Motholele & Puso
Mr J L B Matekoni is conned yet again by Mma Potokwane and her fruitcake (in the nicest possible way, of course; this is, after all, a Sandy McCall Smith book) when he suddenly finds himself the adoptive parent of two Bushmen children, Puso, a boy and Motholele, a girl. The back story of these kids is nothing short of appalling. Even more so when you realise their fictional story is completely based on a real story. To discover the story, I'm afraid you'll have to buy the books.
However, I can tell you that it involves the death of the kids’ mother, Motholele saving Puso from certain death as a newborn, and Motholele ending up in a wheelchair. Not to mention, of course, the pair of them ending up in an orphanage. And that was the greatest bit of luck in their short, but horrible lives, apart, obviously, from Puso surviving what would have been certain death without Motholele rescuing him, and their adoption by Mma Ramotswe and Mr J L B Matekoni.
One look at the two of them told Mma Potokwane that they had no hope of being adopted. Not only was Motholele a cripple (sorry for using what many reasonably find a rotten label, but I want to emphasise the kind of prejudice she faced), but the two kids were obviously Bushmen, and prejudice against and ignorance of Bushmen is still very extant in Botswana. Can you see the gentle way Sandy introduces us to one of Botswana's negatives?
Oh, by the way, I know that in many places it is not acceptable to call the people once always known as Bushmen "Bushmen", but my understanding is that many of the Bushmen in Botswana actually prefer this term to any of the alternatives, such as San. If I misunderstand this, please let me know by dropping me a hoy via our Contact page.
But, of course, Mma Potokwane knew some people to whom these prejudices mean little. Indeed, they mean nothing.
Mr J L B Matekoni and Mma Ramotswe. An apparently effected introduction is made between Mr J L B Matekoni and Motholele, and Mr J L B Matekoni fixes her squeaky wheelchair. It's not long before the wheelchair is on the back of
Mr J L B Matekoni's truck, and Motholele and Puso are in the truck's cabin with Mr J L B Matekoni on their way to
Mr J L B Matekoni's house.
Mr J L B Matekoni, of course, has to try and explain matters to Mma Ramotswe, but despite his incompetence at this type of thing, the kids are soon welcomed into Mma Ramotswe's loving embrace - and her house. Motholele is soon showing great mechanical aptitude, much to Mr J L B Matekoni's chagrin, as he believes mechanical work is men's work. However, after failing to interest Puso in mechanical things, Mr J L B Matekoni welcomes Motholele into his workshop, altering what needed to be altered to cope with the fact she's wheelchair bound.
However, I can tell you that it involves the death of the kids’ mother, Motholele saving Puso from certain death as a newborn, and Motholele ending up in a wheelchair. Not to mention, of course, the pair of them ending up in an orphanage. And that was the greatest bit of luck in their short, but horrible lives, apart, obviously, from Puso surviving what would have been certain death without Motholele rescuing him, and their adoption by Mma Ramotswe and Mr J L B Matekoni.
One look at the two of them told Mma Potokwane that they had no hope of being adopted. Not only was Motholele a cripple (sorry for using what many reasonably find a rotten label, but I want to emphasise the kind of prejudice she faced), but the two kids were obviously Bushmen, and prejudice against and ignorance of Bushmen is still very extant in Botswana. Can you see the gentle way Sandy introduces us to one of Botswana's negatives?
Oh, by the way, I know that in many places it is not acceptable to call the people once always known as Bushmen "Bushmen", but my understanding is that many of the Bushmen in Botswana actually prefer this term to any of the alternatives, such as San. If I misunderstand this, please let me know by dropping me a hoy via our Contact page.
But, of course, Mma Potokwane knew some people to whom these prejudices mean little. Indeed, they mean nothing.
Mr J L B Matekoni and Mma Ramotswe. An apparently effected introduction is made between Mr J L B Matekoni and Motholele, and Mr J L B Matekoni fixes her squeaky wheelchair. It's not long before the wheelchair is on the back of
Mr J L B Matekoni's truck, and Motholele and Puso are in the truck's cabin with Mr J L B Matekoni on their way to
Mr J L B Matekoni's house.
Mr J L B Matekoni, of course, has to try and explain matters to Mma Ramotswe, but despite his incompetence at this type of thing, the kids are soon welcomed into Mma Ramotswe's loving embrace - and her house. Motholele is soon showing great mechanical aptitude, much to Mr J L B Matekoni's chagrin, as he believes mechanical work is men's work. However, after failing to interest Puso in mechanical things, Mr J L B Matekoni welcomes Motholele into his workshop, altering what needed to be altered to cope with the fact she's wheelchair bound.
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