South Africa - The Lions on the Road: Cycling London to Cape Town - page 281

When the priest called the family to ask, they warmly welcomed me. I spent Easter with
the family as if I was their adopted son attending all the services from Holy Thursday until
Easter Sunday.
During my stay in Pietersburg, the rector took me and the two youngest sons sight-
seeingwithhisToyotaCorollanearTzaneenjustwestoftheKrugerNationalPark.Wefirst
drove to the Debengeni Falls where the Ramadipa River cascades over 80 metres and then
totheEbenezerDamfedbytheGrootLetabaRiver.Thefunnythingwasthathetookshort
cuts to our destinations where only I'd dare take a 4 by 4, i.e., literally through pine forests
and fields. I sat in the front seat and at times, I couldn't see where we were going for the
grass was taller than the car. I just envisioned us mowing a path through someone's field
and I couldn't stop laughing.
However, there were many times where the scenery was stunning and again not
having a camera was so irritating. On our way back we passed a place called Zion City of
Moria where one million black South African Zionists met on Easter weekend. The roads
leading to this town became exceptionally dangerous as people arrived in over-packed and
speeding mini-vans.
Alas, the Easter weekend flew by and reluctantly I found myself packing my bike
for the next day's departure.
After saying good-bye to the family, Kevin escorted me to the road that took me
out of town and after one last good-bye, I pushed off. Even though there were no major
climbs, the headwind made progress very slow and exhausting. It took me three hours to
cycle to Potgietersrus which was only 58 kilometres away. Luckily, the road was not very
busy. After passing this town, to keep myself mentally occupied from thinking about the
wind and the distance, I prayed The Way of the Cross. Just as I finished, I came across a
farm and had a strong feeling to stop and ask if I could camp on the property. I cycled up
the dirt road and passed a sign that read “The Glover Farm” and arrived at the main gate. I
shouted to get the owners' attention but all was quiet in the home.
As I turned my bike around about to cycle back to the highway, a vehicle ap-
proached me. I quickly introduced myself to the driver and asked if he was Mr. Glover. He
said yes as I showed him my letter of introduction from Save the Children Fund. I asked
him if I could set up my tent on his property and promised to leave first thing in the morn-
ing. He read the letter in silence and when he folded and returned it, I sensed he was going
to say no, so I thanked him anyway and placed my foot on the pedal to push off. That was
when he said, “Follow me.”
He opened the gate and led me into the house. I was shown the guestroom and
quicklytookashower.Ijoinedhisthreeteenagedaughters(Hilary,MichelleandMonique)
andtheirgrandmotheratthekitchentabletoplaycardstogetherasourconversationcentred
on apartheid. Mr. Glover stood by the sink with his wife Celeste and watched us. Actually,
he was watching me for I was under his very suspicious gaze the whole time. I sensed he