Talking to Jesus

Mornings early we began the day with singing and prayer. The choruses are amazingly beautiful with the men's deep voices the African rhythms the clapping and canons and the sisters clear and strong. One must experience it to appreciate it.

Then blood-pressure temperature etc. and medication. Back to rooms for inspection followed by breakfast. A solid breakfast. Healthy and sufficient. I found the nursing staff competent, dedicated, patient and tolerant. They were always kind but also very strict.

One morning the one black guy prayed a lengthy prayer in Tswana and for those who didn't understand the language he ended off with: "In a nutshell Lord Jesus … "

This man indeed, was talking to Jesus.

There was another youngster prancing around with his Bible all the time proclaiming the gospel and reading of the apocalypse from Revelations on the destruction of earth and men and all it's horrors and terrors. I tried to explain this to him that when one reads a book you start with the first chapter and not the last. No success. Perhaps he felt there wasn't enough time left.

That same youngster broke up a fight one night and the nursing staff thought that he was the instigator I was the only witness, he broke up the fight, he actually saved the one guy's life. He'd been very courageous. This kind of thing is rare. It is much more dangerous on the streets or in town centre. In fact it is more dangerous to go to pubs and drinking places or parties.

The doctors don't tolerate any form of aggression. At all.

We had a lot of rain that year I loved in the late afternoons to watch the water running from the gutters and the tarmac shining wet, the trees and green and little streams running and puddles and ripples of raindrops. At night I often sat on the bed for hours, gazing out the window in fascination of the wind and beauty of the lightning and the thunder.

I spent much time in the shade of a great weeping willow finding peace and serenity, the cool breezes rustling through the leaves and twigs knowing that God is there and always, and that God is love. I had known that willow long before, in dreams, and I knew it from visiting my great-grandfather there as a small child.