It was Joel's birthday which he'd told me he didn't celebrate but that only challenged me to make sure this was one he would never forget! He's one of the nicest guys I've ever met and the day he came into this world is definitely one that should be celebrated.
I left their AirBnB early to meet SJ for breakfast before getting a mini cake from the local patisserie and a bottle of champagne from home. I packed snacks, towels and glasses, hopped in the car to fetch them and drove to the stables where Margeret was waiting to take us on a ride. I think I was even more excited than they were. I hadn't seen my horse in weeks and I also knew what a treat they were in for. No matter how much you tell people that riding on our estate is amazing they can never truly understand until they've seen it for words really don't do it justice. The mountain, the sea, the view of the valley, the flowers, the birds... it's magical. We were soon winding our way up the path with the sun on our faces and joy in our hearts. Every time I turned around to look at them they were beaming, Eli was videoing everything and Joel was having a full blown conversation with his horse that had me in stitches from beginning to end.
Although they were very novice they'd ridden before and the horses are used to beginners so for the most part know they're job and get it done regardless of what's happening on their backs.
This meant we could take them up the steps and show them both sides of the mountain before coming back down for one last view of the dunes and the sea on our way back to the stables. By the time we got back Joel was already saying this was the best birthday treat and how blessed he felt to have been able to experience it which made me smile both with gratitude and the knowledge that it had only just begun.
We said our goodbyes to Margeret and the horses and drove up the road to Llandudno, my favourite beach and the least touristy of them all.
We found a little spot right at the back underneath the boulders where we could spread out, play our music and smoke a few little joints without causing any one offence. We were soon popping champagne and cheers'ing Joel. His face was a picture of happiness and gratitude which made me feel exactly the same way. He was so surprised and so touched by the effort I'd gone to which I appreciated although I never understand why people don't expect real kindness out of one another. But maybe I'm just a little naive, they both live in major cities where often life is such that if you take the time to smell the roses or worry about someone else you just get trampled by the stampede. Either way, I was glad to be able to make him feel special and enjoying the moment for myself as well.
I'll admit that as wonderful as it was to be lying next to him in such an incredible setting, there was a certain amount of anxiety building within me.
It was their second last day. He would soon be gone and I was just beginning to realise how deeply he had impacted me and how used to his presence I had become. We were also lying on a beach, which is not my natural habitat, I don't feel comfortable in my body and being surrounded by a bunch of half naked woman was hardly doing anything for my confidence. Eventually I couldn't lie there without a distraction from myself and suggested we go for a bite at Chapman's Peak, another of Cape Town's must do tourist attractions for it's view of the ocean and legendary calamari. We made a little de tour to the look out point afterwards before going to my house so I could shower and change for dinner in town. Joel didn't mind where we went and Eli wanted Mexican so I'd decided on the Fat Cactus. My house ended up being another birthday treat as Joel soon found himself lying with Khaya, as entranced by her as she was his constant stroking. It was also strange yet nice to see Eli in my home. It made the whole experience feel a little less like a dream, if only for a moment. Dinner was as lovely as the whole day had been, Max and Sabrina joined us and together we toasted Joel once more. By the end of the evening I knew I'd done what I'd set out to. This was a birthday he was never going to forget. We went back to my house where Eli promptly booked Joel and Uber back to their flat so we could be alone. The next hour was so special I think it deserves more than the last line of this post, so I'll save it for tomorrow's.
