sunlit plants. snails. shining shifts through the leaves creating dances to shadows. sunshine. learn to be kind.

Bubbles of sunshine through the trees that cover our humble garden. I am not alone; I have a 2-year-old peeking through the fences with her chocolate dirty hands and face. Piercing blue eyes yapping, we are having conversations of profound issues.

My best friend forever is downstairs finishing a lockdown 1500-piece puzzle. I lost interest in 3 days. Yet his determination is simply outstanding. Marley has reversed in between the wall and PC, so he is here with me as I write, parked off eyes shut listening to Angus and Julies Stone.

There is true life in a garden. without a doubt. You just have to have patience and love for nature.

No love no nurture.

We inherited a mess. But slowly but surely it is coming alive. Being on lockdown jolts a lot of its progress but nature is resilient as all she needs is kindness, so I water her. I have another visitor tall in stature, getting old, and a little wonky one-eyed Giz. He stumbles past me and lays in the leaves camouflaged by shadows. I have had him for 17 years, got him when he was 6 weeks old. How absolutely delicious he is!

Coldplay is playing “Trouble in Town”. How appropriate. The World is trouble as I sit and enjoy the warmth of the sunlight and nature, trees with very few flowers. Snails, birds. Just such a happy place to be on lockdown.

How fortunate we are.

Internet, Spotify, Sunshine. A camera with a zoom lens, full tummy, got a cig in one hand and a tall glass of water in my other. We live in a very small duplex step up, 5 houses in a neat row. Three bedrooms, 2 1/5 bathrooms. And there are only two people live here. Garage. And a lovely kitchen, dining, and lounge on lockdown. It’s pretty.

Yet over a field and few roads, you get Masi, an informal settlement. Still cannot we call it that. Imagine being in an overpopulated shack. Hungry, uneducated, and ruled by their men. Cramped. No running water. No sanitary towels. The Main Road outside the front door. An absolute nightmare of dust, the devil, and the dirt. I can never get these thoughts out of my head.

I conclude. Be kind. Always…