Signed, Hopelessly in Love. Lauri Kubuitsile

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      As I moved around the school, I couldn’t help but wonder who On the Way Out was. Was it the girl with pointed ears and the red book bag who walked with her head hanging down? Was it the boy wearing a shirt with a torn collar, or the girl with goldish earrings from Wang Wang? How was it going with her mother? What was the uncle up to now? Had the situation worsened or had it got better? I couldn’t believe how vested I’d become in the problem of an anonymous stranger. I was crazy with worry, so I didn’t notice Gopolang standing in front of me and I knocked right into her.

      “What’s that about, Amogelang? What, you can’t see? Maybe you need to get yourself some glasses? Stupid journalists like wearing glasses.” She pushed me away with one hand and then looked to her sidekick, Mosetsana.

      “First day on your new feet, Amo?” Mosetsana asked.

      “Just leave me alone, I’m in no mood.”

      Gopolang had hated all of the staff of The Voice of the People ever since we ran a story about the scam she and Mosetsana had been running. They convinced the students that Puso ka Batho was haunted by a thokolosi and to keep the thokolosi from troubling you, you needed to buy a charm from them. According to them, Mosetsana’s uncle, who was a well-respected traditional doctor in the village, had apparently given her the charms. Gopolang and Mosetsana were selling the charms for P10 each and were making a fortune at the expense of the students.

      From the beginning I didn’t buy their story. According to them, the thokolosi was after Puso Ka Batho because it was built on an ancient burial ground. When I pushed them for the source of their information, they became cagey and aggressive, making me think something was up. It was then just a matter of interviewing the uncle, who didn’t know anything about any charms or the thokolosi at the school. It turned out the charms were nothing more than a chunk of eucalyptus wood and a piece of fur from Gopolang’s dog, tied up with a red piece of cotton. Business had been so good, she’d nearly shaved the poor dog bald.

      After the story came out in the paper, Gopolang and Mosetsana had to buy back all of the charms and they got beaten on the hand by Pigs at assembly. They vowed to get revenge and troubled me and any other Voice of the People staffers every chance they could get.

      Gopolang moved close to my face and grabbed a piece of my school jersey in her hand. “Stay out of my way, Amogelang. One day I’m going to teach you to have some respect.”

      Just then Nono came up. “Leave her alone, Gopolang.”

      “Stay out of things that don’t concern you, Moongirl.”

      I thought I heard Gopolang growl.

      “Amo’s my friend, so it does concern me. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll let her go.”

      Gopolang obviously knew what was good for her and dropped me to the ground. Nono is a bundle of muscles and enjoys every opportunity to flex them.

      Gopolang clicked her tongue at Nono. “Moongirl, you better watch your step! I don’t like people getting in my business. I’ll make you pay for those words!”

      “Ooooh … I’m so scared,” Nono said mockingly.

      Gopolang clicked in annoyance again, then she and Mosetsana turned and walked away.

      “What’d they want?” Nono asked.

      “Same old stuff,” I said, watching them. I got up and dusted the gravel off my scraped knee. I didn’t like the tone of Gopolang’s threat. She can be scary.

      “Listen, I gotta rush to art,” Nono said. “But I’ll see you after practice.”

      “Make sure you do – I have a problem.” I was hoping Nono might have a clue about how to deal with On the Way Out.

      I watched her run to the block at the end of the school and slowly made my way to my design and technology lesson. My mind was somewhere else so I didn’t notice John Gababonwe passing.

      “Howzit, Amo?”

      I looked up and said something like, “Googoo gat sa didio.”

      He smiled and nodded, so I assumed he was fluent in idiot and stumbled on my way.

      Chapter 5