Mama Tau o ne a tla gae! O ne a seyo mo gae a ile go ithuta nako e telele thata, mme balelapa ba ne ba mo tlhoafaletse thata. Mongwe le mongwe o ne a itumetse thata. Fela Thapelo, ngwana o monnye go botlhe mo lelapeng, o ne a itumetse go gaisa botlhe.

Ka letsatsi le Mama Tau a gorogileng ka lona, balelapa ba ne ba tlhola ba dira dipaakanyo mo mosong. Letsatsi le ne le phatsima kwa ntle. Thapelo o ne a raga kgwele ya dinao mo bojannyeng. O ne a batla go bontsha mmaagwe gore kitso ya gagwe ya kgwele ya dinao e tokafatse jang go tloga nako e o mmoneng a tshameka. “Thiba kgwele eo, Bless,” a laela ntšwa ya gagwe. Fela Bless ya leba kgwele fela ka matlho mme ya tsena mo ntlong.

Thapelo a sala ntšwa morago go ya go bitsa kgaitsadiagwe, Refilwe. Refilwe e ne e le DJ. A le mmamatlhale mo o neng o apara digalase tsa letsatsi le fa a le mo ntlong. Refilwe o ne a le mo phaposing ya gagwe a rulaganya mmino o o neng a tlile go o tshameka fa Mama a tsena ka kgoro ya kwa pele ya ntlo. “Ga ke ye go tshameka mmino wa repe o mme a tlholang a ngongorega ka ona,” ga bua Refilwe. “Gompieno ke ya go tshameka jese. Ka mo Mama a e ratang ka teng.” A apola digalase tsa letsatsi a notela Thapelo leitlho. “O ka nna wa bina le Mama.”

Jaanong Refilwe a tsenya di-headphone a binela pina ka go tshikinya tlhogo.

“A nka go thusa?” ga bua Thapelo.

“Eng?” Refilwe a tsiboga, a ntsha di-headphone. “O ne o reng?”

“A nka go thusa?” Thapelo a buela kwa godimo.

“Ga go tlhokege gore o buele kwa godimo,” ga bua Refilwe. “Ke kgona go go utlwa sentle.” Jaanong a tshikinya tlhogo. “Tsotlhe tse, di mo khomputareng, Thapelo. Ka jalo ga o tlhoke go ka nthusa. O monnye thata.”

Thapelo a ya kwa go mogoloe, Saul. O ne a le mo phaposing ya boapeelo, a baka nngwe ya dikhekhe tse o di ratang bobe. Nako nngwe le nngwe fa go le meletlo e e kgethegileng, Saul o ne a dira khekhe. Ka letsatsi la matsalo a ga Thapelo le le fetileng, o ne a dira khekhe ya tšhokolete a tsentse Disemathisi mo godimo ga yona.

Saul o ne a apere khiba ya methalothalo a ntse a hudua motswako wa khekhe mo mogopong. “E ke khekhe ya lemone, a bolelela Thapelo. “E e ratwang ke Mama.”

“A nka go thusa?” ga bua Thapelo.

“Nnyaya,” a bua jalo. “Mo nako e e fetileng o ne wa diga lee. Thswarelo, Thapelo. O monnye thata.”

A tswa a ya kwa go kgaitsadiagwe, Mampotoko, yo o neng a kgabisa mo phaposing ya boitapoloso. Go ne go na le dipampiri tse di logilweng semelemethe le dibalune. “A nka go thusa?” a bua jalo.

“Tsaya dibalune ke tse, di futswetswe,” a bua, a mo neela tsona. A tsaya e khibidu a simolola go e futswetsa. A leka gangwe le gape mme a tlholega go tshela mowa ka mo baluneng.

“Nyaya tlhe,” a bua a swabile. “Ke monnye thata.”

Jaanong Thapelo a ya kwa go Ntate. O ne a le fa tafoleng, a phuthela dibaga tsa mo molaleng tsa ga Mama. “Sebaga se se na le mebala e e ratwang ke Mama,” a bua jalo. “Phepole le botala. “Leba gore se sentle jang?”

Thapelo a bona pampiri ya go phuthela e tletse dinaledi.

“A nka go thusa go phuthela sebaga?” ga bua Thapelo.

“Nnyaya, ke maswabi, Thapelo, O monnye thata,” ga bua rraagwe.

Thapelo a sulafalelwa. A leba ntšwa ya bona, Bless, e dutse gaufi le Ntate. “E tla Bless,” a e bitsa. Fela Bless ya ipatlamela fela moo. “Go raya gore le Bless o akanya gore ke monnye thata,” Thapelo a buela mo pelong.

Thapelo a tswela kwa ntle mme a nna mo serepuding. “Ke eletsa e kete nka gola ka lekana le dimo,” a buela mo pelong. “Fa nka nna jalo botlhe ba ka mpoifa mme ga go kitla go nna le yo o nthayang a re, ‘Wenao monnye thata.”’

Ka yona nako e a utlwa modumo o mogolo o tswa mo ntlong. “Bless! Bless, boa koo!”

Bless ya feta ka bonako gaufi le Thapelo go dikologa sekhutlo sa ntlo. Bless a latelwa ke Ntate. A latelwa ke Saul. Morago ga tla Refilwe. Le ene a latelwa ke Mampotoko. “Ntšwa ele e utswile mpho ya ga Mama!” Ntate a goa a feta gaufi le Thapelo. Thapelo a ba latela a taboga mo morago ga Bless.

Bless a sutlha ka lesoba le le mo legoreng, a tsena mo jarateng ya baagisane. “Boa, Bless!” ba e bitsa. Jaanong morago ga sebakanyana Bless ya boa…fela e sa tshola mpho!

“Nnyaya tlhe, o e tlogetse kwa jarateng ya baagisane,” ga bua Ntate. “Mme e bile ba ga Sithole ba tlile go boa ka moso! Jaanong, e tlile go nna koo go fitlha ba boa!”

“Nka palama legora mme ka ya go e tsaya,” Thapelo a tshitshinya.

“Nnyaya,” botlhe ba buela gongwe. “O sa le…” Ba didimala. Ba leba Thapelo.

“A o ka lekana mo phatlheng ele?” ga botsa Refilwe.

“A o monnye thata?” ga botsa Saul.

Thapelo a khubama a hutaganya mmele gore a lekane mo phatlheng ya legora.

A kgona go tsena. Fa a fitlha mo bojannyeng mo jarateng ya ga Sithole, a fitlhela mpho e e phuthetsweng, mme pampiri e gagogile go le gonnye. A sela mpho mme a hutaganya mmele gape mo phatlheng ya legora go boela ka fa gae.

“Ao, Thapelo,” ga bua Ntate “O mogaka!”

“A re akgoleng Thapelo!” ga bua Saul, botlhe ba mo atlarela.

Moragonyana mo motshegareng ga utlwala mongwe a konyakonya mo lebating. E ne e le Mama! Thapelo a itatlhela mo mabogong a gagwe.

“O godile jang, mosimane wa me,” a rialo. “Leba gore o moleele jang jaanong.”

“Fela ke sa le monnye thata, Mama,” a bua jalo.

“Nnyaya,” botlhe ba goa.

“Nnyaya, ga o monnye thata!” ga bua Ntate, “O ka mo o tshwanetseng go nna ka teng!”