The Bushmen are famous for being short but when you meet them you'll hardly think of it. Even me when I imagine and remember my friends I don't think of them as small at all. Their large personalities make up for their stature so that they take a large place in the vision of my mind.

Only when I look at photos of me with somebody do I notice that the people are diminutive. Or sometimes, they'll remind you.

Hon. Royal Jonah Kxao /Ui/o/oo is one of those short San with a large personality. He's having the title Honorable in conjunction with his position as Member of Parliament. He is proud to say that the is the only San Member of Parliament in the SADC (Southern African Development Community). I suspect he must be the only in the world as well but since there are few San outside of SADC it goes without saying.

I've noted that all the other MPs I've met thus far are much bigger people from bigger tribes. With such a stature Royal has gotten used to fighting for respect. On his car is a VIP decal attached to the front windscreen. I take pleasure in driving with Royal and bypassing the queues at the roadblocks or parking just anywhere thanks to the sticker.

It's been noted in a number of communities that many of the successful San are those who are especially talkative. Royal is a good case in point. He is not shy to speak out and recognizes that is his job in Parliament to stand up and fight for the rights of the San.

Since I was last to Tsumkwe there were no tar roads, now there is a stretch of 500 metres of black in the village. Everyone agrees that it keeps the dust down in that area. The construction was not quick I was told by /ui Charlie that the men would work one day and then take off two for leisure.

The next question is whether it makes sense to tar the whole 300 or so kilometres from the main highway up to Tsumkwe. The cost would be high but life would be simplified. Even in the past month another car overturned on the slippery gravel. The road is not always bad but in the rainy season it is worse.

The advantage would be safer transport and increased access. Cars regularly overturn on the road. The downside would be HIV/Aids. Every decision has a tradeoff.

Even those road workers what were they doing on their days off. Were they condomizing?

HIV is there in Tsumkwe and also in Mangetti Dunes, 90 kms before Tsumkwe. Royal and I had made it to Mangetti to collect his daughter. From telephone reports we feared that she was having malaria. We drove straight on Friday and on saw she was bad but not worse.

That Saturday night I went for a short waling tour of Mangetti including the hospital. Outside there was a queue of four people waiting to see the nurse. Inside there was a slight baby with sunken eyes making horrible noises. I suspected I was seeing a baby who would soon die.

The mother lay slumped in a chair in front without the energy to reach out and comfort the child. It could have been one of those photo moments which tells the whole story but I couldn't have the heart to do that.

Even the small place of Mangetti was having an orphanage. Two women were charged with 17 children. As I entered a smell hit me and as I stepped I jumped to avoid a foul mess one of the children had left after not finding the toilet in time.

The lady was outside getting a mop, her shoulders sunken downwards. A small girl of nine or so, completely naked for some reason, came back with toilet papers and tried to help.

The other children sat watching a video. Some turned to wave and smile at me.

At Mangetti I noticed and at Tsumkwe noticed more that the pay had come recently. The drinking was too much.

Normally I'll have a beer or two or so. But watching what I was watching I stuck to water.

With money in hand it was duly invested in Tafel Lager, Old Brown Sherry, Tambo and other things which when added together would lead to a mix of passing out and fighting.

The main issue for fights seemed to be jealousy. Men for there women and vice versa. Royal was business minded and moved about consulting with Chief Bobo and others about upcoming business of the Parliament and a meeting for San leaders with the Deputy Prime Minister.

Myself, I walked about with Charlie collecting some of the crafts that I love so much.

I found one old lady, Chu!ko. She had a photo of me and her with her in her bag. I was stunned to think she'd carried it for one whole year on her person but there it was.

/i!ae was luckily in town. He and his brothers are carvers who make tortoises and other creatures out of wood. They're brilliant and this time they had a nice lizard. Often you'll see African carvings that are distorted in one way or another but everything from the brothers Komtsa, /i!ae and =Oma is too true to life.

A small crowd followed me as I was owing change to them and made for the bar to get a coke and break a 100 dollar bill.

I paid and Royal came by in the midst of his circuit. I jumped in and we made it to his house to wrap up the last few things. On the way back I drove.

Royal immediately became upset when I parked in front of the bar. I hadn't seen what was happening as he had but I pushed further ahead behind a hedge at his urging.

I got out as normal and didn't notice anything was askew until I looked at one of the ladies who'd followed me to the bar. I was not her customers but she'd been speaking English and talking with me though she was quite drunk she'd not been too annoying.

Under her eye was a gash and blood was splattered down her front.

I understood what Royal was on about now and understood his distress for the car, at any moment a rock could fly.

Royal was blaming a group of outsiders who were there. I'd noticed them but ignored as they asked me why I was giving money to the San artisans. Instead they suggested I just take the things from them. I told them that I would never go to their office if they had one and tell them how to do their business if they had any. They didn't get me and said come again. I told them I would be not to see them and left it.

I don't know why Tsumkwe would be seen as a nice place to visit but outsiders came often to do their own business, whatever it was.

Apartheid is over meaning that anyone can go anywhere in Namibia. So the choice is whether to pave the road for them.

Royal has a list of objectives that he is fighting for to achieve equality for the San. The most important issue is to minimize the existence of local shebeens with the assistance and traditional leaders and the Liquor Act 16 of 1998.

Sunday the day of rest was spent driving the 800 or so kilometres back to Windhoek. The night before, late, a friend from Tsumkwe had arrived at Mangetti with a gash behind his ear from a beer bottle. San on San violence I found out, jealousy.

We visited the hospital. The man, a good friend, had his hair partly shaved and a bandage placed over the wound. He'd passed out after the blow. The other man was in the jail. Oddly, through most of the day the police had apparently watched drunk themselves. Waiting for a most serious injury to make a move I suppose.

Half way home a call came on my cell. The baby of that sad woman at the hospital was now late. HIV is here.