Maybe this is only true for me because I live on a farm in the middle of nowhere. Being home does not mean that I get to see all my friends from school, or go clubbing at all the usual watering holes. Home for me, is a tiny little afrikaans dorp where the only people I know are my family, the old oomies who insist on kissing me upon greeting and a bunch of strange kids my age who are either pregnant or babysitting.
My friends from school are either in Nelspruit, Swaziland, Botswana or Mozambique and the closest thing to a club is a bar called Coalers where the young folk meet up to find out who the father of their unborn child is or to save the father from his latest bender.
So, what did I miss about this town?
Well, I missed my family. I missed my mum's cooking and my stepdad's constant teasing. I even missed fighting with my siblings. The problem is that my sister is still at boarding school and my brother is in the middle of exams. My parents are both still working and don't get holidays. So I'll just spend my free time getting to know the locals...
Well, I'm not entirely sure I want to do that either. I'm sure there are a couple of them who are really decent people, however the majority of the people I have met in this town have not left a very good taste in my mouth.
Let's see. There was this guy who was at nursery school with me. He could actually speak english but had a weird habit of ensuring he was always in my personal space. Then there was that guy my mom hoped I would marry. Decent guy, but not my type. After-all, it's difficult to start a conversation with someone who doesn't seem to have much of a life outside of farming. Then there was that girl who was in pre-school with me, but she's got a son now and is busy redoing matric for the third time...
And these are only the highlights!
I have therefore given up on the folk of Carolina. In fact my one and only friend in this town is not even from Carolina.
As my boredom grows I start looking for alternatives. Maybe I should travel the hour trip to Ermelo and back with my stepdad? Maybe I'll teach my brother his work for exams? Or, better yet, maybe I'll drive the bakkie while the guys do firebreaks?
Can I really miss a place that bores me this much?
Well, the truth is, I can. This area is beautiful. Once you've learnt to ignore the mines, the coal trucks and the power stations you realize that the Highveld is truly a stunning place. And all you "normal" people who live either in Natal or the Cape are truly missing out.
All one has to do is drive through the Skurweberg mountains into the valleys and along the Komati river to find this unrivaled beauty. Here one will find the true gem of the Highveld - Komati Gorge.
A lodge created by my father and his wife. A farm I grew up on and grew up with. A truly magnificent valley, that reminds me once more why I miss home.
So next time you ask me where I am from, don't laugh at the fact that I live in a tiny afrikaans town that no one has ever heard of. Rather remember the beauty of the place I call home while you stare at your cement walls.
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