THE DOMINO EFFECT
Sara Nel finds herself in the middle of a road-trip chain reaction
We try to follow the road less travelled. In the pursuit of this art, we have learnt not to be surprised at the knock-on effect of unexpected events. This domino cascade happened recently when we collected merchandise near Durban. The first domino: our supplier was quite late in providing our order. Then we got lost trying to find a suitable place for a late lunch, which eventually was not so suitable, given the leisurely pace of their service.
As we drove into the sun, the glare becoming more severe by the minute. We took the Bergville-Oliviershoek road and topped the pass with the last light of day touching the Sterkfontein Dam, a beautiful sight.
The second domino: the Transporter swerved with a flat tyre. “Operation wheel change” commenced with complications. We had only two small flashlights. The road shoulder was angled without stable support for the jack. A cold wind blew over the dam.
We had to unhook the trailer to reach the spare tyre. This left the trailer blocking the car’s lights. To reach the wheel spanner, we had to unload some stock. A bolt on the sparewheel carrier got stuck.
The few times other vehicles approached I ran behind the trailer to shine my puny torch on the reflectors, leaving my partner on the ground with his light clamped between his teeth. We got to the point where our tempers gave more glow than the flashlights.
The third domino: a police car approached, slowed, did a U-turn and stopped. One policeman cautiously approached with his hand on his holster. On seeing a post-middleaged couple on the ground, they promptly parked, blue lights flashing, and helped with the spare wheel and the trailer.
They then sent us on our merry way with a caution: “You should not drive here at night. This is a dangerous dagga route. People get killed here. But we will follow you to the N5.”
They did not share their names or even conversation. They just helped without asking anything in return. Wow.
The fourth domino: while changing the tyre we picked up a huge stowaway spider, which later made its presence known on the inside of the windscreen. That started another chain of dominoes. Best not shared.
“The Notebook” is about chance meetings and unforgettable encounters people have had on their travels. Send us yours — no more than 400 words — and, if published, you’ll receive R500. Mail travelmag@sundaytimes.co.za with the word Notebook in the subject line.