The Jungle Gym
From Linden, Johannesburg, we moved to Orange Grove, Cape Town. I have no idea how the house looked inside or out, but its walls felt solid and cool. Much was made of the fact that these thick walls did not fall down when we were caught in an earthquake there. I associate our faithful, not-too-beautiful, but very much beloved dog, Juno, a boxer, with the garden of this house. Its half-acre lawn was good for games, and for a memorable cowboy party with pony rides. It also had room for a climbing frame which we called the jungle gym. Nevertheless, it always seemed empty to me because there were no trees.
The books that were my constant companions were filled with heroes who climbed trees with ease. I was a tomboy, like George of the Famous Five, and the skinny metal jungle gym just didn’t do it for me. I could not imagine our intrepid radio sleuths, partners-in-detection Jet Jungle and his black panther Jupiter, resting in the shade of the jungle gym, or leaping lithely into its branches to gain advantage over their prey.
Tia Azulay 27Apr09 Copyright © 2009 Tia Azulay
