November 1996 and I’m walking (not too slow and not too fast) around the curve of Judges, where it intersects with Republic Road, just after the traffic lights.
Up past the willow trees bordering the garage and along the edge of Cresta Centre’s parking lot.
It’s a summer evening – one of those huge-skied, jasmine scented, newly rain-washed evenings in my dreams of Jo’burg – and a surprise awaits me.
Ahead of me Judges Avenue slopes up towards the new Health and Racquet Club building, on the left is the expanse of parking lot with its neat shopping Mall and on the right is Windsor West – a mixed neighbourhood of houses, townhouses and small blocks of flats. The ugly 70’s architecture has been softened by age, trees have mellowed the mediocre face-brick and creepers have clothed the Vibacrete.
On this day it doesn’t matter that my home is a war-zone and I’ve run out of dreams. For a moment all is forgotten as I see three elephants standing patiently around the bus shelter on Judges Avenue!
A little further up the hill and the explanation is clear: BRIANS CIRCUS has come to town – all the neat caravans and trailers are arranged around their Big Top.
(A quick aside for animal-lovers: these young elephants were three of five orphans they’d reared after their family groups had been wiped out by poachers. Even if you weren’t privy to this piece of information, upon witnessing the blithe blonde surfer kid walking a pair of adolescent tigers through the trees, the philosophy of BRIANS CIRCUS would be immediately apparent!)
I am enchanted by it all. It would be odd to see an elephant at a bus stop in downtown Detroit, but it’s very interesting in a Johannesburg suburb. Whilst I watch, the biggest of the three reaches out to an ornamental tree and pulls off a snack-sized bundle of shoots. Delicately, he pops them into his mouth and has a thoughtful chew.
All of this is playing down against the backdrop of a city suburb, but above it is the immense African sky – for a moment I understand that the streets, houses, shops, cars, traffic lights, billboards and bicycles are really temporary. Here today, could be gone tomorrow.
Like, five thousand years ago there was certainly an elephant having a leaf sundowner on this very spot.
It’s a summer evening – one of those huge-skied, jasmine scented, newly rain-washed evenings in my dreams of Jo’burg
yes, those 🙂 i’ve been missing the fury of the summer storms but you paint the aftermath perfectly.
There’s been a slew (two) of tigers roaming free lately.
Your post is as delightful as ever thank you 🙂
peace and love
joberry4 
It’s a summer evening – one of those huge-skied, jasmine scented, newly rain-washed evenings in my dreams of Jo’burg
yes, those 🙂 i’ve been missing the fury of the summer storms but you paint the aftermath perfectly.
There’s been a slew (two) of tigers roaming free lately.
Your post is as delightful as ever thank you 🙂
peace and love