Chapter 10

It was early Saturday morning when the Edison's done their rounds in Saldanha town. They stopped at their new house to drop off all the things they bought, regular groceries and general household goods. Soon they drove off to do sightseeing as promised by Craig and Sarah the previous night.

They drove past the beach on a two-lane road with houses on their right. The owners had converted some of the houses into bed and breakfasts, and some coffee shops. The day was crisp and clear. The sun glistered on the dark blue ocean reflecting shiny beams in all directions.

'I'm glad we didn't buy a house on the beach like these people,' Craig said.

'Why's that?' Sarah frowned.

'It's obviously nice to hear the waves day and night but the maintenance that comes with it is a killer. Mold everywhere, smelly carpets, damp clothes and couches, wood rotting, no thanks,' Craig said.

'They say it works to put a bar of soap in your cupboard to keep the moisture from your clothes,' Andrew said from the back staring out the window and scanning their surroundings.

'Back there, further up was the spot where we found that strange-looking thing on the beach yesterday,' Emily said with a shrug.

'Now I'm also relieved we didn't buy a place here on the beach,' Sarah said. 'Besides, we have a lovely new home hey guys?'

'Yeah, it's cool,' Emily said. 'At least we're not in the city anymore. I love it here.'

Sarah had a satisfactory smile on her face as she regarded Craig. She placed her hand on his leg. 'It's because your dad bought us such a lovely home.'

Craig looked at Sarah and realised how much he loved his wife once again.

'Dad, let's go up there,' Patrick said. He pointed towards large houses heaving on a hill overlooking the ocean.

'Yeah, it seems like the place for the riches. All the top dogs,' Craig said.

They passed a small graveyard and soon the kombi struggled up a steep inclining road towards the large houses they witnessed from below. To the right, the ocean lay stretched out. Houses appeared on both sides of the road. Some of them were huge structures with balconies and large windows. The road had a slight bend as it inclined. More houses appeared. An elderly man working in his garden paused for a moment regarding them as they travelled up the hill. Craig waved at him. The road bent to the left and gave one final steady incline until they reached the top of the mountain overlooking the vast open ocean and landscape to their left.

'Geeze. This is amazing,' Sarah said with astonishment.

'That must be Vredenburg,' Craig said pointing towards a large town to their left. A double highway stretched out, running from Saldanha to Vredenburg. Houses lay scattered around the dark blue ocean in the shape of a horseshoe.

'It is beautiful up here,' Emily said taking in her surroundings.

Craig looked at the large man-made structure erected in the ocean, 'The port of Saldanha ladies and gentlemen. The ugly place right in the middle is my new job.' Several large cargo ships were docked alongside its long quayside.

'Why is everything so red?' Sarah asked.

'It's because of the iron ore they export,' Craig said. 'They warned me about the red dust in Saldanha before I got the job offer.' He noticed a cluster of white houses in the far distance behind the port and wondered if it was Club Mykonos he heard about.

Patrick opened the kombi door and got out. 'Ah, this is nice,' he said breathing the fresh sea air.

Soon, the whole family joined him.

Patrick walked to the highest point of the mountain where an old radio tower had been erected. The view was spectacular. He could see another hill in the distance, further down the ocean. It was far greener than the current one due to some large trees. He could have sworn there were buildings on it, but he could not make out clearly.

'Hey dad,' Patrick shouted from above, 'there's another hill that way.' Patrick said pointing to the newfound location. He noticed a mere nod from Craig, not too eager or enthusiastic. He scanned the area one last time before descending from the radio tower. 'Can't we go check it out?' he asked when he joined his family again.

'Don't know,' Craig sighed, 'it's getting late and I'm quite tired, must be something to do with the climate down the coast.'

'Please dad,' Emily said. 'It's not that late yet.'

'We have loads of things to do at home,' Craig said, but the look on Sarah's face meant she agreed with the kids.

'We don't need to be long,' Sarah said. 'Come on.'

'Okay then, let's go,' Craig sighed. He would rather have been at home sitting on a couch watching TV. It did not matter what was on TV as long as he did not have to drive. Especially after a fifteen-hour drive from Johannesburg.

Soon the kombi crawled its way down the hill until it passed the old graveyard again.