Full of it

My friend the moon.

My own image

I purposely floated gently into the New Year. My mind was with that magnificent bright full moon. Our visitors never materialised and we had a braai for two with meat for a group.

They would come like the New Year would come in their own time. I wished her a happy new year and she went outside to watch the fireworks and I drifted away my thoughts like a tranquiliser against the noise.

Our laatlam(child conceived in advanced age ) was with a friend she is growing up so quickly and keeps on surprising us with her wisdom and understanding of life. A full moon on New Year’s Day is significant for whatever reason those who pretend to know, conjures up.

I have a special relationship with the moon, a personal one, as I admire her beauty and respect her immense strength and influence over mankind.

I therefore know this year is going to be special in many ways, ways that I cannot explain but know with certainty through experience.

They said we would not find game because they would be grazing in the full moon and would hide in the shade during the day. They knew they were hunting for 16 years. The tracker told me I should choose something else something easier like Impala, about the Kudu I nominated he said, “That one is a devil you will not find it” one kind guy suggested I choose easier prey as he did not want me to be disappointed on my first hunt.

That night when they finally went to bed I was up talking to the moon, praying to her creator asking her favour and asking forgiveness for a life I was going to take. When the sun rose I already had my second cup of coffee made on the embers of last night’s fire and I added wood for the others.

I imagined they discussed my choice and I imagined them shaking their heads about my foolhardy insistence on shooting a kudu on my first hunt. I tracked her throughout the night; I looked into her huge soulful eyes and asked her forgiveness and explained about my people at home that I did not want to disappoint and that I promised them meat for the freezer.

It does not sound right does it? You will not understand. We will not understand because for millennia men knew they had to provide food for the family. God demanded offerings and we accepted unthinking not daring to question the one who granted life and simultaneously controlled death.

We live in Africa with the first people who recorded life in Africa and indeed on this rock we called earth. The Khoi San recorded their life on the ancient rocks in our land. Images of hunts and animals and people armed with bows and arrows and spears.

I cannot recall Bushman paintings depicting gatherers only ones depicting hunters. They had a special relationship with mother earth and respected the animals and acknowledged the importance of their lives never questioning why they were specially equipped to be alpha predators.

They did not believe me; the experienced hunters did not believe me when I calmly told them I would ask permission from my creator and of my prey. There was a lot of alcohol about and we were men and we over indulged as could be expected.

I am certain they wrote it down too much whiskey when I shared my convictions and I remember one asking me, “why do you know so much?” it sounded like an accusation as if he suspected foul play. I knew from experience that everything that could not be logically explained would be written down to some form of evil because that is how humans are.

Yes I spoke to the full moon and yes I prayed and yes I knew things that did not make sense so it had to be either lunacy or evil and never ever a blessing because those were reserved for good Christians like them. Not foul mouthed individuals like me who had no morals. “He is married to a black, be careful what you say.”

I did not care, I knew what I knew and I was going to achieve what I was going to achieve irrespective. I am seen to be enigmatic and have always been no surprises there. It is something that cannot be explained. “I do not understand why he is so lucky, he says he is going to shoot a kudu and we come around a bend and there it is.”

When it happens once they write it off to good luck. When it happens the second time I am to be avoided. Two hunts, two kudu, two bullets and now I am no longer welcome. Suit yourself I did not choose the time you did and two years in a row it was full moon when you invited me.

You could not have known. “Hy is deur die maan getik”(He is affected by the full moon). I just smile and I know you cannot understand the relationship and in your logic there must be something darker, something more sinister. There is not, there never was and never will be. She, the full moon, is beautiful and I shall remind you why she was created according to your Bible.

Thus I declare this is going to be a special year in my life. I did not choose it, had no influence and never will. It is destiny that crosses our path, yours and mine and perhaps, just perhaps my joy and admiration of the creation and its splendour favours me.

Your Bible also tells you, as do mine, that you will be granted the desires of your heart if you find your joy in your creator. 2018 started with a magnificent full moon and it brought joy into my heart and I know, I just know it shall be a good year for me. Simple that is all there is to it.