LEEUS MET LETSELS – FANIE VILJOEN
CHAPTER 1
The main character, Buyisiwe or Buyi, is involved (betrokke) in a fist fight
(vuisgeveg) with a boy called Jonathan at school. Jonathan is laying on the
ground, taunting Buyi by smirking and saying it was a lucky shot. Buyi replies in
English, asking if Jonathan wants some more then. Buyi feels as though the
group of boys and girls who formed a circle around him and Jonathan, are like
a bunch of hyenas. The teacher arrives to break up the fight.
(The fact that the two boys are speaking to each other in English, already
tells us something about the setting: if this is an Afrikaans book, then why
would the characters talk to each other in English? The answer will shortly be
revealed.)
Buyi is walking home from school: he has an uneasy feeling, as though trouble
(moeilikheid) is brewing (broei) under the surface. He lives in London. It’s a
Friday afternoon. As he walks, he hears people’s footsteps and suddenly he
wonders if they can hear his: if they even care (omgee). He then notices the
grey (grys) clouds (wolke) hanging over the city and gets that ominous feeling
again.
It causes him to pick up the pace. He tries to find comfort in the warmth of his
jacket and his familiar (bekende) surroundings (omgewing), but the feeling of
uneasiness (onrustigheid) stays with him and hunts (jag) him like an animal.
(Second reference to Africa!!!)
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, As he walks past a shop window (venster), he sees his reflection
(weerkaatsing): black (swart) face (gesig), clenched (geklem) jaw (kaak), the
cut (sny) on his lip. And he feels like a stranger, a foreigner (vreemdeling).
(This piece tells us something about Buyi’s inner conflict: he is having trouble
finding his identity.)
He doesn’t know why he is feeling this way: he has lived (gebly) in London his
entire (hele) life. He lives with his mom in a two-bedroom flat
(tweeslaapkamer-woonstel) on top of a bakery. He goes to a public school
(staatskool). And yet he IS a stranger, a foreigner (vreemdeling).
His name echoes in his mind: Buyisiwe. Why not James, Chris or Peter? Why
not any other name like most of the boys in school?
֎
It starts raining and he finally reaches their apartment building. He hears
shouting from one of the other apartments/flats (woonstelle), but he ignores
it: he is used to (gewoond) it. He doesn’t know his neighbours (bure). They
don’t know his name and he doesn’t know theirs: they don’t care, so he
doesn’t care either.
His mom isn’t home yet. He walks to the fridge and takes a few (paar) sips
(slukke) of milk straight from the carton. If his mom had to see him now ...
Sometimes he does it just to make her angry. (This tells us that Buyi can be
rebellious).
He warms up some left-over pizza from the previous evening. As he eats it in
front of the TV, he can hear Jonathan taunting him, calling him a Zulu and
asking Buyi what is he doing here and why doesn’t he go back to his people.
This upsets (ontstel) Buyi, because London is the only home he has ever
known.
Yet, he knows this isn’t the real reason why he is so nervous: it’s because of
the conversation between him and his mom that morning. She said that they
need to talk. He knows something is bothering (pla) her: it’s been like that for
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, more than a month now.
CHAPTER 2
Buyi’s mom sighs when she enters the front door. There are dark circles
(kringe) under her eyes and her face is paler (bleker) than usual (gewoonlik).
(This tells us that Buyi’s mother has not been sleeping well, she is tired and
she is not the same race (ras) as Buyi because she is Caucasian.)
She has a fine (verfynde) English accent. She complains (kla) about how Buyi
didn’t tidy up (netjies gemaak) the flat a bit. Buyi complains (kla) about them
having pizza for dinner again that evening when he sees the box in his mom’s
hand. She says that she is exhausted (gedaan) and that she is not going to
cook.
She tells Buyi that he could at least have tidied up (skoongemaak) a bit and
Buyi looks at the dirty (vuil) dishes (borde) on the counter (toonbank), the
trashcan (vullisblik) filled to the brim with rubbish. Buyi tells his mom that she
can clean it on Saturday and when she says she has to work, he says she can
then do it on Sunday.
Then she breaks down and cries. She admits (erken) that she is struggling
(sukkel) to keep food on the table and a roof (dak) over their heads. This is
when she says that she has made the right decision (besluit).
Buyi suddenly feels like a caged animal who is trying to escape. He wants to
put his arms around his mother and comfort her, but it’s as if there is a wall
(muur) between them. [His mother might think that Buyi doesn’t care about
her, but he does: he just doesn’t always know how to show it and it makes
him feel awkward and uncomfortable (ongemaklik)].
She tells Buyi that she doesn’t make decisions (besluit) lightly, but the fight
(bakleiery) at school confirmed (bevestig) everything and felt like a sign
(teken). The teacher, a Mrs. Fletcher, said it also wasn’t Buyi’s first fight. And
then she breaks the news: she can’t support (ondersteun) Buyi financially any
more on just her salary, and Buyi is now fourteen (veertien), so she contacted
his father, Themba, and told him about their problem. She continues by saying
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, that she knows his father hasn’t been there the past few years, but that was
all going to change (verander): he is now going to take care (omsien) of Buyi;
Buyi is moving to South Africa.
CHAPTER 3
For days after their conversation, Buyi still can’t sleep. His stomach (maag)
turns every time he thinks about it: where is Africa anyway? Why must he go
there? Just because of the fist fight (vuisgeveg)? Because he is different
(anders)?
(Buyi clearly didn’t listen properly.)
His mom keeps telling him that she loves him, but that it will be the best for
both (albei) of them. He is not even sure if he really wants to meet his father:
where has his father been all this time? He obviously doesn’t care about Buy
otherwise he would have phoned (gebel) or sent emails (e-posse): that’s if
they even have computers (rekenaars) in Africa, Buyi thinks. (He clearly does
not know much about South Africa!) Buyi thinks about his father who has
never even asked for photos of Buyi or sent him a present (geskenk) or even
just a card for his birthday (verjaarsdag). Why would he want to meet the man
who has been ignoring him his entire (hele) life now?
֎
After telling Buyi about her decision (besluit), Buyi’s mom speaks to Themba
over the phone often (gereeld) now. She once asked if Buyi wanted to say hallo
to his father, but he just turned (gedraai) his back (rug) on her.
Over the next few weeks, his mother is very busy planning everything for his
trip. Buyi doesn’t know much about Africa, just that it’s the place where
Nelson Mandela came from, there are lots of wild animals and that it’s a big
country (land) with many different (verskillende) people.
Buyi tells his mother that he loves her when they are at the departure area in
the airport. She hugs him and says she loves him too. That is all he can think
about in the plane: his mom going back to an empty (leë) apartment, busy
crying (huilend) and feeling sad (hartseer).
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CHAPTER 1
The main character, Buyisiwe or Buyi, is involved (betrokke) in a fist fight
(vuisgeveg) with a boy called Jonathan at school. Jonathan is laying on the
ground, taunting Buyi by smirking and saying it was a lucky shot. Buyi replies in
English, asking if Jonathan wants some more then. Buyi feels as though the
group of boys and girls who formed a circle around him and Jonathan, are like
a bunch of hyenas. The teacher arrives to break up the fight.
(The fact that the two boys are speaking to each other in English, already
tells us something about the setting: if this is an Afrikaans book, then why
would the characters talk to each other in English? The answer will shortly be
revealed.)
Buyi is walking home from school: he has an uneasy feeling, as though trouble
(moeilikheid) is brewing (broei) under the surface. He lives in London. It’s a
Friday afternoon. As he walks, he hears people’s footsteps and suddenly he
wonders if they can hear his: if they even care (omgee). He then notices the
grey (grys) clouds (wolke) hanging over the city and gets that ominous feeling
again.
It causes him to pick up the pace. He tries to find comfort in the warmth of his
jacket and his familiar (bekende) surroundings (omgewing), but the feeling of
uneasiness (onrustigheid) stays with him and hunts (jag) him like an animal.
(Second reference to Africa!!!)
PROPERTY OF M SOUNES NO UNAUTORISED COPYING, SHARING OR DISTRIBUTION ALLOWED,
1
PLEASE.
, As he walks past a shop window (venster), he sees his reflection
(weerkaatsing): black (swart) face (gesig), clenched (geklem) jaw (kaak), the
cut (sny) on his lip. And he feels like a stranger, a foreigner (vreemdeling).
(This piece tells us something about Buyi’s inner conflict: he is having trouble
finding his identity.)
He doesn’t know why he is feeling this way: he has lived (gebly) in London his
entire (hele) life. He lives with his mom in a two-bedroom flat
(tweeslaapkamer-woonstel) on top of a bakery. He goes to a public school
(staatskool). And yet he IS a stranger, a foreigner (vreemdeling).
His name echoes in his mind: Buyisiwe. Why not James, Chris or Peter? Why
not any other name like most of the boys in school?
֎
It starts raining and he finally reaches their apartment building. He hears
shouting from one of the other apartments/flats (woonstelle), but he ignores
it: he is used to (gewoond) it. He doesn’t know his neighbours (bure). They
don’t know his name and he doesn’t know theirs: they don’t care, so he
doesn’t care either.
His mom isn’t home yet. He walks to the fridge and takes a few (paar) sips
(slukke) of milk straight from the carton. If his mom had to see him now ...
Sometimes he does it just to make her angry. (This tells us that Buyi can be
rebellious).
He warms up some left-over pizza from the previous evening. As he eats it in
front of the TV, he can hear Jonathan taunting him, calling him a Zulu and
asking Buyi what is he doing here and why doesn’t he go back to his people.
This upsets (ontstel) Buyi, because London is the only home he has ever
known.
Yet, he knows this isn’t the real reason why he is so nervous: it’s because of
the conversation between him and his mom that morning. She said that they
need to talk. He knows something is bothering (pla) her: it’s been like that for
PROPERTY OF M SOUNES NO UNAUTORISED COPYING, SHARING OR DISTRIBUTION ALLOWED,
2
PLEASE.
, more than a month now.
CHAPTER 2
Buyi’s mom sighs when she enters the front door. There are dark circles
(kringe) under her eyes and her face is paler (bleker) than usual (gewoonlik).
(This tells us that Buyi’s mother has not been sleeping well, she is tired and
she is not the same race (ras) as Buyi because she is Caucasian.)
She has a fine (verfynde) English accent. She complains (kla) about how Buyi
didn’t tidy up (netjies gemaak) the flat a bit. Buyi complains (kla) about them
having pizza for dinner again that evening when he sees the box in his mom’s
hand. She says that she is exhausted (gedaan) and that she is not going to
cook.
She tells Buyi that he could at least have tidied up (skoongemaak) a bit and
Buyi looks at the dirty (vuil) dishes (borde) on the counter (toonbank), the
trashcan (vullisblik) filled to the brim with rubbish. Buyi tells his mom that she
can clean it on Saturday and when she says she has to work, he says she can
then do it on Sunday.
Then she breaks down and cries. She admits (erken) that she is struggling
(sukkel) to keep food on the table and a roof (dak) over their heads. This is
when she says that she has made the right decision (besluit).
Buyi suddenly feels like a caged animal who is trying to escape. He wants to
put his arms around his mother and comfort her, but it’s as if there is a wall
(muur) between them. [His mother might think that Buyi doesn’t care about
her, but he does: he just doesn’t always know how to show it and it makes
him feel awkward and uncomfortable (ongemaklik)].
She tells Buyi that she doesn’t make decisions (besluit) lightly, but the fight
(bakleiery) at school confirmed (bevestig) everything and felt like a sign
(teken). The teacher, a Mrs. Fletcher, said it also wasn’t Buyi’s first fight. And
then she breaks the news: she can’t support (ondersteun) Buyi financially any
more on just her salary, and Buyi is now fourteen (veertien), so she contacted
his father, Themba, and told him about their problem. She continues by saying
PROPERTY OF M SOUNES NO UNAUTORISED COPYING, SHARING OR DISTRIBUTION ALLOWED,
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PLEASE.
, that she knows his father hasn’t been there the past few years, but that was
all going to change (verander): he is now going to take care (omsien) of Buyi;
Buyi is moving to South Africa.
CHAPTER 3
For days after their conversation, Buyi still can’t sleep. His stomach (maag)
turns every time he thinks about it: where is Africa anyway? Why must he go
there? Just because of the fist fight (vuisgeveg)? Because he is different
(anders)?
(Buyi clearly didn’t listen properly.)
His mom keeps telling him that she loves him, but that it will be the best for
both (albei) of them. He is not even sure if he really wants to meet his father:
where has his father been all this time? He obviously doesn’t care about Buy
otherwise he would have phoned (gebel) or sent emails (e-posse): that’s if
they even have computers (rekenaars) in Africa, Buyi thinks. (He clearly does
not know much about South Africa!) Buyi thinks about his father who has
never even asked for photos of Buyi or sent him a present (geskenk) or even
just a card for his birthday (verjaarsdag). Why would he want to meet the man
who has been ignoring him his entire (hele) life now?
֎
After telling Buyi about her decision (besluit), Buyi’s mom speaks to Themba
over the phone often (gereeld) now. She once asked if Buyi wanted to say hallo
to his father, but he just turned (gedraai) his back (rug) on her.
Over the next few weeks, his mother is very busy planning everything for his
trip. Buyi doesn’t know much about Africa, just that it’s the place where
Nelson Mandela came from, there are lots of wild animals and that it’s a big
country (land) with many different (verskillende) people.
Buyi tells his mother that he loves her when they are at the departure area in
the airport. She hugs him and says she loves him too. That is all he can think
about in the plane: his mom going back to an empty (leë) apartment, busy
crying (huilend) and feeling sad (hartseer).
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