In land of Mandela ...
In land of Mandela ...
"Don't stay out late after 7 pm alone Missey..it's not safe !!!.. " The lady with big beautiful kohled eyes on the hotel reception desk yelled back to me as she saw me step out gingerly into that crisp n chilly evening of Johannesburg..Feeling my hands suddenly freeze I indulgently smiled back at the receptionist while slipping on my gloves and got into my waiting cab.. Peter my guide for that evening .. Actually to be precise Peter my friend , philosopher and guide in South Africa, a prof from University of Johannesburg ...just texted me our place of meeting and I handed over the address to the Cabman .. Day was just starting to set in..the sun was moving to peep behind the hillocks in the horizon of Johannesburg .. As my cab moved from the all posh and plush areas Into the less jazzy ones. I looked at the shiny glitzy roads of Johannesburg going up and down like a long serpent in the hilly terrain of the city..as we moved into the more crowded parts of the City .. I noticed the glitzy shiny roads slowly turn into darker and not so jazzy alleys .. Paying my Cabman off I stepped out to walk into the crowded strip mall to pick up some handmade tidbits ..
junky trinklets ( with African touch) .. and memoirs of Johannesburg..all spread around me.. It was a treat to just walk around absorbing the local ambience .. culture .. Arts .. Aromas and food all together that evening in that crowded strip mall ....just then heard some music.. Very tappy - happy music..invariably moved towards it.. There in the middle of the shopping arcade spotted these young locals dancing and singing on foot tapping rhythm on Congo with accompanied guitar .. Though I was clueless of thier words but their foot tapping Gaiety and melody completely entranced me.. I was involuntarily drawn towards the group singing and dancing with complete abundance and joy ..I was clapping and listening glued to the spot... I felt a lady from the dancing group suddenly come towards me and before I could realize she laughingly pulled me in.. I was suddenly in the mid of group and they were clapping and egging me on to join the flow of rhythm.. Hesitating at first.. But soon the gaiety and rhythm took over my inhibition ..and soon I found myself moving in tandem with them.. Embarrassed but still enjoying it all .. I laughed out .. And the man next to me yelled " that's like a good girl missey"..,the complete abundance and joyful notes of the happy dance and song .. Mesmerized me .. I sort of lost myself into it for few moments.. Then suddenly I was petrified to look at my watch ..it was already getting 8 pm .. One hour past my allowed time.. Then saw the text from my host Peter " sorry can't make it for our dinner meeting .. See u tomm "... Hurriedly collecting my stuff I ran out of the dancing troupe to hitch a cab and get back,.suddenly I remembered the receptionist cautioning words and I started almost running towards the Main Street for cab .. While I was rushing towards the road.. I heard someone calling " Hey Hello .. Cinderella".. I turned back to find a middle aged local man standing there and calling me out .. He smiled and said " sorry didn't know ur name .. Didn't know how to call u.. Actually just wanted to give u this.. U dropped it while dancing there in the group .. " he said while thrusting my pocket wallet back into my hand.. Open mouthed I stared at him .. The wallet had all my identity cards . Credit cards and all the cash I was carrying .. I just mumbled a blank" thanks " and as I was about to turn away he yelled back again " Missey u from India.. ? " I nodded and he yelled back " hellos to land of Gandhi from land of Mandela".. And before I could respond he hazed back into the floating crowd again probably to join the gay dancing troupe again.. And as I smilingly got into the cab that dark beautiful night I whispered to myself " Lovely to meet u Land of Mandela"..and sat back to enjoy the quite and serene drive back to my hotel..
"Don't stay out late after 7 pm alone Missey..it's not safe !!!.. " The lady with big beautiful kohled eyes on the hotel reception desk yelled back to me as she saw me step out gingerly into that crisp n chilly evening of Johannesburg..Feeling my hands suddenly freeze I indulgently smiled back at the receptionist while slipping on my gloves and got into my waiting cab.. Peter my guide for that evening .. Actually to be precise Peter my friend , philosopher and guide in South Africa, a prof from University of Johannesburg ...just texted me our place of meeting and I handed over the address to the Cabman .. Day was just starting to set in..the sun was moving to peep behind the hillocks in the horizon of Johannesburg .. As my cab moved from the all posh and plush areas Into the less jazzy ones. I looked at the shiny glitzy roads of Johannesburg going up and down like a long serpent in the hilly terrain of the city..as we moved into the more crowded parts of the City .. I noticed the glitzy shiny roads slowly turn into darker and not so jazzy alleys .. Paying my Cabman off I stepped out to walk into the crowded strip mall to pick up some handmade tidbits ..
junky trinklets ( with African touch) .. and memoirs of Johannesburg..all spread around me.. It was a treat to just walk around absorbing the local ambience .. culture .. Arts .. Aromas and food all together that evening in that crowded strip mall ....just then heard some music.. Very tappy - happy music..invariably moved towards it.. There in the middle of the shopping arcade spotted these young locals dancing and singing on foot tapping rhythm on Congo with accompanied guitar .. Though I was clueless of thier words but their foot tapping Gaiety and melody completely entranced me.. I was involuntarily drawn towards the group singing and dancing with complete abundance and joy ..I was clapping and listening glued to the spot... I felt a lady from the dancing group suddenly come towards me and before I could realize she laughingly pulled me in.. I was suddenly in the mid of group and they were clapping and egging me on to join the flow of rhythm.. Hesitating at first.. But soon the gaiety and rhythm took over my inhibition ..and soon I found myself moving in tandem with them.. Embarrassed but still enjoying it all .. I laughed out .. And the man next to me yelled " that's like a good girl missey"..,the complete abundance and joyful notes of the happy dance and song .. Mesmerized me .. I sort of lost myself into it for few moments.. Then suddenly I was petrified to look at my watch ..it was already getting 8 pm .. One hour past my allowed time.. Then saw the text from my host Peter " sorry can't make it for our dinner meeting .. See u tomm "... Hurriedly collecting my stuff I ran out of the dancing troupe to hitch a cab and get back,.suddenly I remembered the receptionist cautioning words and I started almost running towards the Main Street for cab .. While I was rushing towards the road.. I heard someone calling " Hey Hello .. Cinderella".. I turned back to find a middle aged local man standing there and calling me out .. He smiled and said " sorry didn't know ur name .. Didn't know how to call u.. Actually just wanted to give u this.. U dropped it while dancing there in the group .. " he said while thrusting my pocket wallet back into my hand.. Open mouthed I stared at him .. The wallet had all my identity cards . Credit cards and all the cash I was carrying .. I just mumbled a blank" thanks " and as I was about to turn away he yelled back again " Missey u from India.. ? " I nodded and he yelled back " hellos to land of Gandhi from land of Mandela".. And before I could respond he hazed back into the floating crowd again probably to join the gay dancing troupe again.. And as I smilingly got into the cab that dark beautiful night I whispered to myself " Lovely to meet u Land of Mandela"..and sat back to enjoy the quite and serene drive back to my hotel..
Comments
Post a Comment