At any time, Sebina stopped our food, as when there was a turmoil at film night. Always he would punish us a day when there must be meat provided. He sold our meat, I know it. Always the head boy for our form was in fear, because I said he must report to the inspectors on all manner of wrong-doing. I said he must report as to food, as to cabbages crushing us day upon day. But he was afraid.
Why was I not given strokes only, if I took that egg? It was because I had no protector. My father is unknown. My form mates were silent. Sebina forced me to sit one night through at Central Transport yard, with my goods, to wait for the Bedford sent to carry me in shame back to Tsane. I was chopped from my Junior Certificate by that cur with yellow eyes.
You are put to shame. You must go atop a Bedford to your mother, who shall thrash you. You must hold fast to ropes. Your goods are pushed under ropes. Much wind scrapes off tears from your cheeks. When you need some water, there is just but one hosepipe siphon, used the same for petrol and for taking water, so you must fall ill with swallowed petrol. You shall be sent to herding by your mother. After Kanye you come to bush, with no houses. At Jwaneng Mine, you pass far-distant houses behind fences caused by diamonds buried there. After Jwaneng it is bush evermore. Those drivers were fast.
What! at Sekgoma Pan those drivers turned from the road to go straight for the bush. They shall make me a mother too soon, was said by Monusi Maome, a pregnant girl who was a passenger with me. They were shaking us every way. At last they halted at a tree. They jumped down with rifles to go for duiker, whilst sparing no words to us of returning back.
What must I find at Tsane? Thrashings, a mother ever seeking beer, harsh words and all such things until I am forced away to Ghanzi to work for Boers. Of all whitemen, you cannot love them, even if as brother citizens we should do. You cannot love these white Batswana, in no way. Because they will not teach you. In the freehold farms you are paid by food and with some pinches of coins at times. You toil endless days.
I determined I must go before those men returned back, go to the capital even if I must go every click by foot. Then I took down my goods and took from them what I could carry, and all the rest put under heaped-up stones, laughing because it was a beacon for thieves to come, I knew it. I took clothes, provisions, water, my best books: St. Joseph Missal and my set-book of Shane. I took farewell of Monusi, who was saying I must stay with her. She said I must post a letter to my mother, from Gaborone, at the soonest. She said to guard as to snakes. I went away, marching, trusting to God to help a boy.
I fled fast from Sekgoma Pan, lest those men come searching. As well, the closer you become to Jwaneng, you are the safer as to lions, which do not venture nearby Jwaneng unless at drought times. I was bold, striving with all things such as hunger and hot sun. I made two lifts, always by Europeans. One night I lay in a tree. I lay all one day in the gum-tree forest at Lobatse, too weak. I was quenched out.
I came to our capital. I saw rich housing, tarred streets, vehicles crowding up. Yet every day my schemes were blasted. In all shops a sign says Ga Gona Tiro: No Work in Here. With no sponsor, no testimonial, no relations, I saw I must become as animals. By night I lay in the bush nearby the university, changing my place at times. I must wash up in Bontleng at some standpipes. By day I asked jobs or sought to carry parcels at the Hyper Store amongst the tsotsi boys, forcing myself foremost among them. All about Gaborone you discern many boys with no home. My funds were drained. I dreamed of milk.
A cobbler sits amidst a multitude of shoes, at Dove Close. I said I can be apprentice to you. He felt my hands and saw I was a student. He said no. I said But I can carry shoes to homes roundabouts for payment, because now you must wait endless days for payment. But he asked if at all I would give gold coins for polishing to a vagabond. I went away. They no more take novices for the mines in South Africa. I went for labor at the Industrial Site, for building work, but was thrust back by ruffians. Biting sores came in the sides of my mouth. I feared always as to lice.
Ever slowly I was sinking down, until God moved his hand to give me aid, a savior, the true thief Elias Odireng.
He was called Alias. He found me in a ruin, lying ill. That ruin was to be a bottle store one day. But in those times it was mere walls. Work was stopped, it seems. No watchman came. Bush was springing back from whence it had been chopped. He was three years my senior. Already he had been at prison. He knew this place where I was found. He knew many sites. At once he took pity. He said if I am well I can aid him many ways. If he would bring some girls there, I could stand lookout. He prophesied I would soon be healed by him.
So at once he was gone to steal food. He made true feasts, with pilchards, sour milk, scones, polonies, tinned sea fish, Pine Nut soda and others, Fray Bentos tinned beef, naartjies, some cooked foods still warmed, peaches, mince, sweets. All thanks to him I was made well.
I said Where can you unearth such food? He said he would gladly tell me just because he would soon be gone to South Africa, to Diepkloof, to join in thieving cars with guys he knew from prison, soon to be free. He was awaiting one master-thief only. He said on Notwane Road I should find two houses wherein Peace Corps guys were passing through. He said that if at all they hide door keys it is in one place only. He said they were carefree, most times not locking that place whatever. I must take plastic sakkies in my pocket and go to the kitchen, but I must take only sums of food, never the whole of any food. But I must never take beers, because then Peace Corps guys would go raging all about, with lights switched on, eager for fighting. He said You can rob there every day, with ease. Too many guys are holding food in just one fridge, he said. I said Why do they not complain to the police. He said Because they are themselves thieves, and you shall see very many plates and tumblers marked from Rhodesian Railways in those hostels.
Always sometimes now I say what! was this thief a Holy Guardian Angel and not a true man, not born out of a woman, in fact? Because it says in St. Joseph at page 1078 that everyone of the faithful has a Guardian Angel from God, even unto some pagans as well. I know this page until today. On it the Lord God says I am sending my Angel to guard you and bring you to the place I have prepared. Alias was very quick in coming and going, like a ghost. He was ever advising against evils such as cigarettes and beer drinking. And as well he healed me in so short a time and prophesied when I should be made well and going about. What was he? He ate in small amounts. The house dogs thereabout were silent when he was there. He was very becoming, he was smooth-faced, with no initiation scars. At every hour he advised me. He said I must never borrow someone any money. He said You must not hide stolen things at your mother’s house, for the police always go first to her. He warned against long-holding of stolen goods, saying you must sell them, even for a little, to escape danger. He showed me to make tea in a jar of water set in sunlight, with no fire. Amounts of good things fell from this known thief, to confuse me.
Soon one morning he was gone. Withinside my shoe was twenty pula, left by him. I was cast down. Never shall I see his face again.
I was once more at Hyper Store, amongst those boys. They said Chumza, hello, where is your boyfriend Alias, tell us for we must see him, where is that guy just now? I said to them he was gone. Now they said What! he has taken so much cash and some items from us, promising studies with a mastermind thief from Diepkloof. I said On this I know nothing. They told to me all that he was promising: means against watchdogs, means for temptation of servants, means to divine if someone is abroad within a dark house, much about keys, much about thieving through window bars with wire hooks. They pushed me, and after many kind of threats said they shall watch me day unto night. They said to beware them.