Happy Birthday Rochelle
01 February 2002 | Durban
Ronel
Once upon a time there was a little fairy princess. She was a little blond girl, with blue eyes and a sparkling personality. She lived with her family on a yacht in waters far, far away from her granny and cousins. She has lots and lots of friends and makes new friends in interesting places. Her friends are from different countries and cultures. She has swum with dolphins and has seen magic swirling in the waters of the ocean that they sail upon and in which she swims. Her mother says it is phosphorescence. That is a big word for the thousands of little lights that one sees glowing in the water when it is dark.
The magic is in the wake of the boat when they sail at night and in the water her mother pumps up in the basin and in the water splashing over the wide, open decks of their yacht. She sits fascinated and watches the fireworks happening before her eyes, imagining it is from the mermaids?
Sometimes her mother scoops up a little bit of the magic water and puts it on her and her sister's forehead and hair, before she goes to bed. She then has extra pleasant dreams - like having a wonderful birthday - a day filled with fun and friends.
And that is what Rochelle had on her sixth birthday in Durban Marina, South Africa. She has been adamant that she wanted to be a fairy and that she wanted a fairy dress for her birthday. And a crown.
And a veil (that is what her fairies wear!) - and so it was. After searching the shops in vain, it was decided that the outfit would have to be handmade.The necessary lightest of pink material, ribbons and trimmings was smuggled aboard and with the help of a very talented, arty friend, the fairy princess' outfit was being designed and sewn on her boat. How would I have managed to do this at sea !
Rochelle loved the outfit! She put it on and walked around with it, all day. Complete with a crown and a veil. (See the photos in the album).
With a "It is my birthday, will you come to my party" she invited everybody for coffee and cake.
Prrrfection was purring with all the laughter surrounding the boat, (or was it because of all the people on board lowering the waterline?)!
Although we missed the presence of Deon, her cousins and especially her granny (and granny's chocolate cake), it was a day filled with fun. It was the first birthday she had without her Dad being around, and how proud would he not have been.
We thought the day would be spent on the sea, but having the confused weather that we have at the moment, it was spent in Durban. We have spent the last 3 weeks here waiting for a big enough window to get down to East London or Port Elizabeth to continue our voyage. This stretch of coast is notorious for it's variable weather patterns and no sheltered harbours or anchorages .
But more about that later....