Afrikan Sun

The sun was beginning to set but I still had about 2 hours left of sunshine. I tied my sneaker stepped out of my front door and headed for the road. It had been awhile since I had run so I started off slow. In the warmth of the afternoon light, I soon started to hit my stride and put in my earphones and turned on my "Marathon move it!" mix. I could have been anywhere by the sound of these first few lines.

All of a sudden I hear a humming in the background, so I took out my earphones and turned around. "Fifi! Fifi! Wait!" they yelled. "They" being a small group of girls, who couldn't have been older than 9 and 12 years, from the Northern Cape village where I now live in South Afrika or as some may call "Afrika Borwa." "Fifi" is the nickname for my new African Setswana name, Refilwe ("Rre-feel-weh"), which means: "gift has been given to us."

The girls stumbled down the rocky dirt road in their sandals and casual afterschool clothes, huffing and puffing, "Wait Fifi! We are coming!" I smiled and told them to come along. We ran about 100 meters and then all the young girls began to mumble and groan loudly, "Ke Lapile! I must stop!" in their thick Setswana accents. I giggled and told them that I was going to continue on and they could stop if they wanted. So, I waved goodbye, turned my gaze forward, and ran ahead. I looked back once and saw the sad expressions across all those beautiful dark chocolate and caramel faces. Their bright wide white eyes which all beamed with happiness, now looked confused. I felt like I had abandoned them…but I picked up my pace and continued on down the dirt road.

As I headed away from town the houses dotting the side of the road began to disappear, soon I was alone and out in The Bush. The low laying brush lined the road allowing me to look out across the semi-arid terrain, which eventually would become the sands of the Kalahari Desert. The sun set over Mama Afrika – beautiful. The sky just looks so BIG here, it's amazing. I began to zone out like I usually do when I'm out running >>>Am I really here? A journey that began in Washington DC, with a stopover in Atlanta followed by a 17 hour flight across the Atlantic to South Africa. Is this for real? Here I am running through the great land from which Man first walked out of to Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and eventually onto my homeland the Americas. Evolution is so incredible. To think that my ancestors once walked these same roads of Africa…Wow.>>>

I am jolted back into reality when I hear the snort of a donkey. Ooh those precious ditonki (or donkeys in English), they wake me every morning promptly at 5:57 AM without fail (apparently the roosters here are on holiday). I turned back for a split second and see a man sitting behind two donkeys on a cart. I grunt back at the donkey and keep on pressing forward down the dirt road. I get back into the zone when AGAIN I am disturbed once more. The donkey cart which was behind me a moment ago now begins to gain on me. The thudding of the huffs grows closer and closer. I think to myself I will not let this stupid donkey cart out run me! I then turn to look at my competitor, yet instead of looking into the snouts of the donkeys, I see the bright warm glow of the faces of the young girls who had at first corned me on the road and insisted I run with them. They had hitched a ride with a passing man's donkey cart going my direction. Where there's a will, there's a way…and this youngster have it, they had found me! From the cart they yelled and cheered me on, laughing and giggling with those loving and honest smiles. I got the "sharp" (pronounced "chop" or with the Boston accent "ShaaaHp") thumbs up from them. How precious - my new cheering and support squad in my village!

That was it. My first REAL African moment. The moment I realizes I am here, I have arrived and this is just how it will continue and unravel over the next 2 years (or more).

NOTE: these girls have continued to show up every day at my house at 4:30 PM with one more friend every time. I may be taking my afternoon Afrikan Fiesta Siesta, but they will go "ko ko, ko ko, ko" (their form of "knock knock") on my door till I'm up and dressed for a run. These girls want to run – I love it. Furthermore, it looks like I have unofficially started my first afterschool project! Boot Camp with Suzie D! We do a 30 to 40 minute run, followed by 10 minutes of stretching or yoga, 10 minutes of mixed calisthetics and abdominals. Be there or be square!

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