Moving In – 30 January

I woke up just before six – to coffee served in bed! After coffee I was ready to go … when my stomach indicated in no uncertain terms that, if I leave now, I would regret it! So, I wait … chat with my boss and his wife over a second cup of coffee … and when it was definite that I would be late – my stomach informed me: “Gotcha! You could have gone earlier!” Sigh.

I messaged the owner that I would be there in – questioning glance at my boss, he replied – thirty minutes. Her reply? “No problem!”

Sigh, and then I took, what I thought would be the quickest route, but ended up in Ga-Rankuwa – because I couldn’t find the on-ramp onto the highway! So, I turned around and messaged that I would be even later … still “No problem!” What an understanding and human landlord I’m getting! This time I stick to the roads I know and get there – eventually.

As I’m getting close, my boss calls to let me know the truck is also nearby, I must please ‘collect’ him, when I drive past. He’s actually right outside the dirt road leading up to the property.

I got my first look inside my new home! I’m afraid my first impression was “It’s a lot smaller than I expected!” followed by “I won’t be able to get everything in there!” both of which turned out to be true – however: a lot of the floor space is used up by built-in cupboards! I had already decided that I would like to replace some of my furniture – but that it would have to wait until I could afford the replacement. Now, I don’t have to wait! I can use the built-in cupboards and get rid of the furniture I don’t really like, right away!

But first, it all has to go inside, somehow. Sigh, what a mission. My landlord, their worker and my two drivers started offloading. I got very lucky, and one of my drivers, being a skilled carpenter, got busy repairing my bookshelves. He repaired the backing which had come loose on most of them – quite a long time ago, actually. I had meant to repair it in Port Elizabeth, but found that I don’t have the skill. He also repaired the wobbly chair and the little bookshelf, which had come apart on arrival in Port Elizabeth! What an unexpected surprise!

Everything was carried in, the bed set up, and then the boxes came in … more and more and more. The kitchen was set up – fridge and the table had to go into the kitchen. The washing machine can be connected anytime – no rush. Then I set up my PC, so I’d know whether it had survived or whether it needed a new power supply – for some reason, that has happened almost every time I’ve moved. Not this time, though.

My landlady actually offered to get my groceries for me, since she had to go to a client and would go past a Pick ‘n Pay! I cannot express what an absolute relief that was to me that day!

I can also not express just how utterly drained and exhausted I was. Not fully capable of coherent thinking anymore. I have never, in my entire life, been so completely exhausted – yet unable to sleep. I’d say I’ve turned into a Nervovore – someone who lives off their nerves! I’m tired, but not sleepy. I’m not hungry. I don’t feel much of anything … I couldn’t even put together a coherent shopping list! Fortunately, I had written it on the long drive yesterday already.

Everything was inside … except for the sleeper couch! There was absolutely no room for it anywhere! I couldn’t think, or even come up with anything realistic. I let the guys make a plan – I would just have been in the way, anyway. One of the guys did not like my ‘attitude’ – I’ll have to talk it out with him one of these days.

Thanks to my wonderfully kind landlady, there was absolutely nothing that I had to do – I wouldn’t have been capable, anyway. The curtains from the photos were still up – so I didn’t have that job today.

Shortly after I arrived, the power went out – my landlord said they were working on the cables, he’d seen them as he passed – and I learned very quickly that out here, no electricity also means no water! We’re not connected to the main system, but to a borehole – which pumps water, using electricity. You live and learn!

I did manage to get enough to water my pots, some of which were very dry! Unfortunately the smaller, lighter watering can did not survive the trip. It got squashed and tore open.

But I also understand the preference of no smoking inside much better now. When you come into the lounge through the front door, on the far left there is a passage with three doors on the other end: on the left is the kitchen, on the right is my bedroom and directly opposite is the door leading to the rest of the house!

I also appreciate her generosity, as she suffers from asthma, to permit smoking indoors, after all – even though behind the door is their living area. I’ve started smoking only outside, and plan to keep that up.

I had no energy, I wasn’t hungry, and I couldn’t put together two and two if my life had depended on it! I decided to just take a quick shower … and found, to my amazement, that the shower had two shower heads! Awesome! What an unexpected surprise!

I had to let the water run for quite a while before it got hot – and thinking back, I guess the same is true at my boss’ place, only, at that time, I didn’t have the patience to wait.

Feeling much better, I made myself a cheese roll and went to bed. Sleep wasn’t happening and an hour later I got up again. Played online, went outside for a smoke – it’s quite warm, even late at night. Oh, I forgot, I also enjoyed watching the sun set! I even took a few photos! It’s lovely out here, during the day one can hardly hear any civilized sounds – at night, however, the highway is quite audible.

I couldn’t sleep, even though the worst was over and I could relax – but still, I couldn’t sleep.