In the Company of Cheerful Ladies by Alexander McCall Smith

Author:Alexander McCall Smith [Smith, Alexander McCall]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi, pdf
Tags: Suspense, cookie429, Kat, Extratorrents
ISBN: 9780375423574
Publisher: Anchor
Published: 2004-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

A l e x a n d e r M c C a l l S m i t h

Botswana Secretarial College! She thought of the name—

Polopetsi. Had she known anybody of that name at the College?

“She has a different name,” Mr Polopetsi explained. “She is

my sister by a different father. Her name is Difele. Agnes Difele.”

Mma Makutsi clapped her hands together. “She was my

friend,” she exclaimed. “She was just before me at the College.

She did very well . . . too.”

“Yes,” said Mr Polopetsi. “She got eighty per cent in the final

examinations.”

Mma Makutsi nodded gravely. That was a good mark, well

above the average. Of course it was not ninety-seven per cent,

but it was perfectly creditable.

“Where is she now?” asked Mma Makutsi.

“She is a secretary in the Standard Bank,” said Mr Polopetsi.

“But I do not see her much these days. She was very ashamed

when I was sent to prison and she has not spoken to me since

then. She said that I disgraced her.”

Mma Makutsi was silent. It was difficult to imagine some-

body disowning her own brother like that. She herself would

never have done that; one’s family was one’s family whatever hap-

pened; surely that was the point of having a family in the first

place. One’s family gave one unconditional support, whatever

happened.

“I am sorry to hear that, Rra,” she said.

Mr Polopetsi looked away for a moment. “I am not cross with

her. I hope that she will change her mind some day. Then we will

talk again.”

Mma Makutsi looked at her desk. There were several letters

which had to be typed, and she had intended to type them the

following day. But here was Mr Polopetsi, with his ability to

type, and it occurred to her that she had never once been in a

position to dictate a letter and have somebody else type it. Now

I N T H E C O M P A N Y O F C H E E R F U L L A D I E S

1 2 1

here she was with letters to be typed and a good typist at her

disposal.

“I have some letters to dictate,” she said. “You could type

them as I dictate. That will save time.”

Mr Polopetsi lost no time in setting himself up behind the

typewriter at Mma Makutsi’s desk, while she installed herself in

Mma Ramotswe’s chair, several sheets of paper in her hand. This

is delicious, she thought. After all these years, I am now sitting in an office chair and dictating to a man. This was a very long way from those early days in Bobonong.

M M A M A K U T S I was late in arriving at the dancing class that evening and as she walked along the corridor at the President

Hotel she could hear the band in full flow and the sound of

numerous feet on the wooden floor. She appeared at the entrance

and made her way to a seat at the side, only to be intercepted

by Phuti Radiphuti, who had been waiting for her. Her heart

sank. She did not wish to be unkind, but

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