Background:
1. You go out to a really rural area to watch your fiance play cricket.
2. Not knowing anyone, you sit quietly, half-reading a book and half-watching the cricket match (which is particularly boring when said fiance is fielding).
3. The young-ish group of cricket-playing-farmers' wives are over at the other end of the building having a fat old chat in Afrikaans.
The Moment:
Farmers' wives start glancing over at you every few seconds and take pity on you, sitting all alone...one comes up to greet you:
Friendly farmer's wife: Goeie môre (I heard: Hoo-wee-ah Moor-ah, but fast)
Me: Oh, yeah... (big smile...if I smile big enough, maybe she won't realize that I have absolutely no idea what she just said)
Friendly farmer's wife: Oh, you're not from South Africa
Me: No, I'm from the USA...I'm engaged to that guy (pointing at Ross). We're just visiting now but might be moving here in a few months. This is my first time to Africa.
Friendly farmer's wife: Oh, that's an adventure. I've always been adventurous too. I'm from Cradock. It's been tough to live this far from my parents, but now I live Graaff-Reinet. I really enjoy it there.
Me: Oh, isn't Cradock about two hours from Graaff-Reinet?
Friendly farmer's wife: Yes, that's right.
Me: Oh...uh, yeah it's hard to be so far from home (thinking-to-myself that 2 hours isn't very far but also that this lady is really nice)
Friendly farmer's wife: Would you like to come sit with us?
Me: Oh yes, thank you! (big smile...cool, new friends!)
Then she took me over to her friends, set me up with a glass of wine, and they all continued to have a merry chat in Afrikaans, ignoring my presence. Oh well, they tried...
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