The Valentine Frenzy

Chapter 5

When we got to Grahamstown, Mr Roddak swerved into the bumpy narrow road that led to Glenmore village where his school sat. As we moved further into the country-side, the temperature kept dropping. I savoured the sights of seeing how people lived in the farmlands.

Most villagers looked pleased with whatever came their way as income, as though they couldn't achieve more, no matter how hard they tried. "These people will not survive in Johannesburg," I imagined. The fast pace of things would be too much for them to cope.

Mr Roddak too, I observed, was old-school. The manner he handled the car gears suggested that he was given to meticulousness.

"Are you a city person or a farm person?" he asked without looking at me.

I'd not been asked such a question before. So, I thought the man wanted to interview me. Wary not to start on a wrong footing, I trod cautiously.

"Err...I grew up in the city, and I currently work there. I've been to the farms a couple of times before. But not around here in the Eastern Cape."

"I don't think you'll like my school at all," he said, watchful of my body language.

"Well, I'm ready to put in my best wherever I'm assigned."

He didn't sound like the principal of a high school in a suburb. He looked like as an upright man with a strong sense of dedication; more like a gentleman who would go the extra mile to cater for his students. I brought to mind that he was the man who would appraise me after four weeks of teaching in his school.

"I understand that you are a Maths specialist and that you'll be with us for one month."

"Correct, sir. I was asked to demonstrate some new changes in the curriculum. Your present Maths teacher would take over from there."

He nodded slowly. "Since you won't be staying for long, I have provided a place for you close to the school. I don't expect you to compare us to schools in the cities, but I hope you'll enjoy staying there. Your landlord is a man who once lived in Johannesburg and he's a principled man."

"No problem, sir. I'm here to serve."

"With your height, I hope my students won't be scared of you."

A chuckle escaped my mouth. "I'll be their uncle, I guess."

"Oh, really. In that case, welcome to Landmark Community School, Uncle Jack." We had a good laugh.

Darkness had spread through when we arrived and most residents stayed indoors in the company of their families. Faint voices from their TV sets filled the narrow pathways. And the absence of street lamps made it hard to move through.

Mr Roddak took me to his house and parked the car in the garage – a bungalow with a large space in front. A fence separated his compound from the next one. I thought it wasn't a bad place to live, especially with a satellite dish hanging at the rooftop.

"It's late now. Let's stay here tonight. Tomorrow morning, I'll take you to the place provided for you."

"All right, sir."

None of his family members was home when we got into his well-furnished living-room. His wife, a school teacher too, had an official assignment in a nearby town. His kids studied in a Cape Town boarding school.

After being shown the room to stay for the night, I tucked my bags into the wall and straightened the bed. Then I returned to the living room to catch the evening news on TV but soon began to doze.

"Why don't you go to the room? It's been a long day, uh?" I quickly obliged.

After sleeping for a while, the chirping sounds from my phone forced my eyes open. Having been snoozing in the first gear, I thought the call was from my sisters. I dug the phone out of my hip pocket and placed it close to my ear.