MMA RAMOTSWE would have liked to have had more time to arrange the meeting with Mma Sebina, but Mr. Sekape was insistent. They could not wait, he said, because anything could happen; there could be a road accident, there could be a storm, and the meeting might never take place; none of us, he said, can be completely sure of seeing the next day. And what a waste of her hard work it would be, he said, if this sister were to be snatched away from him just when he had discovered her. That, thought Mma Ramotswe, was perhaps being somewhat pessimistic; neither of them was aged, neither of them seemed afflicted by ill health; one day, surely, would not matter. But she did not voice these objections. She might have hoped to give Mma Sebina more warning, to give her time to get used to the existence of a brother, but she could not say no to Mr. Sekape in his almost boyish enthusiasm, because if she did, it crossed her mind, the disaster that he feared might just occur. There might be an accident, and then…

It was because he was a man, she thought, that he could not wait; men were not very good about keeping presents, but wanted to open them immediately. Women could wait, could enjoy the slow build-up of excitement. We are different, she thought; we are definitely different. Whatever people said about everybody being the same, it simply was not true. There were profound and obvious differences between men and women and the ways in which they viewed the world. These existed; they simply did.

Mr. Sekape returned to the bank and excused himself for the afternoon. Then, travelling together in the tiny white van, they made their way back to the agency.

“My assistant will look after you while I go to look for your sister,” said Mma Ramotswe. “I hope that I can find her quickly and bring her to you.”

“You will find her quickly,” said Mr. Sekape. “I have a feeling that you will find her very quickly.”

Mma Ramotswe took her eyes off the road briefly to look at him. “I hope so,” she said. He was like a schoolboy, she thought; as impetuous as a schoolboy. And what else? She had ascertained in their earlier conversation that there was no wife, which was unusual. He was obviously not hard up, and he had a house. Why, then, no wife? She knew that it was often hard for women, with the shortage of men, but if a man had a bit of money and a house, then he could take his pick of suitable women, who would be only too pleased to marry him.