Staffrider Vol.6 No.2 1985 - DISA

Ihe teacher hadhardly dismissed us whenEdward gave him a hard onebetween die eyes, followed bya hot one from me.the farms, Babyface, the only differenceis that you wheel your bike instead ofriding it. Had it not been for Monde'sfriends, who roared with laughterbehind them, Edward would havestrangled him. He never brought thebicycle again.One day, just after lunch, a heavilybuilt woman clad in traditional Zuluattire and carrying two sticks, stormedinto the class. Mkhethwa followedtimidly close behind her.'Sa-wu-bo-na ma-ma!' we chanted asusual when an elder entered the classroom.But she ignored us and wentstraight to the teacher who was lookingstartlingly at the woman.'Where's the tsotsi who's provokingmy child?' demanded the woman glaringat our teacher.The teacher stared back in bafflement.T say where's the tsotsi who'sprovoking my child, can't you hear?'charged the woman pointing one stickat Mkhethwa and stamping the floorwith the other. 'My child is called thelion that sleeps in the dark forests ofAfrica right under your nose and youtell me that you don't know. Today hewas even robbed of his money forlunch.'Where's this tsotsi?' demanded thewoman turning to Mkhethwa whoquickly surveyed the room but couldnot locate Monde and Killer who hadtaken refuge beneath a bench.Someone must have informed theheadmaster for she entered the classroomand managed to cool the womandown. The culprits were hauled out,summoned to the office and punished.Among the Standard Twos there wasa stout guy with large ears andprotruding cheeks called Vincent. Hewas new at school and Monde must haveregretted his arrival because he playedrough, especially with the gang, whofeared him. The guys called him Vulture.He called Monde Mousy, usually inthe presence of the girls. AlthoughMonde hated this name he neveranswered back. With suppressed angerhe would only stretch his little mouthto its furthest, and eye Vincent withintense dislike. This indeed made Mondelook like a mouse.'I'm V.V.M. — Vincent VezokwakheMthombeni!' Vulture would boast,,