Be Loved

Chapter 19

To my beloved daughter Tshegofatso

Happy 11th birthday. I got good news to tell you. Someone wants to help me with my case. I don't know. Maybe we won't be kept apart for too long. Enjoy your birthday and whoever is reading this, just know that like Sarafina, freedom is coming tomorrow for me!

Daddy loves you still and misses you

Lots of love, your beloved dad.

Molatlhegi and Tshegofatso meet again for their visit. Tshegofatso has grown familiar with the prison process, that she is being greeted by prison staff and they don't do thorough security checks on her anymore. As she enters the room to see Molatlhegi, she greets Warder Maluleke and hands over books she brought for her daughter, "Hope it helps her, those are from last year. They helped me a lot with Maths and physics" says Tshegofatso to Warder Maluleke.

"Thank you. These will help. I want my daughter to pass Maths and Physics this year so that she can be able to apply to be a Doctor at the end of next year. Ok, let me give you your privacy. Remember the visiting times ne. Good". Warder Maluleke walks out of the room and closes the door.

"That is a very good thing you did there for Maluleke's daughter Tshegofatso" comments Molatlhegi. "It's nothing. I don't need those Grade 10 books anymore. So I couldn't stop thinking about you and I being in some small town, where you knew no one. What did we do? How did we survive" asks Tshegofatso. She was ready with her pen and paper to take notes, but Molatlhegi had other ideas.

"You know, these things have been about me answering your questions, but I don't know anything about you. I want to start interviewing you Tshegofatso" explains Molatlhegi.

"No. That's not the deal we made. Plus there will be time for that. I'm not going anywhere. And I won't be able to even answer you honestly, because I need to know so much more about you. Like how did we survive in Macburgvile? Did we stay there or did we find another small town" asks Tshegofatso.

"Ok fine. I understand. Ok, so how didn't we live... Well in the early days, we didn't need to do anything. I was still trying to keep a low profile but also be a father. Like all I did was change your diapers, make you bottle milk, feed you, and try to play with you. I was watching tv shows like my wife and kids and the Cosby show, trying to get tips of being a father. That was maybe the first week in Macburgville. But I wanted to find us a better place to live than a B&B. So after breakfast, we would drive into the town, looking for places that were either for sale or available for rent. We found a place that was close to the park. The owner wanted a lot of money for rent, but luckily he didn't need information from me. The cash was good enough information for him. So that was our life. Eat, play, go to the park, change your diapers, take naps, and watch movies."

"No offense, but I would get bored of living like that" comments Tshegofatso.

"Yes, I got bored of living like that after two months. I needed to do something to keep me busy. We didn't need the money, but we definitely needed something to keep us busy. I felt like after two months, we were probably safe and it was necessary for me to start making a life for us" explains Molatlhegi

"So what did you do," asks Tshegofatso.

"So there were these high school kids that used to hang out a the park, bunking class. When you and I would go there to play, I would see them look at us and be curious. So one day I asked them why they were not at school. They didn't give me the time of day, as I was a stranger. But eventually, one of them spoke to me and told me that they don't see the value of school and that they are not good at it. So I started helping him with homework every afternoon by the community center adjacent to the park. Through word of mouth, I ended up helping a few more kids with homework in the afternoons."

"How could you be a teacher if you studied IT" asks a confused Tshegofatso. Molatlhegi laughs out loud at the question. "The logic you follow when learning to code or creating software is the same that you need to help someone learn anything. I just used that principle. And it clearly worked. The school that my students attended needed a substitute maths teacher, and they called me to work for them. I did agree, on condition that I was paid in cash and did not have to be "registered"" explains Molatlhegi.

"They agreed to that," asks Tshegofatso.

"I think they were desperate. So they agreed"

"And then what happens with me? Did you take me to class with you? Imagine" comments Tshegofatso. The thought makes her laugh out loud.

"I probably should have. The school had a daycare across the street from it. You were technically underage, but they needed the money. Money trumps anything in these small towns. They wanted your birth certificate and your mother's details. I kept avoiding them because I didn't have those things. But I needed to make them believe that I had the stuff, otherwise, they could have called the police on me"

Tshegofatso was about to ask a question, but Warden Maluleke walked into the room and notified them that their time was up. They were both disappointed and tried to convince Maluleke to allow them more time together. But she refused and they said their goodbyes.