“Ke akanya gore re ka nna bafenyi,” Nate a rialo fa a bala madi.

Ke a dumela. Batho ba le bantsi jaanong ba ne ba rata go tla kwa go Francesca diura tse pedi tse di fetileng. Fela jaanong go na le mola o motelele wa batho ba ba tshwanetseng go tsena mo dibutung pele ga di tswalwa. Mme nako eo e ne e le gaufi.

“Ke tlhoka go phepafatsa dikarata.” Francesca a goga sefatlhego fa a bona mongwe wa barutwana mo moleng a apere moaparo wa tsomo ya meno (tooth fairy).

“A se se tlile go tsaya nako e telele?” ka botsa. “Ke fela gore go o emetswe ke batho ba le bantsi mme ga re na nako.”

“O batla tirelo e e siameng kgotsa nnyaa?”

“Go siame, Francesca,” Nate a rialo. “Dira se o tlhokang go se dira.

“Ee, ee. Jaanong lona lo le babedi, tlogang ka fa. Ke tlhoka kagiso le tidimalo.”
A simolola go phuruphutsa mo kgetsaneng ya gagwe e kgolo, e e logilweng ka wulu, a ntsha lebokoso la ditlhokwa tsa esense mme a di baya mo tafoleng. “Se tshwenyege. Ga ke na go utswa madi a lona.”

“Re tlaa ema fela mo ntlne ga butu,” Nate a seba, mowa wa gagwe o o bothito wa tsitsitlha tsebe ya me.

Ke kgoreletsegile thata ke ka moo a leng gaufi ka teng go dira sengwe le sengwe fela ka dumela ka tlhogo. Fa nka sokololela sefalhego sa me kwa go ena, o tlaa akanya gore ke batla go mo atla. E bile o tlaa bo a sa fosa. Fela ga ke batle go bontsha seo. Ke tshwanetse go dira e kete ga ke batle. Ke dire e kete ga ke batle. Ke tshwanetse–

“Ruti, Nathanial,” Naledi a rialo, a dikolosa matlho a gagwe. “Ke belalela gore o thutafaditse Jasmine ka bothito jwa mmele wa gago.”

“Nate a tloga mo go nna mme a tshega. “Gongwe ke dira jalo, Wonder Woman. O tshwanetse o be o le Wonder Woman w abo 20 o ke mmoneng gompieno.”

“Se o se akanyang, Lazarus. Ga e se gore lona lo le babedi lo fenya dintlha go kgethega.”

“A go na le lebaka le le go tlisitseng fa, Naledi?” ka botsa, ke fufegela ka moo a lbegang bontle ka teng mo moaparng wa gagwe.

“Lo a itse. Ke batlana le tsala ya lona. Ke sebaka a tsamaile e bile ga ese a boe kwa ‘ntlwaneng’. Go thusang o na le mogala fa o sat le go o dirisa?” Naledi a botsa a tshikinya tlhogo.

“Jaanong, ke mang a lebeletseng butu ya lona?” Nate a botsa.

“Batsadi ba me. Mme ba na le dilo tsa botlhokwa tse b aka di dirang go na le go lebelela butu.” Motsotswana fela, matlho a ga Naledi a bontsha kutlobotlhoko fela ka bonako gape a bontsha kgalefo.

“Batsadi,” Nate a rialo a tshikinya tlhogo ya gagwe ka go tlhaloganya. “Ba me ba ne ba tshwanetse gore ba bo ba le fa diura tse pedi tse di fetileng.”

Mme ba me ba ne ba ile tirong.

“Ke a tshepa gore Cheryl o tlaa boa e se kgale. Gongwe o ile go batla sengwe sa go ja,” ka rialo, ke tshepa gore lentswe la me le tlhapile.

“Ke boditse batho botlhe mme ga go ope yo o mmoneng. O kgona go bonala sentle ka moaparo o le wa gagwe wa boitemokanyi,” Naledi a rialo.

“Wena o buang.” Ka rialo ke lebeletse sekete sa gagwe se sekhutshwane.

“Fa nkabo ke le wena, Jasmine, ke ne ke tlaa tshwenyega ka maitshwaro a tsala eo ya gago. O ka se batle gore a ime mme a tlogele sekolo gona jaanong, akere?” Naledi a tsamaya pele ga nka akanya ka karabo.

Ke ne ka mo tlhapaola mo pelong fa ke leletsa Cheryl mogala. Morago ga e sena go lela sebaka, ya ya kwa melaetseng. Ka leka gape makgetlo a le mararo, pelo ya me e betsa gaufi le dikgopo tsa me.

“Nate, ke tlhoka go batla Cheryl. Ga ke itse … go sengwe se se sa siamang.”

“Tsamaya o ye go mmatla. Ke tlaa phuta fa.”

***

Re bolelele: O akanya gore Cheryl o kae?