I was at my friend Sello’s house when I asked if Ts’epo lived nearby. Ts’epo is a guy who used to be the nightwatchman at our school. Sello said Ts’epo did live close and then asked if I had ‘beat’ Ts’epo, which means, have I kicked Ts’epo’s ass before.
“Did I beat him?” I thought for a minute. I couldn’t recall ever having a single problem with Ts’epo, let alone coming to fisticuffs with the guy.
Ts’epo is probably about thirty-five years old, very dark and unkempt and slow-minded. He knows a few English words and would often attempt to greet me with them, saying, “How are you fine.” Anyone else around would chuckle. Or he’d point to a dog, “dog!” Then I would give the Sesotho, “ntja!” It was a game we played, I guess you could say. Ts’epo always reminded me of the big dumb guy Lennie from Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men.
I repeated as I continued to recall the guy, “No, I don’t think I’ve ever beaten Ts’epo.”
Everyone else at Sello’s house, Mpho, Mosebatho, little Mpho, Sera, they all looked a bit confused. I was confused at why they all looked so.
“You never beat Ts’epo when he walked into your house while you were bathing?” said Sello.
“Huh?”
“We have all heard a story that last year you were bathing and Ts’epo walked into your house without permission so you beat him.” Sello punches the air like I would have punched Ts’epo’s nose. “That’s why everyone fears you. Everyone in Ts’oeneng thinks you beat Ts’epo.”
Where in the world could the story have come from? I was wracking my memory. I came up with nothing. So everyone fears me around the village because they think I cracked Ts’epo’s skull for walking into my house while I was bathing last year? I’ll take it. I mean, how convenient to have been respectfully feared by everyone for something I never had to do. I still denied that I ever beat Ts’epo, but I sort of hope they don’t believe me.