Finally; We Did It

Finally we did it, Musa and Rhulani!! (I just hope we can sustain it) For some unexplainable reason we always seem to find ourselves dwindling our fingers during the festive season, wondering why on earth we did not plan to do something exciting like get out of Joburg and go on holiday! I recall countless post-December 25 occasions when it has suddenly dawned on us that “hang on we have made no plans for New Years Eve and New Years Day”!! You know, when we were younger and had no choice but to go where our parents go during the festive season that was fine, it was acceptable because hey a) we had no money, b) we had no cars and whatever else is needed to go on vacation! So back in the day our festive season comprised of being at an uncle/aunts home, chill with the other kids – our cousins- who might I add are at least ten years our juniors. We also knew that our responsibility was to wash the dishes after the Christmas meal, the New Years Eve braai and the New Years Day lunch. Musa, you always preferred to wash the dishes, Rhulani you jumped at the opportunity of packing the dishes (I must say, what a smart choice, that’s the least amount of work!) and I was stuck / chose to dry the dishes (in hindsight that wasn’t such a smart decision because drying dishes is such a daunting task). After that task we would sit and plan our futures and made pacts that one day we will break free hahahaha! But hey we had no issues with that, because we were caught in between a rock and a hard place: not young enough to chill with and go running around the yard and playing touches with our younger cousins (although I’m pretty sure we did do that) and not old enough to determine our own December itinerary. But hey, those were good times, enjoyable! Hmmm, I remember that first year when we decided to set our own agenda for the festive season, it was 2009/10 if I’m not mistaken. We decided that we would all sleep at my house and wake up early in the morning and head to Sun City on New Year’s Day (since as you would know my house is closer to Suncity *serious face*). The night before we packed, got ready and planned our departure set for 8am. Then the unimaginable happened!!! We woke up to see on the news that the Suncity general workers were on strike, they were blocking the road to Suncity in protest!! Man were we disappointed!! So we said bye bye to our Suncity Dream ----it was a dream deferred! Our very first attempt was diffused faster than hot butter melts on a stove, faster than you can say Hapeeeeee Hapeeee!! From then onwards man we fumbled at making future Festive Season plans. We went from one disaster to the next. I remember the New Years Day spent at Gold Reef City Theme Park (well at least we got to go on the anaconda multiple times since the theme wasn’t that full – all the people that usually go there during the year had actually made other plans. I mean really, who goes to a theme park on the 1st day of the year when they can go all year round? I mean if it was Disney Land that would have been a different story. Then there was the New Years Day we spent at the movies!! Really watching a movie at Ster-Kinekor on the 1st day of the year???? I’m not even going to comment on the loser-status of that activity on New Year’s Day. Then there was that New Years Day that we spent at a restaurant at the buffet table. Wow it would seem we had mastered the technique of starting every year on an anti-climax! Then when would could go no deeper in this deep barrel of our disappointing Festive Seasons, we would actually google “things to do on New Year’s Day”….that in itself did not yield any results we could follow through. But then our fortune changed! We ended 2012 with a bang and entered into 2013 in a way that we had been dreaming about since we were 16!! For the first time we managed to successfully organize a December getaway – we had moved from mere rhetoric to action!! (Although I must say it’s thanks to Tercia otherwise would have still been wallowing in our despair and on our lack of action). On December 27, 2013 we planned to assemble at a central spot. We had our bags packed, we decided that we would wake up at 3am and hit the road at 4am! I appointed myself as the timekeeper and sure enough in the wee hours of the early morning at around 4:15am we were all in the car and ready to hit the road!! I must say that our parents and cousins couldn’t believe that we had eventually broken the proverbial yolk and that we would be ending the year with a bang, in our own way!!! I must say that I too could not believe that we had actually done it until I saw the sign that read: Welcome to eThekwini!! That was an awesome week, spent relaxing, going out and doing exactly what we wanted to do when we wanted to do it! The best day I must say was New Years Day ----we spent the entire day in bed, ordered pizza, watched movies, walked back and forth between our adjoining rooms—basically recovering from the dancing we had done the on New Year’s Eve on the roof of some building, with an awesome view of the Durban skyline by moonlight! Much as we spent the day in bed, it was one of the best times!!!! Now, ladies we have set ourselves a challenge. We can’t disappoint ourselves this year….we need to start planning lest we find ourselves relegated to the league of washing, drying and packing the dishes after the Festive Season meals!