Stormy Seas

A lot has happened since my last post at the beginning of April.
I got another cat and her name is Alba. Alba is the Scottish Gaelic name for Scotland. The name and the beastie both is a step in faith and a symbol to living life to the fullest. We had a bit of a rough start because she was terrified when I got her and there was an incident where we both got a fright and scared each other – que lé scratching and hissing and my heart breaking. But my mom sorted us out and the tyranny began: screaming her head off, zoomies, knocking things over and exploring everywhere with flying leaps. She and Sheba were introduced and the result was lots of crooning, somersaults and more destruction (I cannot have nice things).

The month of May was to and fro with the vet: Alba got FVR and infected Sheba as well – que various bouts of diarrhea, eye infections and sneezing between the two of them, but they still managed to play up a storm by body-slamming each other with play fighting, eating me out of the house by demanding yogurt, fart and snore. Between all of that there was the house hunting for the move to Cape Town and me trying to do my work, stay fit with my running and trying not to have the spaghetti boil over every time I looked away.

I found an apartment by the end of May and the cats got better – it might’ve been because I accidentally tripple-dosed Alba with antibiotics and drowned Sheba’s eye in rooibos tea. I almost got vaccinated against rabies myself when I knocked the needle out of the vet’s hand by mistake.
The days passed with cold weather, kitten kisses and coffee; running in 3 degree weather underneath a frozen sun with leaves in my wake, loadshedding and the beasties walking each other in the garden; ice markets selling curiosities and brownies, buying home decor for a house by the sea, bookstores that traversed worlds, food and coffee and conversations with friends about the unknown future, scrubbing beastie footprints, pastries and honey and lots of reading. And lots of boxes! I had succeeded in becoming a box hermit who wakes up at midnight to buy trinkets about blood, assassins and a shadow cat while reading about a demon war and drinking hot chocolate.

Then Carol stirred again with lockdown… I was all angst and dealt with it the only way I knew: watching House Hunters International while listening to fantasy ambiance music, having a good book at the ready and of course, urbanols.
On a serious note, the impending lockdown had me incredibly anxious and stole a lot of joy about starting this new chapter in Cape Town. So much money had already been spent, notices given and I was living out of boxes. I prayed for everything to work out and looking back I still feel ashamed for how freaked out I was when I see now how well it did work out because God is faithful. And He is patient and gentle and meets us where we are, even if He struggles to catch up when we’re running around like a headless chicken ahead of Him. When someone tells you to pray and let it go I can’t think of a harder thing to do (saying it is so easy!) but it’s like stretching a muscle and when it’s all over you’ll find yourself relaxed in His peace and provision.

The 15 hour drive to Cape Town was harrowing and exhausting. We had a lot of trucks, body aches and sore backs, but Alba was very talkative and Sheba liked staring at the sky if she wasn’t hissing and slapping someone. We slept over along the way (I didn’t because Alba was running up the curtains) and arrived beginning of July to an apartment that baptized me in fire. There was no lift so the movers had to carry my wordly possessions up three flights of stairs, there was no hot water because the geyser had an issue and a few other quirks that needed fixing had me smiling painfully between all the boxes.
Take everything in life one step at a time though. I ate a nougat while listening to country music while unpacking my books. I went on walks hunting for bakeries between tree-lined streets and parks breathing foggy breaths amidst sunrise diamonds. I got lost between quirky shops and misty roads. I got greeted by golden mornings while looking at the ocean and knowing there’s a mermaid in there somewhere.
The apartment has been growing on me while I’ve been on my exploratory adventures between screaming seagulls and sea breezes and I’m grateful every day for the bubblegum skies, eating yogurt in the morning with the beasties and running between the proteas. I’ve taken to walking in flipflops because it forces you to take it slow and enjoy your surroundings.

It’s been a rollercoaster and in some ways we’re still on it, but I am just being open to things and letting God fill me with His peace. I really just want to absorb where I am right now without the constant anxiety that I’m running out of time or that I won’t get a chance to reach my goals and dreams. I am trusting God for the time ahead and I know that He is my safe harbor in the stormy sea.

Slàinte Mhath!