Wassup, dude?
Drum English|9 January 2020
Kgosi can’t believe his luck when he finds a lost cellphone, but it comes at a price
Wassup, dude?

OUT in the fields one day, 10-year-old Kgosi spotted a cellphone lying on the ground right beside a bright red gate. A cellphone! He couldn’t believe his eyes.

There it lay, shining in the afternoon sun in the middle of a clump of bushes. Kgosi squeezed between the branches and sat there, well hidden from the dirt road. He pressed all the cellphone buttons just to see what they did. Then he held the phone against his ear and pretended to answer it, just the way his big brother did.

“Hey, wassup dude? How you doing? How’s it hanging? Sharp, ma bro, mega sharp!”

What a great feeling it was to speak on a cellphone. Ever since he could remember, Kgosi had longed to own a cellphone. But his mother said he was too young, and they were too expensive. She said he wouldn’t look after it properly.

“You leave your takkies lying all over the place, Kgosi. You keep forgetting to bring your jersey home from school. No, my son, you are not responsible enough to have a cellphone.”

His big 16-year-old brother, Pilane, said much the same thing. “You don’t need one yet, Kgosi. You’re too young. What does a 10-year-old need with a cellphone? And don’t let me catch you fiddling with mine, you hear me?”

Sometimes Kgosi would stand outside Mr Naidoo’s shop, Electronix. Mr Naidoo sold radios, televisions and cellphones. One shop window was full of just cellphones for sale – all the different models and colours. Kgosi spent hours trying to decide which cellphone he would choose when the day came.

Mr Naidoo often came outside to talk to him. “Kgosi, one day when you have finished with school, then you can get a job. You can earn some money and buy a cellphone for yourself.”

But that day was a long, long way away. But now, hereby the red gate, Kgosi had found one. He put it in his pocket and walked home singing.

Denne historien er fra 9 January 2020-utgaven av Drum English.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra 9 January 2020-utgaven av Drum English.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA DRUM ENGLISHSe alt
Homegrown Heroes
Drum English

Homegrown Heroes

Drum speaks to two volunteers in the Covid-19 vaccine trial and the professor heading the team in Africa

time-read
5 mins  |
9 July 2020
The Big Clean Up
Drum English

The Big Clean Up

Whenever a Covid-19 case is confirmed at a shop, they call in the deep-cleaners. We find out exactly how they disinfect stores and supermarkets

time-read
5 mins  |
9 July 2020
I'm Back & Better!
Drum English

I'm Back & Better!

Babes Wodumo shares what she’s been up to in lockdown – and there’s some new music on the horizon

time-read
5 mins  |
9 July 2020
Not An Easy Ride
Drum English

Not An Easy Ride

Taxi commuters and industry players tell DRUM what’s driving them to defy lockdown rules

time-read
5 mins  |
16 July 2020
Mam' Mary Bows Out
Drum English

Mam' Mary Bows Out

Iconic actress Mary Twala is fondly remembered by friends and family for her humour and talent

time-read
6 mins  |
16 July 2020
‘They Lived For Each Other'
Drum English

‘They Lived For Each Other'

This Cape Town teen’s parents died from Covid-19 on the same day. Now she’s alone and battling the virus too

time-read
6 mins  |
9 July 2020
Stranger Than Fiction
Drum English

Stranger Than Fiction

For actor Mangaliso Ngema and his daughter Khosi Ngema, her role in Blood & Water was like watching their family’s real-life story unfold

time-read
5 mins  |
9 July 2020
I Was Raped By A Pastor
Drum English

I Was Raped By A Pastor

His accusations against a well-known man of the cloth turned an Eastern Cape man’s life into turmoil but now more victims have spoken out

time-read
5 mins  |
16 July 2020
My Fight With Life And Death
Drum English

My Fight With Life And Death

More Covid-19 patients, too few beds and staff, constant sanitising and personal fears – a Western Cape doctor shares her experience

time-read
6 mins  |
16 July 2020
I AM ENOUGH
Drum English

I AM ENOUGH

Ten years after being set alight, Thembi Maphanga is living life to the fullest

time-read
5 mins  |
9 July 2020