The Snapping Strap

AFTER 40 years of working for the mine, Oom Frikkie decided enough was enough.

He sold his house, possessions and his mid-size sedan and purchased a sizeable plot with a few bungalows scattered on it on the outskirts of Upington. Tant Sarie always wanted to run a B&B, you see.

Looking at his wife’s newfound passion for entrepreneurship, Oom Frikkie decided he, too, needed a business venture. After five minutes of deep thought, he decided to become a 4×4 tour guide, taking adrenaline-seeking travellers to the dunes near his plot. “How hard could it be?”

Tant Sarie just nodded enthusiastically, glad that her husband had finally found a hobby.

And so Oom Frikkie set off for the local Toyota dealership. He bought a brand-new Land Cruiser V8 turbodiesel and had some ‘dune experience’ flyers printed while he was in town. The guy behind the desk seemed interested and asked whether Oom Frikkie had purchased his recovery kit yet.

“Of course,” proclaimed Oom Frikkie, while silently wondering what a recovery kit was.

And so Oom Frikkie became an overnight expert in 4×4 driving at the university of YouTube.