The Valentine Frenzy

Chapter 14

Back in my high school days, my close friends and I used to play pranks by writing short but unpleasant notes to our female teachers and classmates, usually with the intention to unsettle them out of their daily routines. While our targets rallied around, anxious to know where the nasty messages came from, we laughed our hearts out watching them suffer.

As I tore off the "Worried Girls" note off my door, those high school mischiefs came to mind. It was payback time, I thought. Much as I would like to dispel the source of the note from my mind, I kept musing over the students who had the nerve to paste it.

For a start, I thought the interactive and playful classes had gotten into their heads so much that they had started taking me for granted. No blame on them, though; jumping and running around on the sports ground was always entertaining. They thought of extending the fun to where I lived. I laughed it off as a joke.

Then, the previous night discussions with Andrew and others came to mind. Those guys had made it clear that ladies had been sending me romantic signals I didn't decode. Were the so-called admirers impatient already? That was rather silly.

That my stay in Glenmore had been going on well got me in a lively mood this Saturday morning. I looked around and cherished the magnificent landscape: undulating plains, tall mountains, lush grasslands and multiple farmlands.

The wind whistled aloud as if warming up for a storm. But it was all empty bravado; it had always blown heavily since I came around. The villagers must be at peace with themselves to have been in such an environment for so long.

In Johannesburg, we chased after one thing or the other. Merely walking on the streets could be a tough experience as someone coming behind could shove you aside. Here, one could walk for three kilometres without anyone saying 'Molo.'

Life in Glenmore was totally a new experience for me. If a kid was hyperactive, bringing him to these vast lands would teach him some lessons on patience. No wonder Mike said one could learn something about wisdom here.

My stay had afforded me the opportunity of seeing things from a distance. I appreciated my mom better and missed being in the company of my siblings.

At the end of the footpath that led to Madiba's compound, some guys knocked soccer balls around on one of the open fields. I lifted from the bench to take a walk there, hoping that they would tell me more about this beautiful environment, and I could also make new friends.

Kitted in a tracksuit and trainers, I jogged out of the compound. The foggy weather made it tough to run, but having been training with my students, I was up for it.

Soon I found myself on the field surrounded by guys who looked like professional footballers. They were jumping over wooden obstacles and I quickly joined them.

"Hello all," I greeted.

They greeted me like a teacher that I was. "Molo, fundisi."

My reply didn't leave them in doubt that I was strictly English-speaking. "Molo to you too."

I was surprised that they identified me as a teacher in the community school. It showed that the villagers observed changes in the neighbourhood. When some shot familiar looks at me, I recalled that a few of them attended Landmark. They'd seen me around the school compound.

I joined in the workouts, and in less than five minutes, I started sweating profusely. When the drill got rigorous, I stepped aside. Arsenal Football Club hadn't invited me for trials. Maintaining fitness and making friends brought me to the field.

From the sidelines, I watched how they stretched and moved about, hoping to learn a few fitness training tricks. Whenever my student got bored with my limited exercise routines, I would introduce the ones learnt here.