Inside the hut the others had started to wake up. They were all a buzz with the events of the night before, which in reality was now two nights before. Lesedi was feeling very distracted. He was trying to work out how he was going to get away for a while without causing suspicion. Then there was the even more daunting task of getting to The Hills before the snake spat the ivory palm nut out. The ivory palm nut! What was so significant about this particular Nut? Well, maybe now his grandfather would tell him.<\/p>\n
\u201cStop that!\u201d He was trying to dress Thabo, who was struggling fiercely and beating him with his little fists.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou are putting Tshiamo\u2019s dress on him,\u201d said Gloria, pushing him aside. \u201cWhy don\u2019t you get yourself ready for Aunt Matilda? I\u2019ll get the children dressed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lesedi shrugged and walked outside.<\/p>\n
\u201cHey! Where are you going?\u201d she yelled after him. \u201cAunt Matilda is going to be here soon and she is going to be really mad if you look like that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lesedi shrugged again, not bothering to answer her. Bossy woman! It would be nice to get away from her for a while. He needed to go and find his grandfather and see if he had any ideas about how they were going to get the Nut back. Maybe he could also help him with an excuse for being away.<\/p>\n
Lesedi found Lorato getting The Donkey Cart ready. It looked like any other old donkey cart, green, wooden, square, with a couple of wooden benches inside it. However, it wasn\u2019t like any other old donkey cart. This cart could take endless amounts of \u201cstuff\u201d and Lorato was busy loading it.<\/p>\n
\u201cWow! That\u2019s a lot of stuff,\u201d exclaimed Lesedi as he watched his grandfather put blankets, food, pots, rope, herbs, and goodness knows what else into the little cart. He had pulled back the panel on the bottom of the cart and everything was disappearing inside. Lesedi knew this cart; he had been on root- and herb-finding expeditions with his grandfather and they had always come back with masses of stuff in an empty-looking cart. He still found it amazing though and couldn\u2019t stop himself from looking underneath to see where everything was going. <\/p>\n
\u201cWell, we have a long, hard journey ahead of us and I don\u2019t think there are going to be any supplies where we are going,\u201d said Lorato, loading what looked like a rope ladder<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat are we going to need that for?\u201d asked Lesedi. Ladders were not something anyone used much around there.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust preparing for all eventualities,\u201d said Lorato, closing the panel. \u201cWell, I think that\u2019s just about it. Now, what about you, young man? Are you packed and ready?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, not yet,\u201d said Lesedi nervously. \u201cI need a good excuse to be away for a while so I won\u2019t get in too much trouble when I get back.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, there is a very obvious excuse if you think about it!\u201d Lorato raised his eyebrows and looked at Lesedi expectantly. Lesedi thought hard but couldn\u2019t think of anything.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone thinks Aunt Matilda is coming today so they won\u2019t let me go anywhere,\u201d Lesedi said in a small voice.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell?\u201d said Lorato, sounding amused.<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, she isn\u2019t going to come because she came yesterday\u2026but they don\u2019t know that\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo when she doesn\u2019t come, you and I will go and look for her!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWow!\u201d exclaimed Lesedi. That was so simple\u2014why hadn\u2019t he thought of that? \u201cThat means I could go away for quite a few days\u2026but\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut what?\u201d Lorato was busy checking the cart to see that there was nothing loose or missing.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do we say when we come back and we haven\u2019t found Aunt Matilda and I\u2019m still here and not at school and what if she comes back while we\u2019re gone and\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cStop it!\u201d Lorato laughed. \u201cYou worry far too much. We\u2019ll solve each problem as it comes up. No use trying to solve problems that haven\u2019t even happened and may never happen. It\u2019s just a waste of energy and right now we need lots of that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lesedi looked at his grandfather with big eyes. He felt nervous but also very excited. \u201cWe\u2019re going to The Hills?\u201d he said. \u201cIs it really far? How long will it take?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTo tell you the truth I\u2019m not sure,\u201d said the old man. \u201cHaven\u2019t been there for years, in fact not since Bosula took up residence. Let\u2019s get the map out and have a look.\u201d<\/p>\n