Straatwerk

It was a hot day as I drove down Kloofstreet. You just can’t miss them, the bright bibs that proclaim Jesus Saves, the graffiti removal trolley with many different bottles and thinners and secrets products like Graffiti Go that can instantly show graffiti whose boss. Their work is to do what the Bible says by literally working for their daily bread “by the sweat of their brows.” I drive to my office, park my car and then walk towards them to find out what cold drink they would want.

“We are not allowed to eat and drink while we are on shift, my lady” is told to me, but later I get the whole story between the three of them. They are allowed to drink something, as long as they don’t walk into a shop to get it, and it doesn’t interfere with their work.

Everyone asks for Coke and they suggest sharing two cans between the three of them- “...it works out cheaper that way” they said to me.

I buy three cans of Coke and three packets of Lays chips in different flavours and walk uphill towards them. Their faces light up and the foreman says: “Now friends, this is now really a lady that walks the extra mile” (I feel secretly proud that I also passed one of the lessons from School of Life*, even if it cost me some sweat.) The cans are immediately opened-

“The Coke side of life-Cheers!”

Back to the reality of the day they face a brick wall with some graffiti that needs to be removed. They need to mix colours to find one that fits in with the rusty brown, dark brown, almost black and who knows what other colours. The white paint is thrown into a bowl and the process begins.

'Add black…no, more…'

'Red? '

'You must be joking, it will turn to pink.  Add brown…'

“Look at this, the brown looks like chocolate sauce on ice-cream...like at the nice patterns...”

Andre plays with the paint while he gets a faraway look in his eyes. The foreman stars seeing red from impatience. You see, Andre was a chef in the Southern Sun Hotel for 31 years. He swopped that life for a life in Zimbabwe with his doctor-wife. “Life goes on” he said “the one thing I learned from this life, no one can take your religion, education or experience from you” Now the chef/farmer cleans streets and removed graffiti for a living. The only thing he looks forward to is to become a foreman so that he can afford his own place, because the night shelter was becoming too much for him.

Showella is also from Zimbabwe. He was a teacher for the past 12 years, but just couldn’t stand it in Zimbabwe anymore. There are so many teachers from Zimbabwe here in South Africa- they waiter in Spur, work on the till in the cafe around the corner, pack the racks at the Pick ‘n Pay and work for their money by the sweat of their browns, R40 for 4 hours at Project OPRUIM/Jesus Saves. We meet them like animals at Home Affairs, trying to sort out papers and find a job. They get up at 03:00 in the morning to get there first, just to see that others are there before them. And so this continues month after month after month. Maybe Showella would like to sing with Tracy Champan: “...and give mr. President my honest regards, for disregarding me” in her song, Subcity. Showella works hard and doesn’t talk much. I wonder what he longs for.

Jean- the English gentleman and foreman is an outspoken atheist. Jean can’t understand that there are people that love him. He can’t understand the Christ-like brotherly, sisterly love, and doesn’t really want to either. Every evening he goes back to his room in Mowbray, smokes his dope, drinks his nightcap (or two, or three)- because according to Jean, there is no reason to live if you don’t drink and get drunk. He drinks to forget, to remember, and above else, to be able to sleep.

'To be a Christian would really complicate my life.  I would hate to be burdened with other people's problems.  I believe that if you are in trouble you sort out your own problems and take whatever comes your way like a man.  I have never prayed in my life, it is impossible for me to believe that there is a God.  When I’m dead, I’m dead, that's that.  All I need to survive is a bit of luck, a bit of promise and a bit of hope.  Add more of the brown…more…more…no, no no, stop.  I said STOP!'

And so they continue. The foreman tells them what colours to add and the other two does what he says. They disagree with him every now and then, but he stands his ground-no red. I even try to get him to change his mind about the red. Later Andre is so desperate he makes a sample on the side to show that the red really will work. Thank goodness, finally we are getting somewhere with the colour. The bricks are being painted and people walk by, screaming that Jesus would not have removed the graffiti, that the colour is a terrible match and that we should add more dioxide. Andre messes on his shoes by accident and quickly grabs some water to wash the sidewalk and his shoes. Maybe this is the moment that made me write down this story.

Andre, the large man with the large sadness surrounding him. The large man who longs to make patterns with chocolate sauce and vanilla ice cream in the kitchen of Southern Sun Hotels. The man who shares recipes with us of beer chicken and coke chicken (no, not cocaine) with some spices. The man with the good manners, soft spoken ways, that paints bricks and tells his life story in three minutes. The large man who washes his shoes on the sidewalk. The man who talks about faith, education and experience. Or is he talking about faith, hope and love?

Project OPRUIM/Jesus Saves, wears the words “Jesus Saves” on their bibs as a testimony to the community. Project OPRUIM/Jesus Saves is a rehabilitation process where people in need can earn cash in hard.

*School Of Life makes or a part of the rehabilitation process of Project OPRUIM/Jesus Saves. Lesson3: Matthew 5:41...walk the extra mile...