Back at the house preparations had already started. The King was so happy about the arrival of his second son into this world, he was boasting in pride amongst his council men. “Ke entse ngwana monna thaka ntatae, Kepi ntho etlo le tjhekelang baradi Mosenene sedula mokoting hae kgore Bosiu le motshehare o dula ale malala a laotswe Lepe se rathang pakeng tsa mangwele Tsena tsohle le di botse baradi lapeng Ha osena baradi o botse mosadi mma bana Mohlomong a ka o phethela palenyana” He said, followed by a brief chuckle. Pacing up and down praising his newly born son with excitement written all over his face in capital letters. Having a son meant a lot to him because it meant the ancestors where in his side. They had many sleepless nights desperately praying for a child. They struggled conceiving a child for so long that they no longer had the luxury of praying for a child of any specific gender. The fact that he got a boy made him very grateful that he felt he had t...

It was a very glorious day for the Ditheko Kingdom. ”MONNA MAHLOMOLA BONA MONA, TSAMAYA O KENELLE MOTSENG MONA O JWETSE SETJHABA SOHLE HORE NGWANA WAKA O HLAHILE EBILE KE MOSHANYANA. O BA MEME BOHLE HORE BATLE BATLO KETEKA LENNA LE BA LELAPA LAKA. DIJO LE JWALA DI TENG, BA TSUBANG KGOMO YA FATSHE LE BONA OBA JWETSE HORE KE MANTLETSENTLETSE” The King sent his envoy. “Ho lokile Morena, ere ke kgobokanye mahlana aka mme ke etse jwalo” The messenger replied and did not waste any time, he went around to gather around his crew to carry out the task at hand. They took a drum with some sticks and composed a song on the spot. That was one of Mahlomola’s best qualities and that made the King very fond of him. He is very creative, you could give him a simple task but the outcome is going to be something beyond your imagination. “HO TLETSE MONYAKA HO TLETSE MONYAKA… KWANA BORENENG KWANA BORENENG… RE TSWALETSWE MORA RE TSWALETSWE MORA… BORENENG HA DITHEKO BORENENG HA DITH...

Gogo understood her pain very well but there was nothing she could do to help. It was her job to tell the king if she sees anything that could cause a problem to the land in future. “Bonneteng ke batla ho o thusa ngwana mmae empa nkase kgone, ho pata taba tse tjena hoka mpakela mathata a maholo le Morena. Molato wa mofuta ona o ahlolwa ka lefu motseng mona le wena wa tseba. Otla ntshwarela ngwaneso empa ke tlameile ho jwetsa morena hore taba di eme jwang mme ena otla nka qeto. Ke tshepa hore o utlwisisa boemo boo keleng ho bona’’. She just said that when Dibuseng and Mathabo walked in. ‘’Mathabo tshwara ka mona re thuse MaDitheko ka pele ese ele nako’’. The queen was screaming like a goat about to be slaughtered, the pillow was wet from her tears. She was in so much pain and thoughts that she might be going through this pain for a child she might not keep tore her apart. They tried for another baby for years, the King was even considering getting a second wife thinking that she can’t ...

It was then that she realized that she allowed her temper to get the best of her. ‘’HAKE UTLWI HANTLE PHETHA HAPE, ORE BADIMO BARENG?” with her eyes popping out of her skull she asked. This time around her grip on Dibusengs hand got tighter, it was so tight it was like Dibuseng was being held by those strong construction general workers. ‘’Itjhuu’’ Dibuseng said with fear written all over her eyes. She saw how angry the Queen was because of what Gogo said so she did n’t want to give the Queen more reason to get angry. Especially in the position she is in. ‘’Heeee thonga lam Ndi laulele Haoooo Thonga lami Ndi laulele Heeee……..” ‘’HEEEE MOLEKO TOWE WA MOSADIMOHOLO NKARABE KE BUA LE WENA O TLOHELE HO NHLODIELA’’ The Queen interrupted while Gogo was singing. ‘’Ngwana enwa nka o pepisa a hlaha empa badimo bare ho nna ho tlameile hwa etswa mokete nakong ya beke tse pedi moo ngwana enwa atlo bolawa. Badimo haba hlakisi hantle hore ngwana enwa otlo etsang empa ba bua ba tiisitse difahl...

“IYHEEEEEEEEEIIIII’’ And a very long burp were the only things the Queen got as a reponce from Gogo. Followed by a very frightened look from Gogo the Queen had no choice but to worry. ‘’Ao Gogo, o ka re rasetsa wa ba wa re bohlela hakaaka hosena nko hotswa lemina?... Mahlabeng a makanakana ao keleng ho ona wena o fetohile semumu haotswe ka taba (But Gogo, why are you making so much noise without saying anything?... In so much pain I’m in you have now tur ned into a mute) ’’ with tears taking a convoy to her chicks and a very tight grip on Dibuseng’s hand the Queen said. Dibuseng is one of the Queen’s servants who was forever complaining, in her head she went ‘’He ntja e eka ntiisa letsoho hakaaka, ketla e tshella tjhefu e nnyele hae ntsebe hantle hhhhmmm (Why would this dog tighten my hand like this, I’ll poison her she doesn’t know me hhhmm) ’’ but with a caring look in her face. Of course that’s part of her ‘’Job Description’’ but she went around saying things like ‘’Wa tseba nthwe ...

“IYHEEEEEEEEEIIIII’’ And a very long burp were the only things the Queen got as a reponce from Gogo. Followed by a very frightened look from Gogo the Queen had no choice but to worry. ‘’Ao Gogo, o ka re rasetsa wa ba wa re bohlela hakaaka hosena nko hotswa lemina?... Mahlabeng a makanakana ao keleng ho ona wena o fetohile semumu haotswe ka taba’’ with tears taking a convoy to her chicks and a very tight grip on Dibuseng’s hand the Queen said. Dibuseng is one of the Q ueen’s servants who was forever complaining, in her head she went ‘’He ntja e eka ntiisa letsoho hakaaka, ketla e tshella tjhefu e nnyele hae ntsebe hantle hhhhmmm’’ but with a caring look in her face. Of course that’s part of her ‘’Job Description’’ but she went around saying things like ‘’Wa tseba nthwe kene ke e etsetsa molemo ke e thusa e shwa e tshwerwe ke mokgohlane’’. Gogo looked at the bones with a doubtful face and gazed her eyes back to the Queen with a sad look and gathered the ancestral bones and placed the...

It was on a cold morning during winter when Gogo Mokoena saw a boy coming to his hut running and yelling ‘’GOGO MOKOENA MORENA DITHEKO O ITSE KETLE HO O BITSA HONA LE BOTHATA KGOTLA (GOGO MOKOENA KING DITHEKO SAID I SHOULD COME CALL YOU, THERE IS AN EMERGENCY AT THE ROYAL HOUSE)’’ as he was approaching Gogo Mokoena .’’HAE MOSIMA, O KA TLA O RASITSE TJE EKARE O BUA LE THAKA NTATAO! BA MPATLA ENG? (HEY YOU ASS, WHY WOULD YOU COME YELLING AT ME LIKE I’M YOUR FATHER’S AGE MATE? WHAT DO THEY WANT FROM ME?) ’’ Gogo Mokoena asked Pitso, Pitso was the first born of King Ditheko. Gogo Mokoena was the only traditional healer trusted by the royal family. She was called whenever there was anything strange at the royal house or during any kind of medical emergency. ‘’Empa Gogo ke…(But Gogo I….) ’’ Pitso tried to explain but Gogo yelled at him before he could even finish his sentence ‘’EMPA YA MASEPA?... FETA RE TSAMAYE O TLOHELE HO HLWEPHETSAKA MAMINA PELAKA WA NNYONTSHA (WHAT SHITY BUT?... COME L...

It was on a cold morning during winter when Gogo Mokoena saw a boy coming to his hut running and yelling ‘’GOGO MOKOENA MORENA DITHEKO O ITSE KETLE HO O BITSA HONA LE BOTHATA KGOTLA ’’ as he was approaching Gogo Mokoena .’’HAE MOSIMA, O KA TLA O RASITSE TJE EKARE O BUA LE THAKA NTATAO! BA MPATLA ENG? ’’ Gogo Mokoena asked Pitso, Pitso was the first born of King Ditheko. Gogo Mokoena was the only traditional healer trusted by the royal family. She was called whenever there was anything strange at the royal house or during any kind of medical emergency. ‘’Empa Gogo ke… ’’ Pitso tried to explain but Gogo yelled at him before he could even finish his sentence ‘’EMPA YA MASEPA?... FETA RE TSAMAYE O TLOHELE HO HLWEPHETSAKA MAMINA PELAKA WA NNYONTSHA’’. Pitso just kept quiet because he knew it was rude to talk back to elders and he could easily get a hiding for it. He just used the back of his hand to wipe his nose and waited for Gogo to quickly go into the hut to get her bones and other nec...