Kalkies

I went for fish and chips at "Kalkies" with Simtong from Nigeria tonight and we met a coloured man, called David. He works at the Kalk Bay harbour since he was fourteen, so for forty years now. He cleans the fish that the little fishing boats bring in during the day. He lives a bit further outside of Kalk Bay and can't afford to get back after work. So like many other he stays over night and sleeps on a bench or under a truck. Many times things would get stolen. If it rains the owner of Kalkies lets these men sleep inside. David also intruduced us to Nome.

Just as many South African black people Nome speaks Xhosa (the language with the many click-sounds). This guy even had been in the newspaper a few years ago. During a catch on the open sea Nome's fellow crew members gradually left him in by setting back home on a trawler boat. All alone he waited for three weeks for people to pick him up and take him back home, but noone came. He had kept himself and the motor running, but soon the food was empty and there was no other way to set back home all by himself, but he never learnt to steer or to navigate a ship, but he got home safely eventually.

Both David and Nome always mentioned that the Lord has helped them in their lives. Even though Simtong and I never said clearly that we were Christians David asked me in the end if I can give him a bible the next time I see him. "Preferably Afrikaans", he said.