A happy end

How Mma Ramotswe knew who was the kidnapper

After the police had finished interviewing the suspects, Mma Ramotswe, working in collaboration with them, studied all the details of the recordings. She told me that one testimony was not trustworthy and she wanted to think a little about it. Of course, she didn’t explain me anything and a beautiful Friday morning, she appeared with my son in Katsana Scool. I couldn’t believe it! My son was with me again! I could hold Thobiso in my arms again! Afterwards, we were to look for Grace and when she saw him she was incredibly happy.

Two days later, when all the family was more calmed, Mma Ramotswe came to my house and she explained me who the kidnapper was and where he was found. The witchdoctor’s testimony didn’t sound reliable and she started to look for any evidence that could incriminate him. She never told me how she know it, but my son was about to be sacrificed in order to get muti, a specific medicine made of child’s bones.

How she knew it would be her professional secret but what I know is my son is with the family again and he is now safe and sound. Thank you very much, Mma Ramotswe. Molai family will never forget this.


Since Thobiso has come back home, it is the greatest day of our lives!

Mma Ramotswe has found Thobiso

The suspect

Thobiso’s skill in drawing

One day at school, Thobiso was asked to do draw a picture of his family. He has always been particularly skillful at drawing. Even, he has won some first prizes in several children drawing contests in Katsana.

Moreover, while he is wandering through the fields he always takes a notebook with him to draw. He loves drawing insects, birds, lions, hyenas… but his favourite animal is the cheetah. Below, on the left, you can see one of the drawings he made when he was only six. On the right, you have the last one from just two weeks ago. In my opinion they are incredible, aren’t they?

Thobiso’s favourite tale

‘My poor son. How I miss you! I hope you to come back home again soon’, whispered the teacher of Katsana as he closed the door of Thobiso’s bedroom. Then he remembered what happened the night before the kidnapping:

- ‘Daddy, tell me a tale’.

Ernest sat at the bedside and started telling a new story: ‘Once upon a time there were three little …’

- ‘No, daddy. I want you to tell me the tale of the magical song’, begged the young boy.

- Again, Thob?

- ‘Yes, daddy, again. Please, please!’

Ernest took the storybook and opened it by the page of Thobiso’s favourite tale.

- ‘Ok. Let’s see… Once upon a time there was a great king who had many cattle. He loved his cattle so much that he called one of his sons to look after them. Every morning the boy took the cattle to the valley and at night he drove them back again at home.

One day while the boy was watching the cattle…’

- ‘A fairy appeared,’ continued Thobiso.

- ‘Exactly, the fairy appeared and pointed to a large stone. Have you ever seen a stone like this one, Thobiso?’ asked Ernest as he pointed to the drawing of the stone in the storybook.

- ‘No, daddy. This stone is magical… like the song!’

- Yes. The fairy also taught the boy a magical song. After that, she delivered the stone to the boy and said: If you keep this stone nobody will be able to hurt you, but if you lose it, your cattle will be stolen. Besides, when you sing the song your cattle will follow you.

Unfortunately, one day the boy fell asleep and his father’s cattle were stolen. When the boy woke up, he realized what happened and he started singing the magical song desperately. However, the animals did not come back. The boy began to wander through the fields crying. Then the fairy appeared and told him: I already know that your father’s cattle were stolen. Don’t worry, because I also know the man who has the cattle now. He lives behind that mountain. If you are wise you will be able to get the cattle back.

- But the boy was very wise. Wasn’t he, daddy?

- Yes, he was. He visited the man and become his worker. Every morning the boy took the cattle to the valley and then sang the magical song to drive them back at home. He worked for some years until something happened. That man harvested a bumper crop. Never before had he had such an abundant supply of food. This is why he decided to have a feast.

Then the boy had a brilliant idea. He had a special knowledge about plants and herbs as he was used to watching what his cattle ate. First, he collected a large amount of herb that makes people sleep, and then he mixed it into the wine barrels. When the feast was over, all the guests fell asleep. The boy began to sing the magical song and the cattle followed him as far as his father’s house. At last he had the cattle again and they all lived happily ever after.

THE END

News

Second Letter to Ramotswe

Dear Ramotswe,

I am writing to you again because yesterday I received a letter. Although the sender has not revealed his name, I am quite sure that it is not a joke.

He assures having seen a boy in a blue van with a man. The boy was sitting in the front driver’s side seat and, surprisingly, he was wearing sunglasses in a cloudy day. This leads me to think that the man could have tried to hide the identity of the boy. According to these words, my son could be hold against his will. Mma Ramotswe, he could be nearer than we suspect!. Do you think I am too optimistic?

I already know that the police and you are on my son’s trail. However, I would like to help you to gather information about the case. I apologize if you would think I am interfering in your job. I want you to believe that I completely trust in you. I hope you can understand my family’s feelings of despair. For God’s sake, help me to find Thobiso!

PS: I am attaching a copy of the anonymous letter

Ernest Molai

Anonymous

I think I’ve seen your son Tobisho in a blue van. The kid was wearing dark blue trousers and a heavy coat and boots. The thing that surprised me the most was that he was wearing sunglasses in a cloudy day. Tobisho was seated in the front driver’s side seat. There was somebody taking his hand but I could hardly see anything. It seems to be a man but I’m not sure if there was another person in the van. After a few seconds, they left the scene very fast so I wasn’t able to take the registration of the van. They took the direction to Gaborone.
I hope your son appears soon.


Anonymous

Hippos in Botswana

Animals in Botswana

I’m worried. My son was a boy who loves nature and likes to wander. He is always collecting rocks, shells and things like that. I know he would never get into danger because he knew a lot about the mountains and desert of Kalahari. However, there’s a possibility that my son had been eaten or killed by a wild animal. That’s why I am investigating the animals of this area. Here you can see some of the pictures I’ve taken during last two weeks. I’ve found them especially near the river of Katsana, around our village and the school of my son.


I found these two hippos in the river. Although they seem very heavy, they can attain speeds of up to 45km/h out of water. They're more agile than they look. The hippo is considered by many experts and people to be one of the most dangerous animals in Africa. They've all killed way more people than Africa's lions have. The hippo is extremely aggressive, unpredictable and unafraid of humans. I’ve investigated some cases and most deaths occur when the victim gets between the hippo and deep water or between a mother and her calf.

I’ve also found some wilddogs but they don’t seem to be dangerous for humans. They are instinctively aggressive but they rarely attack humans.

Tomorrow I will continue explaining what I’ve found but now I have to go to work. Thank you for your attention. I know you are a good woman.
Ernest Molai Pakotati

Grace's feelings

I remember very well other times when we were a happy family with our children and our works. Grace and me, we are both teachers and we love our profession.

Yesterday night, my wife and I were trying to sleep, because it has been many days that neither of us can sleep, but unsuccessfully. I realised that Grace was crying again and I didn’t have any words for her. I told her that our son will appear again and she explained this to me:

“I am loosing the faith in God, dear. Our family has always been kind and warm and we have gone to all Sundays’ Mass. We have believed in God’s Word. But now, God is not helping us anymore. After three months and a half of Thobiso’s disappearance and without having any trace what could have happened. I think we should start considering about his dead.”


I couldn’t believe what Grace was telling me – “What are you saying, Grace? Do you really think that our son is dead? There is still hope! The investigation hasn’t finished, which means it is still active and we will never surrender until there is absolutely no hope left. In fact, we do not have any police news to think the opposite. God will help us very soon, because we are good Christians!”



She started to scream and shout among sobs and tears: "I need my son returns soon! I need my son with me again! Please Thobiso come home now!!" After this, my wife begged me to forgive her for being so pessimistic and she told me that she still had hope to see Thobiso alive very soon.

Religion in Botwsana

In this letter we can see that Ernest Molai was Christian, but what other religions are in Botswana?

Freedom of religion is respected generally in Botswana, that means that any type of religion is constitutionally guaranted, permited and protected. After the published results of Cens 2001, we can say that Christianity is the dominant religion because of direct European influency through misioners and colonizers.

The rest of religions are:

• Badimo
• Muslim
• Hindu
• Other african religions
• No religion

Ernest’s letter to Ramotswe

At the beginning of the second week, a letter was received to the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency. Mma Makutsi read it out to Mma Ramotswe.








The letter said:

Missing boy

Thobiso is eleven years old although he looks like nine. He likes wandering and he is very interested in nature, rocks, bushes and minerals. Two months ago, he went to have a walk near Kalahari Dessert and that was the last time he was seen.

Ernest’s letter to the police

Dear gentlemen:

My name is Ernest Molai and I am a teacher at the school of Katsana but it doesn’t matter now !

I am writting to you because I am very worried about my son, Thobiso, who vanished yesterday evening. He is just eleven years old, although he looks like nine.

In the beginning, I did not attach importance to it because Thobiso enjoys wandering through the mountains watching nature. He used to do it after classroom, but he had never been out until midnight. However, yesterday he didn’t come back home.

I have been looking for him all night long in the places where he used to go. Unfortunately I have not been able to meet him anywhere. I only hope that he will be fine. I do not know what I must think about it. I am afraid something terrible might have happened to him.

I would be grateful if you could help me to find my son !

Yours faithfully,

Ernest Molai