But darkness was coming. As I swam from the beach, shouldered by boulders, I appreciated the water’s stillness. For a moment, I imagined swimming out to the sun, perched low on the horizon, and tapping it quickly like a rock climber at the top of an indoor climbing wall.

20h30 I was back in the car. There was still traffic, but at least it was moving. I was meeting my Glamazon Friend and needed to clean up, but I knew driving home to shower was out of the question. Thankfully, my Virgin Active membership allowed me access to any of their gyms during December as they renovated my home branch and Sea Point’s was nearby.

Ronel wasn’t picking up my WhatsApp calls and my messages also weren’t delivering so I figured her phone had died. But now that I looked so fresh I definitely didn’t want to go home. I was wearing my favourite bodysuit from Topshop, the one with intricate pseudo-BDSM type straps across the chest and a pair of pale pink cotton Soccer Mom trousers that I got at U-Turn second hand shop. I love outfits like that, half-sexy half-granny, expensive and cheap. 

My friend and favourite DJ Reezo called to check if I had gotten my ticket, I forgot that he had hooked me up to watch Stimming play at The Odyssey, where he was playing the opening set. I managed to find parking a block from Bree Street and as I walked down, I tried spotting Ronel on the streets teeming with shirtless guys and crop top girls. The average age looked to be about sixteen going on seventeen. When I got there, I showed my phone to the lady working the door and after she scanned the electronic ticket, I walked up the stairs to the source of the music.

Reezo was wearing a marvellous hat and cut quite a dashing figure dancing behind the DJ booth, but stepping into the cloud of cigarette smoke made me want to dash right out the venue. Ugh. Also, as I greeted my grooving friend, my stomach growled in competition with the speakers I needed to eat. 

I walked back downstairs, scoping the venue to suss out the odds of a good meal. Everyone looked as if, like me, they had come straight from a fancy gym, but unlike me, had spent the first day of school holidays sculpting their bodies into shape, and now had come out for the sole purpose of craft beer as a reward. Ugh. Also, the waiters looked harried, the combo didn’t bode well.