Saturday we played the Leopards from Francistown Academy. They were a good team, but I wasn’t scared. Malebogo pitched up at my house early so we could go to the game together. “Dumela, Mmago Dikeledi.”
“Dumela ngawanake.” My mother was getting ready for work. She worked a half day on Saturday and when I had games Mr Woo let her take my little sister Lolo to the shop with her. Mr Woo loved children. His wife and daughter were still in China. He was saving money to bring them to Botswana. He always made a fuss over Lolo and she loved it.
Lolo ran out of the house. “Hurry, Mama! Mr Woo said today I can play with the video game.” Malebogo patted Lolo on the head but Lolo pulled away. “You’re messing my hair.”
“Oh! Oh! Your Mr Woo wouldn’t like that then,” Malebogo teased her. Lolo stuck her tongue out at her.
“Okay we’re off Diks. Good luck today.” My mother gave me a kiss and left, holding Lolo’s hand.
I grabbed my soccer boots, locked the house and we headed towards school.
“You’re not going to believe what happened,” Malebogo said.
“Okay, I’m not going to believe it so tell me.”
Malebogo’s face fell. “You’re no fun. You could have at least guessed.”
“Okay, you got a poem published in the literary magazine you submitted to.”
“Did I?” Malebogo said excitedly. Malebogo was a good poet and Ms Miller, our English teacher, gave her some addresses for magazines that published poetry.
“I don’t know, remember? You’re telling me,” I said.
“Oh right. No, that’s not it. I got a phone call.”
“From who?”
“Kabelo.”
“Kabelo? Why? What did he want?”
“Just to talk. It was weird.”
“To talk about what?”
“Stuff. School. It was like he…liked me or something.”
I wasn’t going to let Malebogo get her hopes up just to have them crushed. I knew these rich kids. Kabelo was nice and all, but he wasn’t going to want a scholarship kid as a girlfriend. It was just how it was. “Maybe he wants help with his English project. Everyone knows he’s struggling in English.”
Malebogo’s face lost its light and I felt bad, but I knew that it was better she accepted the truth now. I knew these rich kids. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”
We walked in silence for a while, then Malebogo said, “So did you think more about the dance?”
What could I say? I couldn’t let her down again. “Yes, I think it’s okay. I’ll go; we can go together. But I don’t know what I’ll wear.”
Malebogo was suddenly excited. “No worry. I have two dresses. My cousin gave me two dresses she outgrew and I know one of them will be perfect for you.”
I nodded and said nothing. I knew about Malebogo’s ‘perfect’. They were likely Chinese shop and the rich kids with all of their name brands could smell Chinese shop a mile away. I’d try my best to enjoy myself. For Malebogo’s sake.
* * *
Tell us what you think: Is Dikeledi a good friend or not? Why?