David’s House

"Home is where one starts from."
T.S. Eliot
    My brother-in-law's house burned down. One week ago, in Johannesburg South Africa. It was his house, but he did not live in it, it became too large for one man, his family had their own homes. David, that's his name, moved out of his house and into an attractive apartment, the right size for a single man.
His house burned down. Yes, and like all house fires, a time of sadness. So much lost, so many wonderful moments in comfortable rooms. Evenings on the patio, the built in barbecue, the straw roof sloping down - almost to the height of the man himself - keeping the hot South African sun off those many of us who, over the years, had spent hours of easy pleasure beneath its canopy. How sweetly remembered are the many times I stayed there with my wife, his sister. They are dearly treasured, and remembered with much thanks, and warmth.
It was a beautiful house, and happily did not stay unoccupied for long. It soon entered into its next incarnation as a luxury bed and breakfast. Though it is still David's house, it is open now for new visitors to enjoy.

Here it is as it was. What stories, what times, what memories lingered behind in the walls and room when each visitor left. The house may have succumbed to the unforgiving, uncaring fury of fire, but no fire can take away the remembrances of its yesterdays.
                                           In its incarnation as a Luxury Bed & Breakfast












                                     So many good times were enjoyed in that lovely house.
  These photos begin in 1992 although I could go back further. I decided that that really wasn't necessary, besides it is painful to see oneself so many years younger, 'the way we were.' I'm trying to get used to myself at 80, never mind being reminded of what the years 'hath wrought'. So, first a return visit to South Africa in January of that year. Janet and I traveled there with Simon our eldest boy, and though I could extend this post to include a Safari and other equally exciting adventures I will concentrate only on the house of David.

       This view of the house is the same as the one above from a different angle. The rose bush and the Yesterday Today and Tomorrow bush are much larger above. The single window in the ground floor room looks into the kitchen, and the railed verandah fronting the large upper windows leads directly out of the Master Suite .On the left hand are the windows of the living room.

Standing on the edge of the Koi fish pond to take a picture of the house from that angle and to capture Janet hiding from the unusually hot sun of that summer.
     The Koi were removed from the larger pond to a smaller  below. Where the fishes once swam was turned into a - albeit small - wading, splashing and short laps pool, much used on hot afternoons.

David and Janet's cousin, Jenefer celebrated her 80th birthday at David's home in 2006. Jenefer has lived in England most of her life but was born in South Africa. David's birthday gift to her was trip to celebrate her momentous moment in South Africa. As an extra surprise he invited Janet and me, Jen's sister, Prue (also living in England), her husband Raul and Jen's closest friend, Thelma.
It was a most wonderful time. David went out of his way to make her 80th memorable to the extreme. An incredible few days at a luxury Game Lodge. A safari trip into the veldt where elephants, lions, zebra, rhinos and many other exotic animals ended up in our photos, taken helter-skelter. To end it off a feast in an African Kraal before heading back to Hyde Park and a birthday celebration on the patio.
And what a celebration!                                                
                                                                     The tables before the crowd arrived.
                                          Jen at the helm!

      Extended family members and friends came from all over to help Jen celebrate. She was, quite naturally, thrilled to bits. What a way to enter into the ninth decade of her life. Memories were stored away in abundance that night, for all of us.
                                 
                                      Oh yes, there were joyous times - and then this!
                                                                       
                                         The Fire!                                            

                                                          
                               Fire, the great leveler!
   
  A perfectly aimed bolt of lightning and . . . . .Poof! How easily the 'Leveler' doomed David's beautiful house.
    A South African electric storm! Its awesome fury; the blazing glory of its immense power; these cannot be fully imagined until experienced first hand. The brilliant terrifying display of its demonic energy usually comes into being as day ends, when colors which herald the approaching evening begin to mellow the sky. Often lasting only a short period of time, the ferocity of its fury fires the violent clouds with lighting's jagged flames. The downpour of the accompanying rain is so brutal, it as though the deluge itself had arrived to wash all away.

As I study the photos I wonder - along with many others I'm sure -of its future, and trust that it may again, like the Phoenix, rise from the flames and be whole again.