Modern life often feels chaotic, characterised by the pressures of work, family challenges, financial worries, and the constant fear of becoming a crime victim, leading to anxiety and a sense of being overwhelmed.
Yet, few people choose to opt out of this lifestyle by leaving the hustle and bustle of the cities, moving to rural areas or even living completely off-grid. The huge step of cutting yourself off from the tendrils of society is a huge step, which is not for the faint of heart.
This is not the case for Clifford Brandon, who was cut from a different cloth.
In Josh Rubin's podcast, Wide Awake Podcast, the eccentric man claimed that God had sent him on this track far from the beaten path.
His otherworldly dwelling is decked out with trinkets and various nicknacks that transform the barrenness of the cave into a cosy residence for its gutsy owner.
He told Rubin: "When I first got here, there was nothing in the cave. Everything you see, God has given me. If you can't be faithful with little, how can you be faithful with much?"
Brandon has different sections of the cave, akin to different rooms in a conventional home. In the 'holy section', there are 10 beds. He explained that God told him to separate the holy section from the common one.
A lot of his possession he inherited when his mother died, he added. The space is filled with statues, mannequins, paintings wind chimes and more, which in the glow of candlelight give it a shimmer which would make one deny that they were in a grotto.
Brandon revealed that in his previous life he was a 'rich b*tch' with a wealthy mother.
A near-death experience while in Cape Town transformed his view of life and he sought comfort in religion by joining his brother's ministry, he revealed to Rubin.
"I wanted a home; Father gave me a cave, so I tried to turn it into a home. I need to be comfortable...The property Father has given me is the best real estate in the Garden Route. It's worth more than R25 million"
Brandon's cave is a stone's throw away from the beach and boasts its own white picket fence which adds a sense of familiarity to the uncanny. He has become a celebrity and his home is a must-see for tourists looking to peek into his home and pick his brain.
Brandon makes his bread and butter by tourists paying for a tour of the cave.
When asked if he is ever afraid for his safety in the isolated nook, he brought the conversation back to God, which he seems to draw his strength from in difficult times. "He said if my hand was not over you, you would be screaming for hours. They would take everything they wanted, and you would be able to do nothing.
"I've had people try to murder me. They murdered my boyfriend; they poisoned me afterward after they thought they got away with it, but they never succeeded."
He claimed that this was a hate crime because he is part of the LGBTQ community. Brandon has also opened his cave to other Christians who have nowhere else to go. "All the sh*t they give me, I would like to leave alone," he joked.
Would you take a leap of faith and live in the middle of nowhere?
IOL