Sunflower Saturday sweeps away shopping mall blues

I was looking for biltong in Jeffreys Bay at the weekend, and found a little more than I expected.

There is an abundance of goodness in the world, and the simplest of tricks brings it flooding to your feet, at the most surprising times.

On the way, I scrounged for Easter eggs on special at a national chain, where a three-fortwo deal made “cents”.

Other people had cottoned on to the last-minute scramble, too, and so we made a snaking queue around the checkout aisle, while a handful of cashiers dealt with more than a handful of customers.

A robotic loudspeaker voice instructed me to proceed to “Te-ll-er Two, Te-ll-er Two”, and so I did, where I met the loveliest smile among quite a sorry lot of shoppers.

As she rang up my goodies, we chatted about why people seem so pained and reluctant in shopping malls, given that they’re there because they have money to spend and stuff to procure.

She wasn’t sure why, but we both agreed that being cheerful and taking a moment to brighten someone ’ s day was free, easy and good for the planet.

She was an absolute sunflower, and a credit to her store.

Minutes later, I found the biltong lady, Lindi, who had a pop-up shop that day.

Laden with Easter eggs and other breakables, I cast around for a trolley.

“No, don’t worry, I will sort it out for you,” said the biltong lady, whose only job was to sell me biltong, but who turned out to be my second sunflower.

She vanished for a minute, and reappeared with an empty trolley, taking my parcels and loading them up for me.

I walked away with my Easter eggs intact, enough affordable biltong to feed my family for a week, and a tingly feeling of gratitude.

I was at the mall for a chess tournament — as a spectator, not a player — and found my third sunflower in a game between my son and his friend and fellow pupil, Gabriel.

My boy Conor wasn’t feeling well, and this could have been tremendously advantageous to Gabriel; but instead, he not only gifted his water bottle to his coughing and spluttering opponent, but agreed to a draw.

I know precious little about chess, but I do know that every point counts — and a draw means only half a point gained.

That boy Gabriel is what’s right with the world; long may his light shine.

And so, that was the story of my Sunflower Saturday at the mall.

As author, historian and veteran educator Bartle Logie says, in his latest book, Travellers’ Tales, we will often miss things if we’re not looking for them.

They are there all the time, mostly, if we only cared to look.