lucy, clive, and the soup kitchen clan.
Quinton told us that we were visiting Ocean View to “see positive images of marginalized people.” Quinton had the right sentiment, but the phrase was too scientific, too technical. For a weekend to be spent with the warmest, most familial, welcoming, humoured people to be called “seeing positive images of marginalized people” is to over simplified and does not say enough about this wonderful weekend.
Ocean View is a coloured township about an hour outside of Cape Town. The township was created during the forced removal of coloured and black people from Simon’s Town and surrounding areas in the 1960s during the apartheid. Now, while there are many problems that face the township, there is a solidarity among the families that have been there since the only buildings existed were a church and a liquor store.
Lucy and Clive were mine and Brianna’s parents for the weekend. They were immediately warm and candid with us, telling us about their children and grandchildren right away. The best part is their story:
Lucy and Clive met when they were seven years old. Lucy could remember the exact toy that he was playing with forty seven years later- a Styrofoam airplane. They both lived in Simons Town; this was before the forced removal in the 1960s. Lucy’s house was up the hill from Clive, and she could yell down to his backyard from her house. The apartheid forced their families out of their homes together; they withstood the humiliating, institutionalized racism of the apartheid together. They have successful children and adorable grandchildren today. I could not even imagine being with someone for the rest of my life that I have seen every day since the age of seven. They know every inch of each others bodies, every ounce of each others personalities, wishes, hopes, dreams. Call me a romantic, but I love it.
Lucy immediately asked us about our eating and religious situations. I mentioned that I am a vegetarian and a Jew, but this weekend I would completely giving up both. I ate tons of meat and went to church, a decision for the weekend with which I am very pleased.
Every weekend, Lucy and Clive run a soup kitchen with other families who also were hosting us this weekend. On Friday night after dinner, we headed over there to sort out the crates and crates of vegetables that came into the rec. room of the church. After we sorted, we played countless games of jumping over sticks with all the kids, who were so creative and energetic we were almost sore the next day from it. Brianna and I also played some intense games of dominos with a very attractive Belgian man who is to be ordained a priest next month…the unattainable…hmm
Lucy gave us the tour of their modest home clad with family photos and bible quotes all over the walls. That night she made us hot chocolate and put hot water bottles in our bed. She told us “This weekend, this house is your house; you just take anything you need.”
The next morning we headed back to the soup kitchen to play more dominos, hang out with the kids, and of course prepare the food. About 150 people came to the soup kitchen for food. I did not quite know how to feel and act around the people coming to the soup kitchen, because of the many sentiments that came through the line. Some were so grateful to us for this meal, some kept trying to get more food and were not grateful, and many were very embarrassed at the fact that they had to come to the soup kitchen in the first place. It was difficult to be especially joyful when there are so many people that have to come to this soup kitchen, especially so many children. However, at the same time, the Lucy, Clive and the gang do not have much themselves and it is already so generous and of true value that they run this huge soup kitchen, so it was something to be joyful about.
Later that day, we sang, danced, played karaoke with everyone in the families. Then we went on a tour of Simon’s Town, which is where all the adults in the families grew up, and Jeremy, one of the host fathers, gave us a very detailed description of every area. We saw sunset over the harbour with our new families.
We then piled back in the cars and had yet another feast at one of the houses. They all said that they show their love by feeding people, so boy, they must have loved us a ton.
We went to church on Sunday, which I am usually quite opposed to, but the church had a live band, everyone was humble and lively. The service was genuine, the congregation was very involved in portraying and living by Christian values of love, kindness and generosity, and I was not judged for not taking communion.
After church, there was yet again, another feast, as per usual. Saying goodbye to the families was difficult, even after spending only 48 hours with them. They were so candid and warm from the very beginning that we did not waste any of the precious hours together being awkward and “getting to know each other.” They invited us back for weekends, for dinner anytime we want, an offer I will be truly taking advantage of the rest of the time I am here.
The township of Ocean View is familial and friendly. Even though it is stricken with racism, violence, drugs, alcoholism, health problems and poverty, everyone has a great humour about their situation, and having families who have grown up and experienced every hardship together gets them through life. It was something that I would have never experienced without coming to South Africa, that since the politics and history is so ridden with horror stories, beautiful neighbourhoods, families, and people come from it.
