By Goitseone Raphael Francistown, 1997 The same dream haunted me every morning. Papa would appear without warning, smiling warmly, lifting me effortlessly into his arms. In those moments, everything felt perfect, but then the alarm would blare, tearing me away from him. I slammed the clock, but the damage was done. The warmth of Papa’s... Continue Reading →
By Lauri Kubuitsile Kopano walks home along the dirt path from the power station through the staff houses, the whispers following him though it’s been a year already. When he comes nearer to them, the silence that ends their discussion is even worse. Sometimes he wants to stop and tell them everything so that the... Continue Reading →
By Dimpho Leatile “For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light.” –Luke 8:17. ~*~*~*~ 05:34 Just before the sixth hour of that Monday morning, when the sun was still stroking Gaborone’s eastern horizon and the city had not yet begun... Continue Reading →
By Shepherd Motelebane Motelebane Sunset came and the fiery twilight spread in the western horizon around Kgale Hills. Her shack was some three kilometers to the south-east of the hills in the township of Old Naledi, and because it did not have windows, she would not have seen the beauty of the hills basking in... Continue Reading →
By Phodiso Modirwa The Woman Next to the Window The girl sitting next to me on the bus keeps shifting in her seat. I am sandwiched between her and the window and with every few minutes, I have to relinquish an inch of my space and let her claim it. If it were any other... Continue Reading →
By Rebaone Ramonyadiwa Moagi cast one long leg over the fence, then the other. He reached down, picked up his red cooler box, and walked on. His Converse sneakers were as white as the day he had bought them, and he moved deliberately, careful not to get any dirt on his shoes. As he walked... Continue Reading →
By Laone J. Mangwa After receiving feedback on his fourth draft, Mokwadi feels invigorated and ready to prepare the story for final submission. He’s part of a continental virtual writing master-class being hosted from Uganda. Mokwadi closes his laptop, pushes back his desk chair, stares momentarily at the framed certificate hanging on the wall above... Continue Reading →
By Dorcas B. Molefe The Fish Eagle radio newscaster Kantejang Kantejang announced on the 19:00 news that the Form 5 examination results were out. His voice was warm and pleasant. I had longed for their release but the announcement gave my heart a louder, faster beat and my head felt heavier than before. The newscaster’s... Continue Reading →
By Valentine Butale The rain poured down relentlessly on the dark, empty alleyways that hid within Francistown's gridded streets and rows of storefronts. In one of the alleys, behind a fried chicken place, Neo sat in the front passenger seat of a Francistown Central Police Service Chevrolet Cruz, gawking through the windscreen at her fellow... Continue Reading →
By Boletilemang Gabokgatlhe I study my two sisters and my nephew, one by one. We are sitting around an open fire having our breakfast of motogo, home-made bread, boiled eggs and tea. The June morning is somehow harsh and uninviting. The atmosphere is loaded with dread, guilt and sadness. Except for the incessant barking of... Continue Reading →
Petlwana Journal of Creative Literature and the Arts 