where a beloved tooth used to reside.When the other ten mamas (also in their black outfits and missing teeth-I do not yet know about the stockings) got in, the Mamkhulu (granny) siting next to me gave her friend a clap and said she was fat (Mkhulu) and was sitting on her legs.
All was forgiven when we entered the tiny and simple church building with greetings and singing . The woman was so glad to see each other and as we got back in the Isuzu bakkie two hours later, I counted eleven woman and two little boys. The boys' very elderly grandfather was sitting in front and when we stopped, he was so happy about the mornings' service and the lift home that he forgot his grandchildren with us. The women nearly fell out the back from laughter and merrily started singing spiritual Xhosa songs.
That was until we stopped again and one of the women who were holding on to the bakkie's canopy got her hand caught and pinched between two rigid steel springs when the canopy was opened to let some of the women out. When I heard the howling I thought a snake slithered through the gaps between the canopy and bakkie. The pastor (my husband) heard the commotion at the back and he rescued the damsel in distress. She recovered after a prayer and some of the red juice that was left from communion. The Mamkhulu (the same one sitting next to me before) also wanted a sip from the juice as she said she was combusting from the heat, but she was too late as the patient felt she could only recover from drinking the last sip as well.
When the last woman got out I fell down in a heap and slept until we gave a small group of people who were helping with elections a lift. I counted one Mama in her black church outfit and four ANC supporters in their yellow T-shirts and two fat green pumpkins.
