A youngster( early 20s) and street neighbour, whom we shall call 'M', got badly hurt yesterday. Hurt as in someone hitting him with a machete on the head.
And the way fellow street neighbours, his friends and my own family rallied together to save his life was truly heartwarming.
Youngsters being youngsters, M had gotten into an argument( or fight) with another youngster over a girl at a drinking spot. But the fight did not end there. This other youngster, with his two friends, thereafter decided to follow M home, which is located in our street. At the entrance to his home's yard - after more arguing - is where the machete was then used on him. After this hacking job the three fled the scene.
The immediate task for those of us nearby was to stop the profuse bleeding from the gaping head wound. My mother - who is a trained nurse - started trying to stem the flow of blood by dressing the wound and wrapping old t-shits around M's head. Meanwhile, M's friends, my sister and me were frantically phoning an ambulance. We did this phoning fully aware - from past experience - that ambulances to take long to arrive. But we had to try.
Indeed two hours later the ambulance had still not arrived. The makeshift bandages on M's head were proving inadequate in stopping the bleeding. We then started flagging down passing motorists to ask them to help us get M to the nearest hospital - the Chris Hani Baragwanath. And to be honest, most of them were not interested. Those few who agreed, immediately changed their minds on seeing the bloodied approaching M. I remember one of those who stopped saying his car belonged to 'amadlozi'( ancestors) and will be tainted if someone else's blood touches it.
Our biggest worry now became M possibly losing his life from too much bleeding. There was blood all over - on the lawn, on the pavement and on the clothing of some of us.
The day was eventually saved by the arrival of M's uncle. He had had to drive all the way from Kempton Park, which is on the other side of Johannesburg, to come help get his nephew to hospital. And fortunately they made it to Bara on time. But having driven like maniacs to get there, we were later told.
This M incident shook all of us up. It also served to remind us, once again, about the dangers of alcohol abuse by both young and old. A young life could have been easily lost just like that.
"Nice one." to M's friends - bo-Thibang, Tshepo, Zeff et al. You guys really came through for your friend. And a 'big up' too, if I may, to my own family members - my mother( Duduzile) and my sister( Teboho) - for chipping in.
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THANK YOU UNIVERSE. THANK YOU FOR OUR 'FEEL GOOD MOMENTS'.
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SO, SOUTH AFRICA AND THE WORLD OUT THERE, WHAT MADE YOU FEEL
GOOD THIS WEEK?
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