PETERHOUSE NOSTALGIA

... MEMORIES ...

1997 - PHG AT FAR AND WIDE (A MODERN MELODRAMA!)

"I would be brave, for there is much to dare." That was my motto though I remembered it only after I attempted all the appalling events. When I remember all the things at Far and Wide, I actually wonder whether I really did them, and how I could have done them.

As we climbed up the rocky mountain, the thought dawned on me that I was going to jump off the mountain with a rope tied around my waist, and if by only slight chance the rope snapped, I would probably fall down and die. My knees were trembling and I could barely speak. Everyone around me seemed quite enthusiastic to be abseiling. I looked around at the beautiful scenery. I looked at the sky and began to wonder what heaven must be like, because all I could think about was that I was about to depart from this world. I was very irritated by Bernie, who was our Instructor, as he stood nonchalantly near the edge of the mountains. He instructed us on how to tie the rope around ourselves. I listened carefully and did as he said.

The path to doom

When my time came to walk down the path to doom, I said goodbye to my friends and surprisingly all I could hear in my head was the "Our Father". Bernie told me to push my back down. I said, "What, and make my death come earlier than it has to!". I thought that I would fall if I stuck my back backwards. Anyway, after a long time of Bernie's calm explanation, I was on my way down the mountain, taking small steps and hoping that the ground would come quickly. I knew that Mr Calderwood would be waiting for me on the ground and I also knew that he would be instructing us on how to get down. So I called out to him and asked him if he was there. He casually replied that I was doing well. I wondered how on earth I could be doing well when my life was basically attached to a rope. Mr. Calderwood instructed me on how to get down the mountain and I listened to him. If there was ever a time that I listened to Mr. Calderwood, it was then, for I knew he was the key to my life. When I finally reached the ground, he explained to me what I had done wrong; quite honestly, I cannot even remember what he said because I was frightened and shaken up.

Worse to come

After abseiling, I made my way up the mountain to where Mr. Dendy was at "The Postman's Walk". Abseiling was bad enough but walking on a thin wire across a waterfall was nothing to laugh about. I had the instinct to run up the mountain and take the first bus to Harare, but it was impossible. I was stuck there with all these dangerous events that I had to complete. When 1 was halfway across the rope, I looked up and saw Mrs. Calderwood casually sitting on a rock, smiling down at me. I managed to smile back and thought how lucky she was to be watching me, and not actually doing it. I forced myself not to look down, but my whole body was shivering. A fly came and landed on my nose but I did not care. All I wanted was to get across as quickly as I could. I could barely hear Mr. Dendy's voice as I was in a frightened world of my own.

When I finally made it across, I encouraged Lorraine to go and do it. I said, "It's fun. It did no harm to tell a white lie once in a while although I knew that it was not fun; it was simply blood curdling However, I'm glad I did most of the events instead of living my whole life wishing that I had done them. I think that everyone was each other's incentive to do something. We encouraged each other and that helped.

Far and Wide gave me confidence which I never thought I had

R. Makuni

Far and Wide · Polar Bear

At the crack of dawn Bernie would give a cry - the sound which was hated by everyone in camp. It no longer sounded the way it used to, when we first arrived at Far and Wide, because we knew that as soon as we heard that cry, we would have to run down to the pond and be a POLAR BEAR. Moans and groans could be heard in our cabin as people unenthusiastically got out of their sleeping bags, and got changed, muttering under their breath. Bernie would call out again and tell us to hurry up because the water was getting warm. By the end of our stay at Far and Wide his warm, mature, masculine voice had lost its charm.

As I ran over the rocky surfaces and slid down the wet, muddy, slippery slopes, I felt the Nyanga morning chill embrace my cheeks. As I got to the pool I could see the mist shimmering over the water. In the east the sun was climbing up steadily and its rays were fighting to break through the thickly woven forest of pine trees. The ice cold water pierced my feet and sent an alarming wave up my spine to my nape. The water was like the jaws of a shark which would penetrate into its victim's flesh until it reached the bone. Three seconds under water was a terrible task to complete. As soon as you got up from under the water, you didn't stop to encourage or comfort someone who was having difficulty completing the task, you would just head for the nearest bank.

My body and feet would be numb. When I was dressed I was forced to wait for my friend to finish dressing. I didn't want to go back to camp by myself because I kept on thinking of Anna, the three-legged leopard. When I was walking back to camp, I was unable to feel the rocky and rough surface that I was walking on because my feet were so numb. As I approached camp, an uncontrollable smile came across my face. I had never before in my entire life been so happy to see a building. I was as happy as someone who had been in exile and had finally come home or a refugee who had made his way back to his own country. Every evening I would tell myself that I was not going to do it again. In the morning I would realise that there was no point in giving up when I had already put so much effort into it. I think it was worth it in the end. I don't think I've ever been so proud of myself before.

Mazwi Shamu

Far and wide · abseiling

One morning we woke to be told our schedule for the day was abseiling. I was filled with feelings of excitement, enthusiasm and curiosity. It was a long walk up to the point at which our abseil was to take place. There we all stood with expressions on our faces that were all different. I said to myself that there was no way I was going to go down a cliff supported by ropes. Now the feeling of fear overruled all my other feelings.

As Bernie, our instructor, explained all the steps we had to take to ensure nothing went wrong on our part of the abseil, the more I convinced myself I was not going to put myself through it; as frightened as I was of heights, being up there was torture enough.

I put myself last in the line trying to put it off, but suddenly I noticed I was the only one left; they had all gone down and got it over with. I thought to myself I would regret not going through it, and particularly as all my friends were as scared as I was, had overcome their fear and gone through with it. Bernie tied me up securely to the safety ropes. Everything was going so fast, before I knew it, my legs were over the cliff. My facial expression must have struck Bernie with interest because he picked up the video camera and had it focused right in my face. At this point I was sure this was my last day on earth. I shouted out to Bernie, "I want pink and red roses on my grave, oh and I want a white coffin!" As I was going down the cliff I was trembling with fear and at the same time trying to remember Bernie's instructions and also at the same time I was praying out aloud. I must have sounded hilarious "Our Father ur ... ha a .....mm .. ha..a..a who art in he..e..eaven." I have never been so scared in my life. And at that moment I thought of my life, all I've been through. Now I was praying the Hail Mary which I hardly knew, and which seemed to be finished a little early. Then one of my favourites, the Glory Be. I felt I had been there for such a long time but did not seem to be anywhere near the end. But down below my friends shouted and encouraged me. Shouts of support, though wonderful, did not make me feel any different. Then the most relieving thing happened, I touched ground.

The first thing I said was, "I did it!" I was proud of myself and slowly calmed down from the fear. For the first time in my life I appreciated the pleasure of being on the ground, for a good two minutes I lay on the ground, motionless, my eyes wide open, thanking God for creating land. Going through that made me realise 1 could overcome my fear and that is the fear of heights.

Nthabiseng Tembo