Themba (novel)

Themba is a novel for young people and adults by the German-Dutch author Lutz van Dijk . It was first published in 2006 by the Munich publisher cbt and has since been translated into 13 languages. The novel is about a South African boy named Themba who has a passion for soccer and learns that he is HIV positive. His mother is also infected with AIDS from his alleged uncle . Even so, he does not give up his family and his zeal for playing football.

In 2010 it was filmed under the title Themba - The Game of His Life with the participation of the director Stefanie Sycholt.

Contents of the chapters

Chapter 1: In the shower

Themba, the main character, talks about his family and childhood with his friend Andile after a soccer game. Eventually Themba begins to tell about his past. This chapter describes what happens after the actual story.

Chapter 2: At Night by the River

At night Themba and his little sister Nomtha watch a secret ritual of the healers by the river. When they get home, they want to know more about their missing father, and their mother Mandisa reluctantly tells them about him.

Chapter 3: Back then ... Father

Themba's mother Mandisa talks about her past and her husband Vuyo. Themba's grandfather sends her to an old farm house because foreigners who offer paid work have moved in there. By chance she meets a man named Luthando there, who poses as a relative and allegedly knew Vuyo. Mandisa gets a job and allows Luthando to move in with them. Themba and Nomtha are not particularly enthusiastic about their new "uncle".

Chapter 4: Survival in the Qunu

Luthando is driven home from town with three stab wounds at night. Mandisa and a neighbor take care of him. For some inexplicable reason, he doesn't want to be hospitalized and properly treated. The two children become suspicious of Luthando's behavior, since he has also lost all of his money.

Chapter 5: Lions Like Us

Luthando finds a job where he doesn't earn much. There are violent arguments between him and Mandisa. With his soccer friends, with whom he plays in the afternoons, Themba suggests the name "Lion Strikers" for their team. This is the name they use to register at a soccer tournament, to which they are finally admitted. When Mandisa lost her only job, she wanted to go to iKapa (Cape Town) to earn more money there. Luthando promises to take care of Themba and Nomtha. The children do not agree, but have to submit.

Chapter 6: Farewell to Mother

After the mother leaves, Themba and Luthando have a serious argument. Themba also learns of the death of his best friend Sipho's mother, who died of AIDS. Sipho offers him that Themba and Nomtha can move in with him in the event that there are further conflicts with Luthando.

Chapter 7: World Cup in Umtata

Andy, another football friend of Themba, and his father accompany the "Lion Strikers" to the first football game of the tournament in Umata. They just win the game and advance to the quarter-finals. The next game, which takes place three weeks later, they win 4: 2 against the better team from iMonti.

Chapter 8: Blood Red

Luthando tries to rape Nomtha at night while intoxicated, but Themba warns her and helps her to escape. Then he is alone in the room with Luthando. He beats Themba until he passes out. When he wakes up, he realizes that Luthando raped him. He decides to flee with his sister Nomtha.

Chapter 9: The Escape

Nomtha and Themba are preparing for the trip to Cape Town because they don't want to stay with Luthando. Before that they go to Sipho.

Chapter 10: On the Move

Nomtha and Themba have arrived in a poor district in Cape Town and find their mother Mandisa there, who lives in a poor barrack and is seriously ill and emaciated. The neighbors avoid and despise her because she has AIDS. You meet a nurse and can persuade her to help her mother.

Chapter 11: In the township

Themba's mother's condition worsens and she is taken to a hospital. There she confesses to Themba and Nomtha that she is HIV positive because of Luthando. Since the family does not have enough money, they are not allowed to stay in the hospital and should be taken to a hospice.

Chapter 12: Now or Never!

At the hospital, Themba and Nomtha are told that Mandisa's life expectancy is only a few months.

Chapter 13: The Children's House

Themba is so desperate that he asks Mr. Jacobs, a soccer coach, for a job to support himself and his sister and pay the hospital bills for his mother. Mr. Jacobs gives him no work, but lets him play as a young talent at Ajax Cape Town. Later he was allowed to play for the national team because of his good performance, for which he received 300 rand a month, with which he can keep the family afloat.

Chapter 14: The Decision

Themba is allowed to train with Andile, the star of the South African national team Bafana Bafana , and move north with Nomtha. Sipho comes to visit them with his three siblings. Themba confesses to Nomtha that he was raped by Luthando.

Chapter 15: In front of the camera

Themba gets the chance to play in an important international match and scores the decisive goal. In the press conference that followed, he told the camera that he was HIV positive. This causes a great deal of excitement among reporters as they think he is abusing his job as a footballer to compensate for his own problems, but he explains that this is not the case and that he played football and went to the club of his own free will.

Characters

Themba

He is the main character of the novel, at the beginning he is 12 and at the end 17 years old. He lives in a village called Qunu. Themba is very caring and adores football and his sister. He feels responsible for Nomtha and does everything to protect her. He plays in the team "Lion Strikers", of which he is one of the founders. Due to his talent, he later made it to the substitute bench for the South African national team. But first he is infected with HIV by his uncle Luthando. He also takes great care of his mother who has AIDS. With his ambition he proves that, even if you are HIV positive, you must not give up and how he can play football professionally.

Nomtha

Nomtha is Themba's little sister (2 years younger) and is a very pretty, nice and also helpful girl. She trusts her brother and would do anything for him. She is very proud of Themba and feels strong around him. Nomtha also helps Themba to take care of her sick mother. The girl is already very independent and self-confident for her age.

Luthando

"Uncle" Luthando is a nice and helpful man at first. But that changes when the mother goes to Cape Town to work there. He beats the children and spends the money earned and what Mandisa sends to the children on alcohol. He is also HIV positive and infects Mandisa and Themba, whom he rapes.

Sipho

Sipho is Themba's best friend. He is two years older than Themba and also one of the founders of the "Lion Strikers". His mother died of AIDS, but he is keeping this secret because he is afraid that he and his siblings will be evicted from the village. He's always on Themba's side and misses him a lot when he leaves for Cape Town.

Mandisa (mother Thembas)

Everyone calls her Mandi and her husband was lost in the mines of Cape Town when Themba was three years old. She looks after her children as best she can. She is infected with HIV by Luthando and travels to Cape Town to earn money for the family. Her health there is getting worse because AIDS has broken out. One day, with the help of Themba and Nomtha, she is taken to a clinic, where her health is slowly improving, but she will never be the same psychologically.

inspiration

The novel was inspired by and dedicated to Nkosi Johnson (1989-2001), who reported on his life as a boy with AIDS at the 2000 World AIDS Conference in front of around 12,000 participants . Lutz van Dijk would also like to tell people a story from everyday life in South Africa and show that one can lead a fulfilling life despite an HIV infection, as long as one pays attention to hygiene and does not infect other people.

reception

“The story of Themba and his sister Nomtha shows how sport, and football in particular, can create hope for many young people around the world. Hope for recognition, for friendship, maybe also for a career ... but most importantly here: overcoming prejudices and solidarity with all people who are affected by an illness. Themba makes it clear that you can be a great athlete even with HIV / AIDS. Because sport is first and foremost fairness with one another - all over the world. ”- Franz Beckenbauer in the blurb of the cbt edition

expenditure

• Lutz van Dijk: Themba . cbt Verlag, Munich 2006, ISBN 978-3-570-30459-4 .

Web links

• Reading sample (17 p.)