getting lost in meadowlands

A childhood story about myself and a friend getting lost in a township called meadowlands

III....It was on Sunday afternoon when Hopolang, Thulane and myself got into Naledi train station .
We knew very well that on Sundays there were no security guards, and besides, that Sunday was so boring, so we decided to see other parts of Soweto.
Hopolang was 12, Thulane was 14 and I was about the same age as hopolang.
Before we went to the station we were playing hide and seek, until Thulane came up with the idea of visiting other parts of Soweto. Because he was the older one, we obeyed his command and went to train station situated in Tladi.
By the time we arrived at the station it was round about 3 in the afternoon.
Indeed the station was not that occupied because it was on a Sunday afternoon.
We waited for the train and without any waste of time it arrived.
Most of the people in that train were women.
One of those women asked us where we were going in that time of the afternoon, we just lied and told her that we were heading back home in Dube.
For our relief, she didn't ask further questions. The train stopped at Qhwezi, thats where most people got off, only a few, including us, were still going ahead with the journey.
Truly speaking we didn't know where we were going, let alone the fact that when are we going to come back home. From Qhwezi the train made its stop at phomolong.
We all came off board and because it was winter, the darkness was starting to change shifts with daylight. It was about 4h30,in the afternoon when we got off the train.
Phomolong station was empty, except for township hobos who were sitting around the fire to warm themselves. The station had those stairs which we didn't fathom.

The stairs we going upwards to next platform on the other side.
Hopolang and myself were still gazing around the nearby township, before er knew it, Thulane was nowhere to be seen. At first we thought he was playing his stupid games as he used to, but after 30 minutes we realized that he won't come back .
It annoyed us to think that this train riding thing was his idea but there he was... Nowhere to be found.
We looked around to see if there was an exit so that we could at least seek help from the people of the nearby location. Hopolang suggested that we sleep there at the station, then we will wake up tomorrow in daylight to look for help.
His suggestion was rejected by me as it would have been dangerous to sleep at the station without any blankets and again on an empty stomach.
We both agreed that we will go to the nearby township and seek where we can at least sleep.
There was a small gate as the exit from the station, after the gate there was a small path that led straight to the township, but it was long.
We walked until our feet were sore. By realizing that, we started yo cry.
When we were busy crying we came across a giant like man drinking Mageu.
The man stopped us and asked why we were crying. We quickly briefed him on what had happened.
He took us to his house which was just a stone throw away from where he met us.
His house was modest and clean, having those Zulus traditional attire, spears and shields.
He asked us our names.
We told him our names.
" where do you guys Come from"? Asked the man.
"Naledi" replied hopolang with a shy voice.
"Naledi"?? The man asked as if he didn't believe what hopolang just told him.
" Yes" said hopolang.
"Does any of you know his parents phone number? The man asked.
Hopolang remained silent, luckily I knew granny's landline numbers.

So I said yes", I know them.
" Let's go to a public phone and try to call them.Said the man.
We went to the public phone and I gave the man my granny's telephone number.
Indeed my granny picked up the phone.
"Hello", said the man, I'm Mduduzi in meadowlands Ma and I have Hopolang and diphapang with me.
The man continued yo talk about 3 minutes and after hanging up, the man said: " yah Diphapang, your granny and hopolang's mother are on their way to fetch you, but be warned, she's extremely angry.
I knew very well that my granny wanted me in the yard by 6 in the evening and the fact that she was going to beate up didn't frighten me at all, all I ever wanted was to see myself home safely.
The man took us back to his house and gave us brown bread with a rich oxtail soup and meat.
He even put the heater in front of us because it was freezing outside.
After about an hour we heard the sound of a car stopping outside the man's gate.
Few seconds later hopolang's mother and my granny Emerged.
Their faces were full of anger. They were accompanied by two policemen.
Without any waste of time, we got inside the back of the van and went home.
Before we went home though, hopolang's mother and my granny thanked Mduduzi a thousand times for rescuing us, as they believed that Zulus were very dangerous when coming to kill children, especially of not their race.
By the time we arrived home it was 22h30.
Hopolang andyself were given hardcore beating for our naughty behaviour.
The following day we saw Thulane who explained to us that he used those stairs that were going upwards, to the other side of.the platform, he found the last train that was heading back to Naledi.

But why didn't you tell us to follow you? Asked hopolang.
"Well I thought maybe you saw me and you'd follow. Replied Thulane.
" No we didn't see you" I replied angrily.
Sorry gents, said Thulane, you snooze you lose.
We quickly told him what happened to us after he dissapered, he laughed out loudly to the extend that it annoyed us terribly. Since from that day, we never played or talked to Thulane again.
Later after 3years he was killed by a mob of angry people in the train for trying to steal someome's wallet.