It is amazing how city dwellers just overlook all that is so dear to me here on my little paradise. Well, they don't see it as paradise, and I was waiting in quite a bit of panic for my best friend of many years to arrive. Thus far she had refused to come to Haarlem, as she was afraid of the snakes, the rats, the lack of amenities, and a whole list of other, insignificant things. But she had just lost her husband, and although living in a complex for older people, she was extremely lonely.
So Steven, her son, decided to bring her to visit me for a few days while he was conducting some bussiness in the Eastern cape, as I was just a little out of his way.
As luck would have it, a herd of horses were grazing in front of the gate, and when my guests eventually arrived, the horses left in haste, as Steven lustily applied his tooter. Whether from haste or disgust, or maybe fright, the horses left a few heaps of very aromatic dung steaming in the cold evening air.
I watched from where I was busy unlocking the gate, and screamed at Edythe to look out for the dung that was directly underneath her door. She hastily slammed the door, and as I neared the car, I saw that her eyes were darting everywhere, and they were as big as saucers.
Steven in the meantime had left the car and was making his way gingerly towards me, a fixed smile on his face, and his eyes on the heaps of dung that was still steamimg, trying to not step into it. I told him to drive the car inside the gate, and he made his way back, trying his best not to step into a dungheap!
Edythe in the meantime thought that I had seen a monster on its way to eat her up, and she refused to leave the car, so panicky that she didn't hear when I explained that she was about to put her foot into a dungheap!
After a lot of cajoling, as she was now set to go with Steven and stay in a guest house, I convinced her that it was quite safe to get out, as I was still with the living, as she could see!
Once inside she calmed down, and I prayed that no nosy rain spider would decide to see who was calling, and ome down to greet the guests, as this spiders almost grew as big as my hand. But either they were too cold to leave the thatch, or they realised that it might be dangerous, but no spider appeared!
I cooked a meal from fresh veggies out of my garden, and as I had told them that, I was a bitty disconcerted when Steven then asked me what I do during the day to keep myself busy! Thinking of self hunting down moles, shooting cats and peacocks with my catapult, weeding, keeping house, painting, and at the moment crocheting bags for the market, I almost gave him a funny answer, but as he was my guest, I just smiled.
Bedtime came, and Edythe went into a state of terror, as she was sure that some harm will become her overnight. I had to use all my wit to try and convince her that no giant snake would crawl down and devour her, and that no rat as big as a cat existed, and that the spiders were all cosily ensconced between the thatch.
It was after midnight when I had seen her into her bed, after getting the torch and shining it all over the thatch, to see if there was no googa (bug) or other nasties.
The next morning she was heavy eyed, and I knew that she might not have slept at all, but as Steven had left before seven, she had to make peace with her having a holiday in Haarlem. I just can not understand that people could be so full of phobias and fantasies, and if I did not know Edythe, I would not believe that such people existed at all! I suppose that if you have never been on a homestead like mine, where I have only the necessary amenities, and lots of fauna, you have to get used to it first.