South Africa - The Lions on the Road: Cycling London to Cape Town - page 312

A person I met earlier in Port Elizabeth said that his friend was a minister in the
town and that I possibly could stay with him. I went to the address I was given and saw no
lights on in the church. I then went to the minister's house next to it and again the lights
were off. I waited outside and within minutes it started to rain. As I was putting my bike
on the porch, the interior lights switched on and the minister opened the door. I introduced
myself and mentioned what his friend from Port Elizabeth suggested. His wife made me
some tea as he telephoned another friend, Charles Van Wyk, who lived on a nearby farm to
come pick me up. So in the pouring rain, I put my bike in the Van Wyk's covered buckie
and we went to his farmhouse. I was given a room, took a shower and ate dinner. The next
day I was invited to visit a home for adults who were physically challenged.
After having a full breakfast, Esme Van Wyk took me to the Wallace Andersen
Home.ThereImetsixyoungadultswhowereallquadriplegics.TherewasMaria,Johanne,
Jaco and three others. When I arrived, the residents were celebrating a birthday and I was
invited to join. I spent a lot of time with one very inspirational person, Jaco Cloete.
Jaco wanted to show me his room and I followed him as we chatted down the cor-
ridor. He was an astute young man with a warm sense of humour and our topics of conver-
sation ranged from his diving accident that caused his condition when he was in Standard
7, to politics, to faith and to women. I had to cut our conversation short and told him that I
needed to leave for a few hours to see a woman but promised to return later in the day. He
smiled and understood.
I left by 1:00 p.m. for I wanted to meet up with Toni as she made her way to Cape
Town by bus. As the bus pulled into Riversdale to refuel, I boarded the bus to say hello. I
chatted on board until the bus driver asked me to disembark for he was about to depart. I
waved good-bye as the bus pulled away and that would be the last time I ever saw Toni.
I returned to the house with Esme and we had lunch together. Then we loaded my
bike in her buckie and we drove back to the Wallace Andersen Home to take pictures with
the residents. After spending several hours there, I cycled back to the farm. That evening, I
was taken to see a theological play and was invited to speak at the end. The audience col-
lected 130 Rand for STC.