Thoko’s best friend

“Can Jake come and play?” Thoko asked Mama. “He’s my best friend,” she said.

“Sure,” said Mama. “If Gogo doesn’t mind looking after you while I’m at work, then that’s fine.”

“I don’t mind at all,” said Gogo. “I once had a best friend who was called Bossy Boots.”

“That’s a funny name,” said Thoko.

“She was a funny girl,” said Gogo. “When we played together she always wanted to be Queen This or Queen That. I always had to be the servant who got bossed around.”

Thoko, Mama and Gogo had a good laugh.

The next day, Jake came to play. First they played taxi-taxi. Gogo let them use two kitchen chairs to make the taxi.

“I’ll be the taxi driver,” said Jake.

“Then I’ll be the one who shouts Cape Town! and collects the money,” said Thoko.

“And I’ll be the passenger,” said Gogo.

Jake sat on the front seat, Gogo sat on the back seat and Thoko shouted Cape Town! and squeezed in. Gogo gave Thoko two peppermints, which they pretended was money.

Soon they were in Cape Town and Thoko cried, “Everyone get out!” Gogo climbed out and Thoko shared her peppermints with Jake.

“Now what shall we play?” asked Jake.

“Let’s play train-train,” suggested Thoko.

“We need more chairs to make a train,” said Jake. They used three kitchen chairs. One was for the train driver, one was for passengers and the last one was for boxes and animals.

“I want to be the train driver,” said Jake.

“I want to be the Gogo who is going to visit her family in Jozi,” said Gogo, sitting down in the passengers’ coach.

“Then I’ll be a little dog and sit in the last coach,” said Thoko.

“Choo-choo! Chuff- chuff!” chuffed Jake, as the train pulled out of the station.

“Woof Woof!” woofed Thoko. Gogo closed her eyes and pretended to be fast asleep. It was a pity, because she missed all the beautiful scenery as the train travelled all the way from Cape Town to Johannesburg. They went through valleys and over mountains. They passed through the wide flat Karoo with its little koppies. They went over rivers and through farmlands. And then, finally, they came to the great city of Johannesburg.

“Choo! Chooooooo!” went Jake as they arrived at the station.

“Woof! Woof!” woofed Thoko.

That woke up Gogo who said, “My Goodness! We’re here already? We’re just in time for tea!”

Jake and Thoko carried the chairs back to the table and Gogo made a pot of tea and put out biscuits for the thirsty train driver and the hungry little dog.

“After this biscuit,” said Thoko, “I want to build a space ship.”

“Cool!” said Jake. “I want to be the space captain!” Thoko looked very disappointed.

“Why don’t you both be astronauts,” suggested Gogo.

“Okay,” said Jake. But he didn’t look too happy about it.

The space ship needed four chairs. Two upright chairs were for the astronauts to sit in. The other two were put behind on their backs as rocket boosters.

“Five … four … three … two … one … lift off!” announced Gogo, as she waved them goodbye. The spaceship lifted off and rose up, up, up into deep space.

“Look!” said Thoko. “There’s the moon!”

“Let’s land,” said Jake. Slowly the spaceship landed on the moon and the two astronauts climbed out.

“There is nothing here,” said Jake.

“Yes,” agreed Thoko, “let’s go home.”

Gogo was glad to see them return to Earth. They both looked tired from their travels. “I know what you can do next,” said Gogo. “It’s something that Bossy Boots and I used to do when we were your age.” Gogo showed them how to make a hut by throwing a blanket over the chairs.

“I want to be the hunter,” said Jake.

“I want to be the hunter’s best friend,” said Thoko. “And you can be a mama elephant,” she said to Gogo.

“I’d rather be a mama lion,” said Gogo.

Jake was very quiet as they stalked the mama lion. Thoko was even quieter. But before they got to where the mama lion was sitting at the table having her second cup of tea, she turned around and let out a blood curdling growl − GRRROOOWLLL! The hunter and his best friend got such a fright they dived back into their hut, pulling the roof down on top of them. Gogo giggled, and there was a lot of giggling coming from under the blanket. And then all was quiet.

“Good,” thought Gogo. She needed a rest.

“Know what?” said Thoko from under the blanket.

“What?” asked Jake.

“Even though you are very bossy and always want to be the taxi driver, the train driver, the captain of a spaceship and the hunter, you are still my best friend,” said Thoko.

“I know,” said Jake. “And you are my bestest friend ever!”

Gogo smiled. They sounded just like her and Bossy Boots!