No rest for the wicked … nor the newshound

IT SEEMS to be true what they say – there’s really no rest for the wicked.

So there I was on Monday, with one of those extremely rare days off. The problem is, I’ve become such a workaholic that I hardly know what to do with myself when I’m not working.

One thing I do know: I can’t stay home, where my laptop lurks and tempts me like a stocked refrigerator at midnight when my tummy starts to growl. So on days off, I get in my car and drive around to keep myself away from that screen.

That’s when I noticed a plume of smoke nearby. Out of mild curiosity – and just to avoid work – I drove over to check it out.

It turned out to be a house fire in the Memorial Road area. At first glance, it didn’t look too serious, just smoke rolling from the roof. Normally, I wouldn’t stop when there’s already a crowd, but this time I did. I took out my phone and snapped a few photographs, thinking someone at work – the poor slobs who weren’t off that day – could write the story and use my pictures.

I can be such a sweetie sometimes.

But things didn’t go according to plan. All the other reporters were out on assignment, so guess who ended up hacking out a story on his laptop – on the very day he swore he wouldn’t?

Two days later, my phone rang. A voice on the other end asked whether I was the person who wrote the story about the fire.

Be honest – if you were a mischievous youngster, often getting into trouble, what would cross your mind if someone asked you that question? I thought of denying it, claiming I was off that day and nowhere near a workstation. But I sighed a 'yes', bracing for the hairdryer.

It never came.

In fact, it was the homeowner, Daniel Jacobs, on the line. He’d read my short piece where I mentioned that “the fire department arrived at the scene within a few minutes”. He wanted to add something – something he felt needed to be said.

Mr Jacobs told me he was blown away by the professionalism and efficiency of the fire department. From their quick arrival to the moment the flames were finally doused, he said, the firefighters went “above and way beyond” what he could have expected.

He also mentioned that the bystanders weren’t just curious onlookers – they were concerned and helpful, moving some of his possessions away from the burning property.

“Most times when you open a newspaper, you’re bombarded with bad news and negative press about organisations like the fire department,” he said. “But these firefighters were tip-top, exceptional – indescribably good!”

He added that later that night, after the chaos had subsided, he reflected on what had happened. He told me we often make the mistake of directing our frustration at entire organisations, as if they were single organisms. But that’s unfair, he said, because there are still individuals – hardworking, decent people – who care deeply and do their jobs with pride.

He added that the kindness he received from ordinary Kimberlites that day was overwhelming. It made him think.

When I expressed how sorry I was for his loss, Mr Jacobs – a man who’d just lost his home in a fire – said something that stopped me in my tracks:

“You know what? Sometimes we run so fast in this world, chasing things just beyond our reach. And we chase so hard after what’s up ahead that we forget to appreciate what’s all around us.”

He said that after losing so much, he still found himself grateful – grateful for the people around him and for the perspective the experience gave him.

“Have we even considered why we’re running so hard?” he asked. “Have we reflected on what’s important, and what we really need?”

Those words, I must admit, ignited a fire somewhere in my spirit.