DR FIXIT (NEW VERSION)

321  to trimmed sticks or even palm nuts. If we wanted to be great bankers who'd tie knots  of strips of cloths with shirts and suits, this was the time to prepare well for that pursuit  as we would get right our sums with the counters,  Mrs Bearit told us. And shortly after  was the break. When the timekeeper  rang the bell, we jumped and streaked past our teacher  to the outside for an hour of leisure  where we would put ourselves in every posture  322 as a sleuth, a cop, a criminal or preacher as we play-acted fictitious or real characters  we'd viewed in real life, movies or dramas. Being a warm sunny day, we sneaked past the borders  of the school to look for wild fruits, especially one called 'mkpa-ntuk' at the circuit  of a nearby church. It is a wonder fruit. The taste is slightly sugary. The skin looks  yellowish and the seed is round and hard like palm nut. After you suck and discard  323 the thin white fles...

311 When he moved back to his seat and sat down, 'Tieh', Mrs Bearit wrote on the board. The sound  she guided us to make, meaning to sit. The next was 'Sang'ah' - to walk with the feet portrays the word. Then she wrote, 'Tang.' When we said it with her, some added: 'Uhtang' and Mrs Bearit smiled and we all burst out laughing. She said to us: 'Yes, of course, I know that's what most of you do at home, saying this, asking that. "Tang" isn't for talk alone.' 312 'Tang 'Uhtang' means someone talks too much. 'Tang ikor' means someone speaks and such  a person (based on their mood) is angry, loquacious or learning to talk, if a baby. 'Tang' (the second meaning) connotes to pick or carry pieces of furniture or stick, showing the bits of that thing are many. 'Tang mkpor' is to pick things in the laundry, shop or dump. 'Tang hefeah' is to gather  firewood and there's a song quite popula...

301 my thoughts further there and then. I was glad she heard from the lectern  what the young teacher taught and would be truthful to herself or else a bee would sting her and her scream  for help would be heard right at the stream  at the other side of the clan. Then, she'd know an hideous plan was what all along they had been hatching  but henceforth I was keenly watching. 302 We got to school and Mrs Bearit  was glad to see us back. She hit the table and we sang our hygiene song. Of course, with the song it was wrong not to clean your teeth and tongue. You never kept your nails long as you weren't a vampire. We knew we must hang on the clothes wire  all our washing as they would dry and smell good and we would try  303 cut and comb our hair and keep our feet  out of dust as lice and jiggers were benefits  for all those doing otherwise. Who did those nice things was wise. We sang, clapped, jumped and stamped  the concrete floor. With o...

  291 and whosoever sewed them and their threads. Of all the games, the two ugly trends I joined as a kid were card-throwing and button-kicking. Later in the evening  we'd gone to the stream to wash, swim and fetch water as we got everything within  our reach for school the next day. A new fellow had joined us to play the bubblegum cards. His name was Soulit. Right while having supper, a fist hit 292 (not knocked) - yes, a fist rammed the door like it would bring it down to the floor. Grandma screamed for the person to stop  the pranks, thinking who did that had dropped  his senses somewhere after being drunk but it turned out the person was sunk in despair for his son stole a chunk  of his cash and when the father searched his bunk, all he discovered was this pile of cards the son said were from bubblegum packs  293 but he claimed from others he won them all - I was included. Before grandma's call, I was beside her immediately I heard  the mentio...

 281 'The farmer wielded a machete. Bush baby ignored his pain and clearly  envisioned what his next move should be as Mr Monkey was where he couldn't see but heard him urge him vehemently  to escape as the farmer had no mercy  to show to whoever he would grasp  and for such his punishment would be harsh. So bush baby with his last call-up  of strength, hurled his frame up 282 'a network of creepers at the edge  of the farm and followed the stretch of it to a mammoth tree. Quickly, he slipped to a branch which did ferry his bulk to the tip of a cottonwood tree,  quite massive, that every other tree around were under its massive canopy  and the farmer could only stand and wag his machete  at him, saying: "You're smart and I'm silly, 283 '"I know that's what you're thinking. Go thank your lucky stars, daft stripling. If you think I'd plant and you'd keep reaping, think and think again as the beating  you'd get whenever I catch you or ...

271 'They all were free just like him to change it. Miles after miles of leafage but bit by bit  they were leaping close to the farm  to take that tasty fruit that had charmed bush baby so much he vowed to shun night for day where the warmth of the sun  would always cuddle his back and there was nothing he'd lack. A mile from the border of the farm,  bush baby wished he had a long arm 272 'which he could've stretched to touch the lovely things he'd seen - they were much and monkey didn't even mention a half of them to him. He had a satisfied laugh though quiet to himself. He'd wallow in sheer fun as he'd sip and swallow  all he could. He was truly glad, though his folks might think he was mad, to leave the darkness of night  for day and its brilliant light. 273 'A few yards from the farm, monkey stopped  and if not that he gestured, bush baby almost hopped to go grab a fruit with a golden skin which all along seemed to beckon at him. "We must al...