So we arrived safe and sound, without our luggage, but that’s whole other story. Fortunately my husband was carrying his mum’s ashes with him – they are quite heavy, I never knew. He had to pay for a visa for her which made us all raise an eyebrow, welcome to Africa!
After resting for a few days we took the hour long drive to an area called the Matopos National Park, a World Heritage Site. A beautiful area where Cecil Rodes has his gave, it’s called Worlds View, there is also the Shangani Patrol Memorial. The area itself has been reserved for remembering all those that served Zimbabwe. It was a very private and emotional moment that brought an end to a decade of longing to honour her dying wish; “take me home”. Whilst she lived in the UK since the 1980’s she was never truly happy here. She was an African and longed for the endless blue skies, open spaces and the wilderness. I don’t enjoy being in large cities so much, but being in the bush in Africa is my happy place. A special thanks to John Laing and his wonderful wife for being with us at Quiet Waters, a Nature Reserve and Wilderness Area. It is a fabulous conservation project operated by Falcon College, my husbands old school.
The trip was full of mixed emotions and wonderful memories. Grief over losing someone never really goes away, it just drifts into a gentle sleep. It doesn’t take much to wake grief. Those moments, where you wish with all your heart, could be shared with them. The longing to hear their voice and sometimes for us to have the chance to say, “I’m sorry” and “I love you!” There isn’t a time limit on grief and it doesn’t go away, you just learn how to live with it over time.
