Ever reflected on some of your most embarrassing moments of your childhood? At the time it was an earth-shattering life altering event, the kind of thing that makes you want just die of shame! But later on in life you can look back and laugh with the friends that laughed at you back then. Take 1981 for example. I was um…..let's see… 11? I was still in primary school. Still too young for a typical adolescent mindset, but old enough to start liking girls and impressing my friends. There I was in the bath at 16:45 when my mom called me from the kitchen. She said that I should put on a towel and "…come see something quickly. Hurry!"
Of course a number of thoughts raced through my mind as I got of the bath. A fight? Nah! A chopper landing in the vlei behind our property? I would have heard it. A…a UFO?? Now we are talking. So I rush out of the bathroom with a small towel round my waist, not really caring about the little soap in my hair. I had to witness this once in a lifetime event! As soon as I reach the kitchen, mommy dearest grabs my arm with a vice-like grip and starts to frog march me towards the gate!! Despite my protests, she forged ahead muttering something about a bomb scare and all houses being evacuated. Gulp!! I began to do the maths… Bomb hidden somewhere - unknown. Evacuation – check! Mass exodus on the street en route to the shopping centre – check! D, the pretty girl I liked exiting her home (across the road) at precisely the same moment us – check!
Did I mention that I was wrapped in a small towel? I mean a really small one? It barely covered my waist. And did I mention the soap still in my hair? So the last item on this equation: skinny little boy with soapy hair and what appears to be a loincloth – check!!!
We get to the shopping centre to find it buzzing with hundreds of people. Some happened to be shopping after work. Others came to find out what the commotion was about. Most were evacuees like myself, they lived on the same street as me and some (in fact quite a few) were in the same class with me. One of these people was even my brother! But they all had clothes! Of course by this time I was drawing a lot of attention and sniggles could be heard from various quarters. I remember thinking, "UFO if you want to abduct me, get me out of here right now!!"
It turned out there was no bomb, but I was the talk of the school the next day.
