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Dad elected for the operation where they remove the lining of the lung - a painful one where they operate through the back between the ribs as that would stop the lung from filling with fluid but rather drain into the body where it would be disposed of naturally. The best flight I could find was Dallas to Chicago, Chicago to London, London to Johannesburg, Johannesburg to Port Elizabeth. I left on Sunday after completing my week-long "D" soccer license, had a good flight to London, long tiring layover with gaining 6 hours and awaiting the evening flight.

It was strange landing in Johannesburg, I felt quite emotional, as although the "decay" is evident, the countryside remains the most beautiful in the world. There was another long stand over awaiting the flight to PE, fortunately, of the friends who I had notified that I would be there, Nikki Fouche, who goes back many years to a Scripture Union camp when she was about 10, was able to join me for an hour or so.

I arrived in PE - another strange feeling, have not been in this airport for many years, but felt very "familiar" and then saw my sister Linda (disguised as a redhead) and mom and dad who had been in town for him to see the specialist. All looked well, even dad, despite still recovering from his operation. The doctor had now clearly told him it was cancer (he had been ducking the issue) and it later came to light that he had worked with asbestos for about 10 years in his early twenties – the blue, dangerous variety – when he was repairing steam engines and the asbestos was used to insulate the boilers. He had seen his friends from that era get the disease and die shortly thereafter, but he had decided not to share this important bit of information with anyone. (and you wondered who Linda and I inherited our stubbornness from?)

We had a pleasant hours drive from there to Port Alfred, the roads are in shocking condition, but everything looked much the same. We had last been in Port Alfred in November 1998, but it was good to be back. The lack of air-conditioned homes and the humidity took a while to get used to, and it took us all back a few years for the family the 4 of us to be united around a dining room table again. The first few days were just spent having time together and taking dad for walks on the pier beach, which mom said he had not yet been able to do since the operation, so he did well.

As Sam Sansom, one of our oldest and dearest family friends, had just died after a long illness, mom and I decided to go to the memorial service in East London on the Friday, and stay over until Sunday to give her a break from the tiring time spent visiting dad while he was in hospital. The memorial service was great, Peter gave a moving sendoff and it was good to see old friend from those many happy years at Trinity Methodist Church the church now just a lonely steeple in a deserted downtown East London, many businesses having made the "white flight" to the suburbs - mainly Vincent. At the reception in the hall afterward it was amusing to have the old ducks staring at me and finally working out who I was - although I did not think it was that difficult, I often look in the mirror and go "Hi dad!" as the image that looks back is not the youthful counterpart I recall, but rather one that reminds me of what my dad looked like when I was growing up! It was good to see Mandy Perks and Sandra Bode - both teachers at Hudson Park, my old school, and the Elliot's, whose son Brendan was a best buddy until he died in a motorbike accident shortly after his 21st birthday. It was great to see Janet (Sansom) and finally meet Charles and of course see Johnny and Glenda (Sansom), who we had last seen in Sedgefield on our 1998 trip. Mom stayed with our ex neighbors, Ken and Lois Tennant, Ken apparently has a granddaughter now living in Dallas, and their daughter Candace is now in TV production in Johannesburg. They have moved to a few streets down from where we lived in Baysville. Found out that Michael Sperinck is with Johnson and Johnson in New York (I tried to trace him on the Internet but to no avail.)

I used the opportunity to get to know Internet friends, Collin and Viv Davey, Collin had come over and spent a week with us in December, and so it was good to meet Viv and their boys Kevin and Marc. They arranged a get-together of friends, and it was great to see Andrew Allam - after about 20 years from the good old De La Salle school days! - and meet his wife Heather and younger son. They reported (being in the know with a teenage son) that the drugs had very much hit the schools apparently following the PE schools, which were very hard hit. Shane Smith and his family made it as well, as did Eugene and Susan (Harrison) with their 3 girls. Alan Largue and companion came to keep us entertained with Neddy Seegoon jokes and other impersonations. It was a very enjoyable evening in a very familiar environment.

Saturday had coincided with David Melville's 40th birthday in the evening, and the Surfers Marathon during the day. Collin and Viv kindly took me on a nostalgic tour around - first we dropped their maid (what's that?) in Duncan Village. Collin is a Land Rover enthusiast and I suspect it is the armored car variety, as he did not seem to mind driving into the heart of the township. I pretended I was an overseas journalist with a video camera, and Viv closed her eyes most of the way - we got out safely, but did get a few strange looks along the way. Downtown EL was very run-down, as reported before, the old Social Welfare building is still standing, but the flag from the "Missions to Seamen" chapel next door was sadly missing. That flag dictated whether I went windsurfing, paddle skiing or horse riding after work (west wind - good surf, east wind good windsurfing, no wind - horse riding!)

We started out with breakfast at the Wimpy down at the Orient Beach. That brought back memories of Douglas Hayne teasing some gypsy who decided to put a curse on him. That's like trying to catch an eel with grease on your hands… We went out to Igoda Mouth where I used to stable my horse, drove through “Lekkeroord” – a church “retreat” area – still in operation – to the stables – no longer in operation, but rather nice accommodation for locals! The overlooking beach was as amazing as I remembered, another saddening reminder of the beauty of the country were it not for the political and economic outlook being so poor with the accompanying rising crime rate. Everywhere I went the people I visited played that favorite SA game called “horror stories” comparing who has the best story on the latest atrocities… The favorite was the lady and her daughter kidnapped while fishing at Fish River, made to drive to a quiet area, raped and murdered. The killers were caught but were unrepentant and awaiting trial.

We looked up John Pollock of Pollock's Sports now closing shop and on his way to North Carolina – he is married to an American girl and so has the opportunity. When we spoke in 1995 trip John felt things would be OK, they had decided against the move, but now they were not so sure. He was planning to measure the Surfers Marathon – a first after all the years of having it! My favorite memory of John was when he sold me “Unbreakable” batons for my wind-surfer. He had to rename them “Virtually unbreakable” after I brought a few back with the necessary adjustments made to them in the (cold) surf.

We went down to the finish of the marathon, watching them cross the Nahoon River. I bumped into Graham Allthorpe, brother of my first girlfriend, Lorette (I was 5, she was 3). His dad had died recently – lung cancer. I also saw old neighbor Cheryl (Sanan) now married with 3 little ones. We even found time to look up the new Nutting Badminton Hall and Kingsway Tennis Club. The evening was spent at David's 40th and it was good to see David and Elizma again. We were invited to give speeches and I duly obliged, pointing out that David HAD to marry someone from a strong farming background, as with his “open home” policy, we could accumulate “ frequent user” points. I also apologized for introducing David to email joke lists and to all the people who suffered as a result.

Back to dad in PA, Linda and Nic, Paul and Vicky came down, Vicky demonstrated her musical talent and I took Paul for a driving lesson. It was good seeing them all again, I will have to be an uncle and mention that they have grown! I spent the next few days with mom and dad, walking on the beach, meeting old friends, shopping for curios, and just “being there” watching a few African Cup soccer games (SA got thumped…) Peter and Jean Sansom came down on the Monday and a pleasant time was spent with them. On Thursday I left with Nic for Port Elizabeth, where Molly Harrison met us and then we flew to Johannesburg where Tony Sonemann, an old friend from Clifton (Hudson) park days and Rhodes met us and took us to lunch. We then drove to the workmen's compensation offices in Pretoria who confirmed that they would be paying compensation for dad and covering all his medical bills, but tried to deny any other liability, until Nic told them point blank “My wife has researched the Act and she tells me there is provisions for restitution” to which she replied “Oh, yes, but that is another form to fill in…” – we left with the form (outcome pending, but the monthly payments have been coming!)

On to Tony Sonemann, seeing Sue and meeting baby Elizabeth, joined by Rick and Carol Garner where a very pleasant evening was spent. Tony took me to the airport and this time I was in the upstairs section of a very full plane. I sat next to Jock Ruddock, who is a Bowen Therapy technologist. His technique of pain treatment so impressed me that I am trying to bring him out to Dallas (actually I would like Dee to learn it to treat my aches and pains) I strongly recommend having a look at his site – the therapy works for horses, too!

Arriving in London, had a shorter layover, then on to another full flight to Chicago. I was reminded of the rudeness of the Europeans with the pushing and shoving, so different to in the US as over here, where “jumping a line (queue)” is frowned upon. Were unable to land in Chicago as the airport was shut down (had been for a few days) so flew on to St. Louis to refuel, then back to Chicago where they let us land, only to shut the airport again. The lines for phones were enormous, (lesson learnt – take cell phone… even if you cannot use in SA, it is a lot cheaper than credit card calls while in the US!!!) Called Dee to ask her to get me on another flight (a wise move), gave up looking for a hotel and taxi and had a brainwave to call Alan Carter, a school and Rhodes friend, previously in Austin, now with Anderson Consulting in Chicago (brrr). It was cheaper to rent and drive to him than get a cab! Had a very pleasant day with him and his clan, brother Paul has just recently accepted a job in the UK, so another one for the “brain drain” and finally got home to the family Saturday night to the usual chorus of “what did you bring us?”