the unseen of glencairn and fish hoek

 Thinking of 3 people I met some weeks back when driving to Fish hoek, it is day that will stand out in my memory a long time .
Firstly I came across an older retired gentleman I knew who was reading a book near  the fish hoek station .....the concept of retiring living on the street is some what tragic considering the danger, cold and winter nights but since places in  the very few state subsidised retirement homes  like abbeyfield only become available when people pass on, the waiting list stretches from what one understands for years and years.
 He did not want to come or lunch at the Haven but thank to our donors I had some clothes he needed as , in an all too familiar story , his clothes had beeen stolen ( again ) One cannot carry bags around all day so without a safe space and lockers this is an all too common occurence.

I then came across a wonderful guy perhaps in his 40s. His movement were extremely  difficult and coordination too. affecting his speech walking and any movement really. As then when met him I feel the same now writing this ...simply no words that so many area abondoned on the stareetb in this coundition. Shelters cannot take such people but hardly any others places of safety exist. However there i was light in his eyes oince simply does not forgot. Nevertheless he was hungry and joined me in the car .......to go to lunch at Kalk Bay haven

On the way we picked up another gentleman in his 70s walking very slowly due to age . Sadly he too was hungry.......It turned out that he was from glencairn  ( quite a few kilometres walk from fish hoek for a person of his age and condition) and in fact had a place to stay which He was about to lose . A kind person had offerred at the bottom of thier garden but were now selling their house ..It was too unimaginable  one senses that he might be on the street soon in his frail condition but  a reality one becomes more familiar with if one looks around enough sadly
His main concern understandably was if he could get a lift back.

The haven that day was pretty busy but we useda few tickets to pay for lunch . We then made our way back to fish hoek and then glencairm where I tracvelled up one of the longest steepest hills in cape town oprobably .....the gentlemans place was at the very top.....It staggered me thinking of how long it would take him to climb that hill. I gave him my no in case one cojuld offer more help re shelter though that is for another article. He took it but some thign told me I would not hear from him again.

It was one of those days when ones mind goes very quiet. Contemplating such sadness as one must.

 it was nice as usual to also pass on haven tickets to other people  tickets for the week and those we met on the way  to go lunch  for the week.

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