Karabo Tledima's Tale

It was not long when Karabo Tledima introduced me to her place of comfort: her room. Here space seemed to be the perfect habitat for her to tell her story. “The room is small but you can sit on me bed. Forgive me for the mess I know I have to do the dishes”. Sitting on her ancient arm chair she begins be story about the best moments she had at Rhodes. “My best moments are my low ones” she says. She shakes her head and dangles her black beaded earrings in the pursuit to explain herself, she final clarifies by saying that “I feel I’m at the most isolated place when I’m low thereby it gives be the opportunity to confront myself and understand myself.” Karabo is a passionate psychologist student who sees herself helping others and looking forward to learn more about her career. For Karabo though, first year has been tough on her character and believes that she should start with herself in order to help others. “I learnt to get over myself this year” she says while her arms are in motion with what she expresses. If there is one thing that hit me personally; it me was humility” she declares whiles her hand covers her humiliated face. As much as Karabo believes she knows about people from psychology she also found that “you should not place assumptions about people and place them in boxes…this restricts you from knowing them better.”

Kearabetswe Mataboge claims that her friend Karabo is “loving yet stubborn at the same time…that’s what makes her so unique from the rest”. Kearabetswe befriended Karabo this year and found many things about her that were interesting and amusing. Karabo agreed with Kea and admitted that her life is abnormal and finds herself laughing on who she is.“You know, I’m one of those people who don’t vote yet complain about everything in the government” she confesses while cleaning her lime greed glasses. “I just thought that this year I should get involved so that I am just when I complain” she says with a wink to indicate mischievous secrecy. It is really clear that Karabo has made a mission to be involved since she is part of the CSD programme a member of the “Fount Line” in church and the new Student Christian Society events co-ordinater for 2009.

As the sun shone through her wooden frame window, it brought with it the wind that disturbed Karabo’s braids whilst explaining her lessons towards her independence. “In my home, if you sick, you catch the taxi and go to the doctor” she state whilst straightening herself in the antique arm chair. Karabo strongly feels that her parents were good in that they were hard on her because it helps her today to be tough and strong. She sits up and straightens her legs in order to mimic her mother; “If a baby cries, you give it attention but if the baby is given too much attention, the baby will cry even when the other is gone”. It was Waiting for Godot that interrupted Karabo’s monologue of her mother. The book dropped and when the actress was picking it up she shyly said that “it is God punishing me for making fun of my mother” and finally laughed her deed away.

It was with this interruption that brought a close to Karabo’s tale about herself. “Funny enough I feel like this book because it seems we have done nothing but talk this whole time”. Indeed the talk had happened and the tale revealed but Karabo wanted to redeem herself by saying “one profound statement” that could give guidance to the new first years: “Don’t forget were you come from and all your action must be done as if your parents are watching you”. It was with these last words that Karabo sat back and took a big breathe to say; “Is that all because there is more if you want” . Her laughter carried on until her door closed to end her tale.

Pumelela 'Push' Nqelenga