Still celebrating the month of love, and as promised, giving you feel-good stories about the homeless.
My apologies for my column last week. Gremlins crept into the Cape Argus system and my published column ended up making no sense at all.
A letter from Janine Harris in Rondebosch says she experienced a flat wheel on her way to a doctor’s appointment.
A young homeless man left the bin he was going through and walked over the road to where she had pulled over.
She admits her first thought was to lock herself in the car, but her desperation outweighed her prejudice.
The young man’s eye contact and friendly demeanour erased all her concerns.
“He said his name was Riaan. He asked me for my tools and spare wheel. I showed him where everything was, and he suggested I take a seat as it was hot, and he could see I looked exhausted.
“Fifteen minutes later, he was done. He packed all my tools, put the punctured wheel in the boot and handed me my key.
“I asked him if he needed anything. He said that we all always need something but that he was okay. It had been his pleasure to assist me.
“I asked him where he stayed, and he pointed to an overgrown hedge. I insisted he accept the R200 I had on me for his time and effort.”
Gerald Roberts from Bellville shared how a group of homeless individuals had saved him from being robbed by a “ghost taxi” one night outside Parow's Sanlam Centre.
Andrew Buckland told me about two homeless guys in Sea Point that informed him about the plan hatched by the security guard employed by his street to break into his home while he was away.
“They suggested I allow the plan to be carried out and catch the security guard red-handed, letting them into my flat. I did, and the security guard was caught. The two guys refused a reward. A more neighbourly gesture, I can’t imagine.”
Stephen Jeffries and his partner live in Green Point.
“On arriving back from a monthlong overseas trip, we were handed our spare keys and remotes to the entire property by our neighbour, who told us that a homeless guy that had been ‘skarrelling’ in our bin the night before our departure had found the keys.
“Being past midnight, he decided to return the next day. He tried for three days.
“On the fourth day, he tested the remote and was shocked to see the garage door open. The garage leads into the house. He closed the garage door and knocked at our neighbour, who told him that we were overseas and they didn’t want to take responsibility for the key.
“He somehow convinced them to keep the keys, promising to return them when we got back. On the Sunday after our return, he rang our doorbell and introduced himself. He told me how irresponsible we had been.
“I told him I would get him something to eat, but we didn’t have much food in the house. I gave him R300 and my email address if he ever needed anything. He emailed me that week and asked if he could give me back the money if I had an old phone, as he was trying to get a job and needed a contact number.
“I told him to come that Friday. I gave him an old phone. I put the money back into the cellphone’s box, and off he went. I had a lovely email thanking me, and that was the last I heard of him until he became quite the celebrity.
“Thank you for your honesty and your beautiful nature, Carlos. I am so happy you managed to get off the streets, and am overjoyed at all your successes. Lots of love.
PS. Let’s meet for coffee. Stephen Jeffries”
He included his email address, and I will, without a doubt, meet him for coffee.
Surprised? SO AM I!
* Carlos Mesquita.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.
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