Kechube and the luck of the devil.
Years ago I was on my way back from the Transkei.
I had just finished some business in Butterworth and was in the middle of nowhere.
With cellular coverage being spotty I was in and out of signal.
This was back when cell phones were just released.
The car I had taken was a brand new BMW and I was loving the open road and the music. One of those special moments with the open road in front, and no worries in sight.
I came into cellular coverage briefly and got a call from my brother in law who, when he heard about my location asked me to do him a favour. It seems some business in the area owed him money and "could I drop by and do a pickup?".
I agreed.
Consulted the map, I found that I had passed the turn 50km away.
I saw what looked like an alternate road that went directly to the destination, came upon the turn and took it.
The road got smaller and smaller and finally became gravel and then evolved into a rut on the side of a mountain!
I could not go back or turnaround, and suddenly I was crossing streams and getting really worried for my
safety.
The new car was being stressed to the limits.
I had no signal, and had no idea how far I had gone, or how far I had to go.
Really, Really scary.
Then in the distance I saw a regal figure.
It was a tall black man wrapped in a blanket wearing some kind of traditional head gear.
I approached him to ask for directions and was a little nervous of meeting a stranger in this strange place.
Rolled down the window and lo and behold recognise the stranger as non other than "Kechube".
My trusted guard when I had the farm shop so many years ago!.
I got off and hugged him and we spoke for a while and then he directed me to my destination, which as it turns out was just around the next bend.!
I often think about this and wonder that if I was a superstitious person I could have read a lot into this encounter.
He was the man that represented SAFETY to me, and in my hour of need, what were the chances that I would run into him?
Really freaky.
Like I said I am the luckiest person I know.
I had just finished some business in Butterworth and was in the middle of nowhere.
With cellular coverage being spotty I was in and out of signal.
This was back when cell phones were just released.
The car I had taken was a brand new BMW and I was loving the open road and the music. One of those special moments with the open road in front, and no worries in sight.
I came into cellular coverage briefly and got a call from my brother in law who, when he heard about my location asked me to do him a favour. It seems some business in the area owed him money and "could I drop by and do a pickup?".
I agreed.
Consulted the map, I found that I had passed the turn 50km away.
I saw what looked like an alternate road that went directly to the destination, came upon the turn and took it.
The road got smaller and smaller and finally became gravel and then evolved into a rut on the side of a mountain!
I could not go back or turnaround, and suddenly I was crossing streams and getting really worried for my
safety.
The new car was being stressed to the limits.
I had no signal, and had no idea how far I had gone, or how far I had to go.
Really, Really scary.
Then in the distance I saw a regal figure.
It was a tall black man wrapped in a blanket wearing some kind of traditional head gear.
I approached him to ask for directions and was a little nervous of meeting a stranger in this strange place.
Rolled down the window and lo and behold recognise the stranger as non other than "Kechube".
My trusted guard when I had the farm shop so many years ago!.
I got off and hugged him and we spoke for a while and then he directed me to my destination, which as it turns out was just around the next bend.!
I often think about this and wonder that if I was a superstitious person I could have read a lot into this encounter.
He was the man that represented SAFETY to me, and in my hour of need, what were the chances that I would run into him?
Really freaky.
Like I said I am the luckiest person I know.
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