At the beginning of September, I made the trip to Cape town for the first time alone without my daughter as my sidekick, co – adventurer , and fellow explorer.
Covid has robbed so many of the opportunity to be in physical contact that I grabbed hold of this opportunity to meet up with some fellow Wow’er and Jesus lovers.
The instant joy and laughter that filled the air when we sat together for the first time face to face were magnetic. We have only been in communication via Zoom and Whatsapp for almost 2yrs and this visit was truly amazing and liberating. The love between us was tangible but quite evident in the smiles on our faces. To physically hug one another brought a new dimension to what these friends meant to me.
Of course my insecurities popped up before the trip. I am an introvert and doing things like flying alone to another town is something I never ever would have done. My mind raced around all the what if’s. Will they like me? Will I fit in? All silly thoughts.
I bunked with a dear close friend who I would rather call a sister in love. Accompanied by another sister and another sister. A couple of funny crazies who just hit it off from the first day.
Of course, the time came when we had to get ready for bed and I believe like the men would say they have a “ bro code”, I soon realized that there was a girl code as well.
On our first night, we each made our humble apologies for the possible unladylike snore that might erupt. Being lovers of Christ, of course, one would say never mind. I snore as well. Wouldn’t you also do everything to make your fellow sister not feel embarrassed if her sinuses clog up while her brain is in Beta mode? You won’t even know what you do during such a deep non medicated sleep anyway. So keeping someone responsible for what they do in their sleep is just unrealistic. I mean you never know what muscle relaxes in your sleep.
If you have not been to Cape town before, it’s very cold in Winter, I was honestly ill-prepared for this. After a warm shower, I toddled off and jumped on the camping stretchers layered with welcoming warmth from the blankets. We extended our first good nights and well wishes for blessed sleep and dreams. Coupled with the “I may snore” apologies doing the rounds again for good measure.
Lights out, good nights said. I dozed off super fast. Forgetting the apologies and my name for that matter as the overwhelming fun of the day took its toll.
I don’t know what it was, I don’t know when it was. I forgot I was in Cape town.
But at one point in the wee hours of the morning, a sound, thundering from someone’s little toe worked its way up to some left nostril bellowing out the dismay of the little tongue that sounded a bit like it got stranded in the Sahara desert.
Dazed, I jumped straight. My first instant thought was, Jesus is coming back. It’s the sound of the trumpet. No! The horse’s hoofs. Simultaneously I repented of every bad thing I have forgotten about and things I may do while I’m on my way in the rapture to Heaven!
By the second vibration, thundering through the quiet house, my senses came back to me and I laid back with a soft giggle. Well at least I am not THAT bad I thought and I need to gather some hardcore video evidence of this snoring. Turned around and allowed sleep to take over me again.
In the morning we all awoke with sleepy eyes that needed cucumber slices or tea bags. I thanked my lucky stars that my hair was long and would not reveal the hair strands all in different directions like it would if it was short. My first thing was to mention, gosh. Madam. You didn’t joke when you said you snored.
While deep down I prayed that I didn’t cry TIMBER during my deep state of sleep.
I needed to at least try to gather some evidence of this snoring marathon that was happening at night. That mischievous streak that I have just had to have some snoring action on record.
This proved more difficult. At night when I was woken from my deep slumber, the Mission Impossible theme song playing in my head, I would slowly take my phone, and press record. I swear their snoring had stage fright. The minute my camera came out the snores stopped.
Going stealth mode, I would creep out of bed and inch closer in the dark but no luck. Her sixth sense must have been alerted to my covert operation of trying to get her on a recording.
The last morning there, I confessed my attempts to record her snoring. She smiled sneakily and said Wait, I have a surprise for you. And pressed play on her phone… The rumble in the jungle, the vibrations of earthquakes and avalanches played loudly on her cell phone. My voice was weak as I smiled sheepishly asking. Who is that? Dumb question I know. She got me first. Not one but 3 separate recordings of at least 5 minutes each.
I gave up. The cat was out of the bag.
I snore as loud as she does.
There is no turning back from that recording.
But I will do it in a heartbeat again to just spend one more day with all of them.
I want to encourage you, to step out of the “how to act” and “what to say” formalities that you place on yourself in front of others. Find your unique expression of who you are.
Ask yourself are you free to be who you are without the fear of judgment or measuring staff of what is acceptable in the eyes of society.
Be unapologetic you!
Snore like the queen that you are.
Dedicated to my friends S & D