A Wild Ride

The track into Manyata primary school was fine during dry conditions but the black cotton soil when you as much as spit on it causes tyres to clog so driving was like roller skating on ice!

A team of us visited this day because the Headmaster and the environmental teacher, Kitomari had prepared a student performance for our visitors.

Kitomari deserves a lot of credit because he supported what we were doing environmentally and had the kids totally committed to the project. It was he who encouraged us in the first place to sponsor Lily for secondary schooling.

After the performance and our day’s activities there, Kitomari suggested we take Lily home to meet her mother but while we were keen to go, most of the day there had been thunder rolling in the distance, which meant rain was nigh.

‘No, any rain will go around us.’ Assured Kitomari.

As we prepared to leave, a group arrived carrying a woman with a fractured leg, so of course we would take her to hospital.

There were five in our party, Kitomari, Lily, the broken legged woman [lying down] plus two supporters, who would care for the woman’s daily needs while in hospital. Someone also brought a bundle of supplies and clothing.

I was comfortable in the driver’s seat but everyone else was cramped and the vehicle was overloaded!

As no rain had fallen, other than being careful at washouts, holes and eroded water channels, it was an easy drive bearing in mind the comfort of our injured passenger.

Towards the end, the track becomes almost impassable because of the rice paddies on each side of the road – over time the track became waterlogged and deeply rutted where other vehicles, even tractors, had become stuck and stirred up the ground trying to extract them.

My trick was to climb the steep bank above the road where there was just enough room between the bank’s edge and the paddies for me to fit. The problem was the bank was nearly half a meter high, loaded as I was, it would be easy to tip the vehicle, but if the front wheels were reasonably straight on, it would be ok. Up we went, lurching scarily for the passengers but it was over in a flash.

Getting down was a little more tricky because I couldn’t swing out to line the wheels so I told them that I would bound over quickly, and to hold tight.

There was a considerable lurch!

‘Shit Dad!’ came an exclamation from behind me, but by then we were safe.

A few in the back clapped to celebrate their ‘survival’.

After dropping the injured party off, Lily showed me the track that eventually led to her home, I had never used the track before but could see it led down a steepish ridge. The thunder clouds seemed close but again Kitomari was certain the rain would go around us.

It was a long way down that ridge and to my right was a large area of harvested maize that had been roughly cultivated.

Lily’s mother was pleasant and welcoming, and we could tell she struggled to support her children.

We were about to leave when the clouds opened!

We sheltered in the small house which had only a plastic sheet to keep the rain off!

Regarding 4x4 vehicles I have four considerations: getting stuck is expensive, especially if a tractor or other vehicle is needed; it takes a long time to go for help and for help to arrive; at 7:00pm, like closing a blind it becomes dark, there can be ‘associated dangers’; not least is safety, I am responsible for the people and of course the vehicle.

We would be personally safe at Mama Lily’s but car parts fetch a pretty penny - there is constant potential for robbery. Even crashed vehicles lose batteries and equipment even before the people are rescued!

I try to have a balanced load, with weight on the front wheels –impracticable this time - and keep an even speed without over revving. If there is forward motion, don’t stop.

We set off with spinning wheels but gathered speed so the speed took us along without any spinning but as the slope increased forward motion slowed, so I took to that worked field where there was enough traction and we made good ground.

Near the top I had to swing across the slope the hill creating arcs of tyre ruts as far forward uphill as possible, then slipping into reverse to swing uphill as far as traction permitted. The vehicle was on a lean all the time but with that last backward swing, we were back on the track, virtually on level ground.

Only then did everyone become talkative – even Kitomari!