TEA ISSUES

"Mma Makutsi put on the kettle and, watched by Mma Ramotswe, she ladled into the new tea-pot a quantity of her tea, her ordinary tea. Then she fetched Mma Ramotswe's tea-pot, which looked distinctly battered beside the fine new china tea-pot, and into this she put the correct quatity of bush tea. They waited for the kettle to boil, each of them silent, each of them alone with her thoughts. Mma Makutsi was thinking with relief of the generous response that Mma Ramotswe had shown to her confession, which seemed so like an act of disloyalty, of treachery even. Her employer had made it so easy that she felt a flood og gratitude for her. Mma Ramotswe was undoubtedly one of the finest women in all Botswana. Mma Makutsi had always known this, but here was another instance which spoke to those qualities of undeerstanding and sympathy. And for her part, Mma Ramotswe thought of what a loyal, fine woman was Mma Makutsi. Other employees would have complained, or moaned abput drinking tea they did not like, but she had said nothing. And more than that, she had given the impression that she was enjoying what was given to her, as a polite guest will eat and drink what is laid upon the host's table. This was further evidence of those very qualities which obviously had been revealed at the Botswana Secreterial College and which had resulted in her astonishingly high marks. Mma Makutsi was surely a gem."

Tekst hentet fra "In the Company of Cheerful Ladies" av Alexander McCall Smith / Bilde fra Basecamp Travel