My last email to Dominic at Isuzu.
Good evening.
Herewith the details of my encounter with Thando.
I had planned to leave home in PE on the 17th of February, at around 05h00, but for some reason, I just could not get going and only left at 08h00.
Before I left, I stood next to Matilda, my trusty steed, and prayed for protection, guidance and assistance, not knowing how much I was going to need it
My route, through Rocklands, Uitenhage and then outside Uitenhage, take the Cockscombe gravel road to Steytlerville. Due to the heavy rains experienced in that area, there were some challenging sections along the way, but I was not prepared for the flooding Groot Rivier. There was absolutely no way that I was going to get across that river.
At that moment, my only option was to ride all the way back to the R75 tar road, as my GPS could not give me any alternative routes, there was no signal so I could not even try Google Maps, meaning a 3 to 4 hour extra ride. As I was contemplating my options, a bakkie crossed the river, from the opposite side, which then stopped, and I met Thando.
He asked me if he could be of assistance, and I just said I need to get across this river, or I am not going to get to my destination, Kalkfontein Guest Farm, on time. It was already 10h45 and I still had a long way to go, and judging by the gravel roads which I had been on up to that stage, it was not going to be an easy ride. And that proved to be the case, the 580 km I did for the day, took me 12 hours, which would have been a lot more, if I did not have my Thando encounter.
Thando promptly said that if we can get the bike on the back of the bakkie, he will take me across, and then there was the conversation about me not making this publicly known, as there could be negative repercussions, and he could lose his employment. YET, despite this, he was willing to help someone in need. That, in itself speaks volumes about the character of this caring, amazing young man.
I had to ride Matilda through the bush to get to the embankment, which Thando had reversed up to and we used the ballast sand bags to create a ramp and the bike was on the back of the Isuzu.
Thando drove across the river, then the next challenge, and this REALLY was a challenge, was to get this 400 kg bike off. Fortunately, another driver stopped and assisted us and Matilda was eventually back on the road.
Just to put things into perspective, the driver of the other bakkie was not willing to take on the river. Therein lies another story, he said that there was a detour below the dam wall a few 100m ahead, which I could have taken coming from the other side, but it looked like a turn-off to a farmhouse, with no signage. Be that as it may, I am glad that I did not discover that detour, because then I would not have met Thando.
As the other driver was leaving, Thando was ready to leave, I asked him for a few minutes of his time.
I told him about Brandon, that today would have been his 28th birthday, that I had prayed that morning, and that he was the angel God had sent to help me in my time of need. Thando embraced me and hugged me for a long time, you have absolutely no idea what that meant to me. It will be a moment which will remain with me to my dying day.
You have a very special employee in him, and Dominic, being part of the Adventure Biking fraternity, you will understand what it means to us, we, as bikers will always assist another biker, but when a non-biker goes out their way to assist us in times of need, it is so much more meaningful.
I have one last request, please, however you decide to recognise what Thando did, I would really like to be a part of it, if possible. Due to my circumstances, I am riding for a reason and for a cause, those details are for another time, for now, I would just like to see Thando being given justified recognition, which he deserves.
I look forward to hearing from you.
:thumleft:
