“Haai, Thembela!” ga bitsa Mama. “Go na le phefo e ntsi kwa ntle. Tsena mo teng kgotsa o tla tsenwa ke mofikela.”

Fela Thembela ga a reetse gonne o itumetse thata. Moriri wa gagwe o fofela kwa godimo-dimo ga tlhogo ya gagwe, mme jaanong o fofafofa mo ditsebeng tsa gagwe. Mosese wa gagwe o utlwala jaaka khaete mme Thembela o na le bonnete jwa gore fa a ne a batla go fofa, o ne a ka fofela kgakala – ka tlhamalalo mo loaping.

“Phefo e siame, Mama,” o a tshega. “Ga ke batle go tsena mo ntlong.”

“O tshwanetse, Thembela,” go araba Mama. “Ga go a siama kwa ntle koo – go kotsi thata.”

Thembela o tsholetsa matsogo a gagwe mo matlhakoreng mme o a isa kwa tlase le kwa godimo jaaka nonyane. “Go siame, go siame,” o a nyenya. “Ke tla tsena mo teng.”

Mme morago ga go bua jalo, o a tlola. O tsamaya go ralala tshingwana mme o utlwa e kete o a fofa. Phefo e ithatelela ka ene le go mmusetsa kwa go Mama, yo o tswalang lebati fa a fetsa go tsena.

“Ao bathong, Thembela! A ga o lapisiwe ke go fofa moo? Ke goreng o sa tlhape mo bateng ya metsi a a bothito mme morago o tsene ka tlhamalalo mo bolaong.”

Fa Mama a tla go apesa Thembela dikobo sentle, a re, “Haai, Thembela, e tshwanetse ya bo e le wena fela motho yo o ratang phefo mo lefatsheng lotlhe.” Pele Mama a tsamaya, Thembela o kopa gore digaretene di bulwe gore a kgone go lebelela maru a ntse a tsamaya le dikarolo tse di kwa godimo tsa ditlhare di ntse di tshikinyega. O atla Mama wa gagwe gore a robale sentle mme morago o a thulamela.

Ka mafelo ao a beke, Mama o tshwanetse go ya kwa toropong, ka jalo Rakgadi Ida o tla go sala kwano.

“Ao ruri bathong,” ga rialo Rakgadi Ida a hemela kwa ntle ka ntlha ya go fela pelo, “Ke utlwile mo dikgannyeng gore sefefo se mo tseleng!”

Letsatsi lotlhe maru a kokoana mo loaping go fitlhela go nna lefifi la bosigo. Morago pula e simolola go na. Thembela ga a dumele matlho a gagwe. Ke pula e ntsi thata e a iseng a tsamaye a e bone mme ka bonako go ikgelela metsi a pula gongwe le gongwe. Fela Thembela o a nyenya. O ntsha jase ya gagwe ya pula e bile o rwala dibutshe tsa gagwe tsa pula le go tswela kwa ntle.

“Nnyaa, Thembela!” ga ngongorega Rakgadi Ida. “Tsena mo ntlong gone jaanong!”

Mme Thembela ga a reetse ka gonne o utlwa monate thata. O a tshega fa phefo e pheula jase ya gagwe ya pula le go tlala mo kaping le go e dira jaaka balune e kgolo. “Fa ke tsholetsa matsogo a me,” o a tshegatshega, “Nka fofa!”

Morago Rakgadi Ida o tabogela kwa ntle a apere jase mme o tsholetsa Themebela le go mmusetsa mo teng. “Ga go na ope yo o ratang phefo,” ga rialo Rakgadi Ida. “E modumo mme e tsididi e bile tota ga e monate le e seng.”

Fa Rakgadi Ida a tla go mo apesa dikobo sentle, Thembela o kopa gore digaretene di bulwe gore a kgone go lebelela ditlhare di tshikinyega le maru a sutasuta mo loaping. Mme Rakgadi Ida a re, “Nnyaa! Ke a gana, e seng gape!” O tswala digaretene. “Jaanong a re solofele gore ntlo ga e kokobale mo metsing ka ntlha ya pula e ntsi e,” ga rialo Rakgadi Ida a tetesela.

Thembela o utlwa modumo wa maru le go rotha ga pula jaaka modumo wa moropa. Jaanong phefo e foka mo maboteng. E itaya mo mojakong le go tsosa modumo mo matlhabaphefong. E tsena ka maatla go fologela mo sentshamosing mme se se tshosa Rakgadi Ida thata mo e leng gore o iphitlha mo morago ga soufa. Dithulelo di a tshikinyega mme diboto tsa fa fatshe di a roroma le ditlhare di letsa molodi o o kwa godimo.

Rakgadi Ida o goa ka letshogo, “Ao bathong, rotlhe re tlile go fokwa ke phefo!” Fela Thembela ga a boife. O tswa mo bolaong mme o tabogela kwa tlase mo direpoding. Ka bonako o rwala dibutshe tsa gagwe tsa pula le go phamola sekgele sa gagwe, morago o gwantela kwa ntle ka bopelokgale. Phefo e foka ka maatla e bile pula e a na le maru a duma ka bogale mo loaping.

“Ke nna, Phefo,” ga bua Thembela. “Ke gore eng o galefile jaana? A o tsaya gore ga go na ope yo o go ratang? Jaanong o se ka wa itira sematla. O modumo e bile o tsididi, mme o a itumedisa – e bile ke a go rata. KE A GO RATA PHEFO!”

Ka bonako, modumo wa maru o a kgaotsa mme maru otlhe a mantsho a kobelwa kgakala. Mme mo nakong e se kae pula e nyeletse. Fa Thembela a leba kwa godimo, o bona gore loapi le a apoga. Ngwedi e tletse mme dinaledi tsotlhe di a phatsima. Jaanong phefo e foka ka iketlo gaufi le ene, e tsholetsa sekgele sa gagwe le go mo atla ka bonolo mo marameng a gagwe.

“Ke a leboga, Phefo,” ga bua Thembela. “Ke lebogela gore o kobile pula.”

Morago Thembela o a retologa le go tsamaya a boela mo teng ga ntlo. O thusa Rakgadi Ida go tswa mo morago ga soufa mme o mo direla kopi e e bothito ya tee.

“Ao bathong,” ga rialo Rakgadi Ida, “Ga ke rate phefo le e seng.” Fela Thembela o a nyenya fela.