Pitso sat on the back of the truck with the bags of stinking manure.

What a disgusting way to live! he thought bitterly. And now I must spend all day digging in some garden. Just to earn some miserable piece-job money.

The truck rattled down the highway. Pitso hoped that no-one would see him. Especially no-one from Lesedi Secondary. How humiliating that would be! All those kids who used to look up to him, who used to be afraid of him, back in his school days.

Yeah, I used to be a Somebody back then! Strongest boy in the whole school! And now look at me!

The truck stopped at a red robot. And there Pitso saw something that amazed him. He couldn’t believe his eyes!

Otsile! Otsile Daman stood there on the island in the middle of the road. But what a state Otsile was in! Pitso smiled. Sharp, man! Life was getting better by the minute!

Otsile Daman had been Pitso’s nemesis all the way through secondary school – long before Pitso even knew what the word ‘Nemesis’ meant. While Pitso failed his tests, show-off Otsile got As and praise and scholarships. While teachers handed Pitso warnings and detentions, irritating Otsile got admiration and prizes.

Even being the strongest boy in the school didn’t make Pitso feel better. Of course, he had beaten Otsile up many times. Otsile deserved it, the way he smirked.

“I’ll teach you to mock me, Otsile Daman! I’ll show you who is boss-man of Lesedi Secondary! I’ll show you who is a Somebody here!” Pitso had yelled.

But even beating him up didn’t help.

Otsile would get up again, wipe the blood from his nose or his mouth or his school shirt. And go right on smirking: “Pitso, you can bully me all you like. But I will always win. I am your nemesis.”

“My what-esis?” Pitso had his fists ready.

“Your nemesis, Pitso. Your arch-enemy. And in the end, you will always lose. I will always be the winner, plain and simple.”

Dream on! Now it was Pitso smirking up on the truck. Smiling his head off! Here at the robots, Otsile Daman looked nothing like a winner. No ways!

Otsile was wearing a ragged T-shirt and pants that didn’t fit. He wasn’t even wearing shoes. Best of all, Otsile held a placard that said: PLEASE HELP ME. I AM HUNGRY AND UNEMPLOYED.

Sharp! Sharp! Sharp! Pitso wanted to shout for joy. So who was the loser now? Who was the nemesis?

“Hey Otsile! Whazup?” Pitso yelled. He felt very cheerful high up there next to the manure.

Before Otsile could answer, the lights turned green and the truck pulled away.

So Pitso never got to see what happened next.

And that was good.

Pitso ended up having one of the happiest days in his whole life. Well, at least since he’d left school. Even the stink of manure and the hours of digging and the miserable wages didn’t spoil his day.

***

Tell us what you think: What happened next that Pitso didn’t get to see?