I met Roberta McCain in Swaziland in 1977. She was elegant, 60ish and sitting in the hotel lounge, engrossed in embroidery. Her husband, she said, travelled all over the world and whenever possible she accompanied him. To while away the hours at airports she had started sewing petit-point and loved it.
Over the next two days, as "accompanying wives" at a conference near Mbabane, we happily kept company while our husbands were debating more serious issues. She spoke about her childhood in Oklahoma and, unemotionally, about her son, a navy officer who had been one of the first US pilots captured in North Vietnam in 1967. He was held for five years and often tortured. I asked how she could endure those years. "I knew that he believed in his cause, and his faith was strong," she replied.
This, her first trip to Africa, was exciting for her. We agreed to go into Mbabane, a few kilometres away. The waitress who served our breakfast advised that we take a bus, just down the road from the hotel. She was sure that there would be one quite soon.
Heeled and coiffed we waited at the roadside for about 30 minutes before, hooting and grinding, a ramshackle bus arrived. The driver welcomed us warmly, as did the passengers with wide smiles and laughter. The "jalopy" was crammed but mothers with children on their laps eagerly moved up to share seats with us.
After some pleasant hours roaming the streets and market in Mbabane we found our way back to the bus stop. The return trip was uphill and at a particularly steep point the driver stopped and yelled instructions to the men. They all jumped out and pushed the bus until it had the momentum to continue. McCain loved the experience and excitedly regaled our fellow conference guests on our return.I never saw her again, but I've followed the career of her son - Senator John McCain. When standing, twice, as a presidential candidate, he often thanked his mother for her role in his life and recognised her staunch support.
Recently he recounted how, aged 95, she went to France but was refused a rental car at the airport on account of her age. Her response was to buy a BMW. When her visit ended she shipped it to the US and drove it from coast to coast. Reading about this I recalled the trip she had made in Swaziland.
On February 7 this year she celebrated her 106th birthday. I feel humble to have shared a few hours with this remarkable woman ... and to have rubbed shoulders with a little history.
• "The Notebook" is about chance meetings and unforgettable encounters people have had on their travels. Send us your story - no more than 400 words - and, if published, you'll receive R500. Send us an email with the word Notebook in the subject line...