Little Leseli grew up fast; she was a bit older than her age. Growing up in a loving family, she was randomly ill and it never took any effort for her to become her old self again.
once she went to play with her friends around the village at the age of three and did not come back for her lunch. Her mother looked for her with little confussion because she knew her daughter never wandered of far from home.
she called her neighbour: " 'Malerato, have you seen Leseli today? she hasn't come home yet."
'Malerato: " not really. I haven't left home today but my son said he met her in a company of her friends heading towards the river. But he chased them away, so they are probably away from the danger of water."
"ugh....This child. now I have to leave before preparing her father's meal." 'Mabohlokoa thought to herself.
She tried locating her daughter but with no luck. Her last resort was to call her husband and inform him that their daughter was no where to be found.
The village was in an uproar to find the little girl. Her friends couldn't say clearly where she went but they knew that a man on a motorbike took her away.
They had to inform the chief and the police were immediately called. Everyone in the village was surprised, their village was not one like one of those surbabs where children got abducted very often.
Police started their investigation but to no avail. Then one of the villagers, the same drunk who nearly received beating from Francis for claiming to be Leseli's in-law noticed something irregular: Francis' uncle and his entire family have not joined the search!!! he took it upon himself to visit the said family to let them know that the little girl was missing, but on his way he recognised a motorbike hidden in the hay. That's when he remembered what the little kids said.
"Mr policeman!" he called.
"yes!" the young policeman answered.
"he Oa 'muso, come here, join me." he said, afraid to awaken the enemy at bay.
The rest of the search party ignored him knowing that this 'Methe, as he called himself never stopped joking. However, this young police officer was curious and joined him, that's when he too realised there was a motorbike hidden carefully under the hay by the kraal. First they had to gain access into the yard, therefore 'Methe had to play his drunkard games.
The gate was opened to the two of them (luckily the police officer was in private and had hidden his badge). Francis' uncle was on the phone: " I told you to come collect this package. my niece had been too pompous that he can't give me even a quarter of what my brother left. I want to watch him suffer until he dies a slow painful death of misery!"
The policeman heard all this, coming from the other thatched house. He noticed that near the farming equipment, something was moving inside a sack. " Could this be the little girl?" he wondered. "But if I'm not wrong these people are her grandparents."
He signalled to 'Methe to join him by claiming he had a mosquito in his eye. Then he whispered: " Go ahead, take that sack and run.find my colleagues and tell them to join me. You have earned yourself some few hundred Maloti by your help. 'Methe did as he was told, Leseli was found tied up inside the sack. She was tired from crying all day and very weak.
Francis' uncle was taken to the police with his accopliance and charged with abduction.
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Leseli returned from the Hospital in a week. She grew strong, beautiful and healthy. She never left her yard unless she wasn't alone, and avoided all her relatives.
'Mabohlokoa's sister who worked as a nurse in the Capital urged them to let her have Leseli. She wanted her to attend best schools the country had to offer while also recovering from the trauma. it was not easy for Francis but he couldn't argue.
Leseli joined her cousins: three boys in the city. She enjoyed life and school, she was very bright and passed her grade7 with flying colours. She was awarded for being the top student in the country.
Although she visited her parents often, she enjoyed the company of her brothers. Francis had to bear all this in silence.
when his daughter went to high school, he decided to sell off all his animals. He was aware that he wasn't very strong as before and was aware of the family eying all his property. He invested with banks, although he never understood the language. All his investments were in his daughter's name.
"Should death strike us anytime," he said. "Our little girl should have her own life away from these murderers."
"Yes indeed my love," his wife replied.
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