A hungry country – when a loaf goes abegging

We have to put up with a plethora of car guards. As soon as you put the key into the door they appear from behind trees, shrubs and rubbish skips.

There are a number of legitimate guards, but by far the majority are the hungry, homeless and unemployed who see shoppers as easy targets. Despite finding them a nuisance there is a strong undertone of empathy which costs us a few coins. Before a two buck coin was the accepted handout, but as one put it to me recently: “Hey, sir, the cost of living has gone up. Five bucks, please.”

He’s right. What can you buy for two rand? A loaf bread alone costs just under twenty. Talking of bread, a strange incident befell me recently. Stepping from my car, a masked youngster approached me. For a moment I pictured a highway robber of old, and made a bee-line for the supermarket. But halfway down the track another youngster, also masked, sidled up to me.

Still trying to get my second breath, I slowed down, and he was in my bubble. I could only see his eyes – pleading eyes. The voice too, confirmed it: here was a young boy in want.

“Please, only a loaf of bread. Just bread.” Was he having me on? Only bread! Really? Was this another con job? Once hooked, would he want the real thing, like coins?

I didn’t stop to find out, and kept walking to safety.

Then a strange thing happened. As I passed the bakery section and seeing all the loaves of freshly baked bread on display, inhaling the tell-tale aroma, I recalled the incident outside. Without thinking, I yanked a loaf off the shelf.

On the way to the car, I spotted the youngsters sitting together on a boundary wall. Aha, I thought, here it comes. Gingerly I lobbed the loaf toward them. What happened next is indelibly printed on my mind.

While tearing off the wrapping they shouted: “Dankie! Thank you!” They proceeded to fill their mouths with the dry slices.

By the time I got into the car, the loaf was almost done. As I rode off they waved vigorously, and pointed to their stomachs.

In hindsight, had I known the true story I probably would not only have provided the loaf, but also the fishes.

Cliff Buchler.

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