Book 32: Streets Paved with Gold

“Hot Chocolate” is set in modern times in the township. Tumelo, the daughter of the family, is still a schoolgirl. She dreams of becoming a pop singer one day. She practices her routine in front of the mirror in her bedroom and she sings in the choir. Her mother is totally against her idea of becoming a singer. She wants Tumelo to take up a “useful” profession. However, unknown to Tumelo, her mother has reasons for opposing her dreams, reasons which are a secret. The trouble with family secrets is that they have a habit of being discovered. The action of the story takes place when the family clears out their house in preparation to move to a new home. Tumelo discovers photographs and records stacked away in a cupboard, family memorabilia. The records and the photographs are of her aunt whom she has never met and knows nothing about. It turns out that her aunt was a famous pop singer in her youth. Tumelo confronts her mother and learns about the family scandal.
The second tale “The Bird That Made Milk” is loosely based on Xhosa folklore. The purpose of storytelling in traditional societies is to pass culture down to the younger generation. It also serves to teach children the difference between right and wrong, good behaviour and bad.