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My British Airways flight touched down at Johannesburg International Airport, where a driver was waiting to deliver my friends 4x4, which she kindly let me have use of whilst she was in Europe.

An African Farm

Cindy Dale
2006-04-02 22:10:51

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My British Airways flight touched down at Johannesburg International Airport, where a driver was waiting to deliver my friends 4x4, which she kindly let me have use of whilst she was in Europe.

“Hell, you are a brave lady,” said Piet, a gregarious, burly Afrikaner as he handed me the Land Rover’s keys. “I don’t know any men that would do what you are doing.”

I smiled, “So many reasons but the root of it all is that my kids have grown up and left home, I’m single, I have grown to despise the inhospitable city life and so decided to leave London and come back to my African roots and help my friend establish a farm. She plans to see her retirement years out cultivating the lands I will be preparing for her,” I responded haughtily.

“But of all places, Mozambique!” said Piet, shaking his head in dismay.

“What can I say – Sandra has this eccentric need to rebuild what was once her home. Mozambique has been raped by decades of war, they have had one natural disaster after the next, but the people continue, relentlessly to build and grow. Nothing deters them. And of course, owning an African farm on the Indian Ocean has been her dream for decades,” I smiled kindly at him, unlocking the car door, indicating closure to the conversation.

“Thanks for all this Piet,” I said, waving at the car.

“Good luck Cindy!” he smiled and smacked the hood as I pulled away.

The following morning I left Johannesburg heading east to the Mozambique border, some 1500 km’s away. My new home, for the next year at least, was a further four-hour drive north of Maputo, the country’s capital.

The journey to the border was lengthy as the rains had taken its toll on the roads. Once past the border post, I soon realised the journey ahead was going to be agonising as the road was filled with potholes -- potholes so large that ...