I was privileged to be the driver for a trip from Port Elizabeth to Cape Town, an experience that I will never forget.
It was still dark when I fetched the families from hospital. All wearing their masks, adhering to social distancing with each family sitting in their own row in the vehicle , one seat apart. The one mom asked if she can say a prayer for us , the sincerity of her prayer touch my heart. The one family was first time travelers and the mom was very anxious about what to expect, the other mom, a seasoned traveler, was putting her at ease telling her more about Red Cross Hospital.
The roads were very quiet, and so was all the people in the vehicle, each busy with their own thoughts, how long will they be in hospital? what if the doctor has bad news about their child? We encountered 4 roadblocks on route. At every roadblock we had to produce our permits, hospital letters and our temperature was taken, sanitizing every time we get back into the vehicle. Half way through our trip the “padkos” was shared and laughter and chatter filled the vehicle.
On arrival at Red Cross Hospital the seasoned travelers found their luggage and made their way to the ward. The new mom stayed seated in the vehicle. I asked her if she knew where to go, she didn’t. I asked her if the hospital gave her any documents to bring with – she showed me an envelope. Now we knew where they need to go. I helped them to gather all their luggage, mostly packed and Checkers bag as they do not have a suitcase. As we entered the hospital we were stopped by a security guard and I was informed that only the mom & child are allowed in the hospital, I have to leave them at the door. The mom’s eyes teared up and she begged me not to leave her. I explained to the security that it is their first visit to Red Cross Hospital and she doesn’t know where to go. he asked us to wait while he finds a porter to take the family to the ward. After a while a very friendly porter came to assist the family. I told the mom that he will take them to the ward and everything will be okay. I couldn’t even hug her goodbye ….
I walked back to the vehicle and turned around one last time. The mom was waiving with tears streaming down her face. I couldn’t get the image off my mind, later that evening I phoned the mom and asked if they were okay. She sounded much happier and said that they are settled in, she thanked me for bringing them to Cape Town and that the Lord will bless Wings & Wishes.
