My friend and I set out on one of these cold winter nights to look for prostitutes and speak to them about their line of work, their struggles and why they chose their line of trade. When we arrive at their usual place of business in one of the spots in Tlokweng we find it deserted. Our targets are nowhere to be found and instead the place is filled by those who want to fill themselves up with a few alcoholic beverages.
We just conclude that it's either too early for the madams or too cold. Or maybe it was not a good day for business. Besides it was a Wednesday, but sex is an everyday thing, no?
Anyway, just as we were about to leave, we spotted a truck packed in the distance and lucky enough there was someone inside. After much debating with each other, we walk over to the truck and in my head I am thinking, "He is going to think that just because he is a trucker, we think he sleeps with prostitutes." When the guy opens the door, we are greeted by the most polite and put together truck driver.
He tells us that he has been parked there for four days and that he is waiting for a package to be cleared at the airport then he'll be on his way back to South Africa. He tells us he keeps to himself and has spotted a few activities that are out of line in the bar that is in front of his truck, but it's a life that he has lived and has no more desire for.
He is Zambian and a Muslim, and he proudly states that Alla keeps him in line, then he recites messages he learnt from Alla some of them being, "No man is better than another."
I ask him what he thinks of the Muslims who are killing millions of people in the name of Alla and he says that he believes some of them are not really Muslims and some terrorists may be hiding their true identity and pretending to be Muslim because he does not believe that Alla would want anyone harmed since we all belong to him.
He goes on to tell us that sometimes he stops his truck on the side of the road when need be, and prays in the bushes, something we Christians find hard to do. We are so casual with our relationship with God it's heartbreaking.
And he also added that it is Alla who keeps him on the right track, and keeps the temptations of this world away. Our truck driver knows the price of hard-work, good morals because Alla teaches them to him.
He says he has a wife that he loves so much and 5 kids he is proud of and that he provides well for. His first born child is in University and his second just finished school and the family is planning to see what he is to do next.
Our Zambian trucker is not deterred by the cold, he says that he has blankets, a bed and a stove in his truck and he does not miss anything a hotel room would offer, when we ask if it's not better for his company to find him a lodge to spend the night in. In a response that is not usually expected from an employee, he says it might be too expensive for his employers to pay for lodges every time he travels from country to country.
"My truck is just fine, it has everything." Refusing to be pitied.
He goes on to say that when he misses his family he can just talk to them via whatsapp. His love for his wife and kids is visible in his eyes as he talks about how sometimes he travels with his wife who owns a business in Zambia..
"Sometimes when I am working in Zambia, I get to see my family and travel with my wife to South Africa when she needs to get more materials for her business."
The Zambian trucker lives in South Africa, but says it's a place he does not want his family to live in. "That place is lost, and it is not a good place to raise your family. In Johannesburg you can just lose your life in a second." He says that life is not so precious there. We can only hope Alla keeps him safe.
As we walk away we see some people in the bar looking at us laughing, my friend says, "They probably think we are prostitutes and we were trying to get into the trucker's pants but he rejected us." We both laugh and walk away. We will come back for the prostitutes or maybe we should try G-West. Only if Club Leswe was still in operation. How about Gabs Sun, I ask?
Those ones may be too classy and may never want to speak to us, my friend replies.
We decide that we will decide where to scout on the day we go scouting for the prostitutes again.
Courtesy of google.com
