Elda

Every now and again, something wonderful and unexpected happens during your day to gladden your heart.  This happened to me yesterday when Elda, the elderly African Zulu lady who worked as my maid  for many years in South Africa, sent me a text message enquiring after me and saying she wanted to hear from me.

I last saw Elda more than four years ago.  Our parting was swift, without fanfare and very brief.  I hate "goodbyes" and saying goodbye to her was almost as painful as saying goodbye to my sister.  Elda and I said "goodbye" at a bus-stop where I dropped her off after her last shift.  We didn't look at each other nor did we hug, and I was grateful for the traffic which forced me to make only the briefest of stops and enabled me to focus on my surroundings rather than the sense of finality and loss  that weighed heavy in my heart.

I wrote her a couple of times after I arrived in Australia but lost touch with her at least two years ago.  Despite this, she has often been on my mind and I have prayed for her safety, health and wellbeing.

Let me tell you  a little bit more about this wise woman of substance.  Elda must be in her late 60s by now.  She may even be older, it's hard to tell.  Not only is she the strongest woman I have ever met, but she is an extremely evolved human being.  This is a woman of extremely little financial means and education, who somehow managed to raise her grandchildren singlehandedly, putting a couple of them through private schools on her very meagre wages and a paltry widow's pension.  She is a woman who has endured and endured through hardship and suffering, through health problems, traumas, tragedies and personal losses too numerous to count.

I witnessed her cry and sob on many occasions.  I witnessed her fret and worry about her children and grandchildren almost constantly.  I witnessed her express her gratitude and joy over the smallest kindnesses shown to her.  I witnessed her demonstrate love and compassion everywhere she went.  And no matter how much hardship she went through, no matter how often she questioned the meaning of life, no matter how hopeless she felt at times, her belief in God never faltered.  And she ALWAYS came to work, no matter what.  She never ceased to amaze me.

My life has taught me that sometimes our strongest bonds are with people who are not family members.  Elda was my employee, my friend, my surrogate mother, and my one of my greatest role models.

When all is said and done, I am a richer person for having known her and I am grateful to be in touch with her again.  This time I will guard her address and phone number more carefully!