KUFUNWA ULORNA U Daisy Hamilton wayengumseshi Wayeneminyaka engamashumi amathathu ubudala futhi esebe ngumseshi iminyaka emibili.

Njalo ekuseni wayeya ehhovisi lakhe alindele izingcingo ezingenayo noma amakhasimende azofuna usizo lwakhe. U Daisy lona wayengaziwa kakhulu kwakuthi kodwa ngezinye izikhathi abantu bamshayele ucingo uma bebone igama lakhe kwiphephandaba lendawo. Kwathi ngelinye ilanga ekuseni ngehora leshumi nomuvo,wezwa kungqongqoza othile emnyango. Kwakuyisidudla sentokazi esasiqgoke isikhafu soboya entanyeni. Sawubona,ngingakusiza?kubuza uDaisy. Ungangena uhlale phansi Awu bantu yebo! Ngiludinga kabi usizo lwakho Umntanami,uLorna unyamalele.Angazi ngizokwenze njani UDaisy wanika lesisidudla inkomishi yekhofi futhi walinda ukuthi size nazo. Isidudla sahlala phansi ngokukhathazeka,sabeka isikhwama saso sesikhumba edesikini lika Daisy. Ngixoxele konke okwenzekile-Nkosikazi? Ngingu Nkosikazi Edwina Humphries.Nginovalo lokuthi bazongifuna imali-Ngesabela ukuthi sengathi uLorna uduniwe! Hhawu kwakubi,Nkkz Humphries.uMnu.Humphries naye ucabanga ukuthi uLorna uduniwe? Umyeni wami akandaba ukuthi uLorna uduniwe noma cha! Ngempela Nkkz Humphries?Kodwa uthi umyeni wakho ungubaba kaLorna ngempela? Angazi uchaza ukuthini.Samthenga naye uLornasekuphendula uNkkz Humphries Wathenga..Nkkz Humphries,ayikho emthethweni leyonto,uyazi. Cha ayikho vele,hhayi eNdiya! Nathenga uLorna eNdiya? Impela!Futhi nje ave engichithisa kahle isizingu,uyazi. Unkkz Humphries wavula iskhwama sakhe esikhulu sesikhumba wakhipha iduku. Eshaqekile uDaisy wabona inunu enyakazayo iqathaka esikhwameni. Nkkz Humphries susa lento,sheshisa!kuklabalasa uDaisy Yini?Awu Lorna-nigze ngikuthole ekugcinenikusho uNkkz Humphries.ubucashe esikhwameni samilentombazanyana eyisigangi le! Nkkz Humphries.Lona nguLorna? Yebo,inyoka yethu yasemaxhaphozini aseBengal.Awu ngiyabonga sithandwa sami.Cha,angiboni ngisazoludinga usizo lwakho! Njengoba uDaisy evala umnyango washo ngenhliziyo

THE SEARCH FOR LORNA Daisy Hamilton was a private detective. She was thirty years old and had been a detective for the past two years. Every morning she went to her office to wait for phone calls or open the door to clients needing her services. Daisy wasn't very well known yet but occasionally people telephoned her from the advertisement she had put in the local newspaper. One morning at about eleven o'clock someone knocked on her office door. It was a fat lady who wore a fur around her neck. "Hello, can I help you?" Daisy asked the lady. "Please come and sit down." "Oh yes indeed! I need your help desperately. Lorna, my little one has disappeared. I don't know what to do." Daisy offered the fat lady a cup of instant coffee and awaited the details. The fat lady sat down heavily and put her large red leather handbag on Daisy's desk. "Please tell me everything - Mrs. ...?" "Mrs. Edwina Humphries is my name. I am afraid they will ask me for money - I'm afraid Lorna has been kidnapped!" "That's terrible, Mrs. Humphries. Does Mr. Humphries, too, think Lorna has been kidnapped?" "My husband is not interested if Lorna has been kidnapped or not!" "Really, Mrs. Humphries? But is your husband Lorna's real father?" "I don't know what you mean. We bought Lorna together," replied Mrs. Humphries. "You bought ............Mrs. Humphries, that's illegal, you know." "No it isn't, not in India!" "You bought Lorna in India?" "Yes indeed! And she always keeps me great company, you know." Mrs. Humphries opened her huge leather bag to pull out a handkerchief. With horror Daisy saw a wiggling creature come out of that bag. "Mrs. Humphries - move that away immediately!" screamed Daisy. "What? Oh Lorna - I've found you at last!" said Mrs. Humphries."You hid in my bag - you naughty girl!" "Mrs. Humphries. This is Lorna?" "Yes, our Bengali swamp snake. Oh thank you my dear. No, I don't think I need your services any longer!" As Daisy shut the door after Mrs. Humphries, she made

ukuthi useyobhala ephephandabeni ukuthi:izilwane azifuneki,izinyoka azifuneki.

a mental note to write in the advertisement: no animals, no snakes.