selfone, SKELMS en sjokolade
In 60 seconds
A young girl's family moves to a creaky house on a hill in a small town, where her mischievous brother Skelms drags her into every scheme. They build a treehouse, adopt a Labrador called Sjokolade, and chase a city girl named Elize and a buried treasure through a misty cemetery. Then life turns: the dog breaks a leg, Elize leaves, a storm splits the oak, and Sjokolade dies. The family moves away again, leaving the girl with carved initials and a ghost-shaped memory she tells no one.
Before you start
Why it matters
This is childhood nostalgia done honestly: mischief first, grief second. Steenkamp writes sibling love the way it actually feels - part conspiracy, part protection - and lets loss arrive without speeches. Readers who grew up in small towns, anyone who has buried a dog, and adults who miss the person their sibling used to be will finish this in one sitting and then sit quietly for a while.
Spoilers ahead
The story
- 1
Act 1
Die huis op die heuwel
A girl moves into an old, creaky house on a hill in a small town - her father is the local dominee. The house is worn, the garden is huge. Her closest ally is her brother, known to everyone only as Skelms - his real name never appears on the page. He is the mischief-maker, the one who leads her into trouble and then stands in front of her when trouble bites back. Their bond is the engine of the book: protector and partner in crime, inseparable. Then Sjokolade arrives - a brown Labrador with a gentle nature who becomes the third member of every adventure and the soft place to land when things go wrong.
- 2
Act 2
Die boomhuis en die nuwe meisie
Skelms decides the oak tree in the garden needs a treehouse, and naturally his little sister is drafted as construction crew. They raid their father's shed for planks, nails and tools. The price of admission is blood: Skelms hammers a nail straight into his thumb, and the narrator watches him refuse to cry, stoic through the pain, while their mother later bandages the wound without a single word of scolding. Elize moves into the neighbourhood, a city girl who seems impossibly sophisticated, and Skelms is smitten on sight. The narrator, suddenly the third wheel in her own friendship, feels the first real crack between them. Elize invites them for tea, and the contrast is brutal - a pristine room, a formal setting, and a rule that Sjokolade stays outside, which stings the narrator more than she can explain.
- 3
Act 3
Die geheim, die ongeluk, die konsert
Skelms has a plan to impress Elize: treasure, supposedly buried in the town's old cemetery. He confides in his sister, she is hesitant but loyal, and one night the two of them sneak out with Sjokolade into mist and gravestone silhouettes, the dog whining nervously but never leaving their sides. They dig near an old oak and find no gold - just a tin box holding a rusty key and a faded photograph of a woman. Skelms is crushed; the narrator finds the photograph hauntingly beautiful. Playing near the river, Sjokolade chases a rabbit into a hidden hole and breaks a leg. Skelms carries the dog home while the narrator runs ahead for their father, and Dr. Botha fits the splint while she holds Sjokolade's head through every whimper. Their father pays the bill without complaint, and the kids take on the job of keeping him calm. Then the school concert: the narrator must recite a poem, paralysed by the fear of forgetting her lines, until Skelms tells her, 'Jy kan dit doen, sussie. Ek sal in die gehoor wees.' She freezes halfway through anyway - and finds him in the back row, mouthing the words, and finishes.
- 4
Act 4
Die brief, die storm, die afskeid
Elize's family moves away as suddenly as they arrived, and she leaves Skelms a letter he reads alone in the treehouse: 'Ek sal jou nooit vergeet nie, Skelms.' His sister finds him there, and he shows it to her - heartbroken and hiding it badly. She sits with him until dusk, and Sjokolade climbs the ladder to lick his hand. Then the storm: lightning splits the old oak in half and the treehouse comes down in planks and nails across the garden. Next morning Skelms picks up a piece and says only, 'Dit was 'n goeie boomhuis.' He does not cry, but his voice is thick. Sjokolade stops eating and grows weak, and the vet says, 'Sjokolade is baie siek. Ons moet hom laat gaan.' The family gathers for the injection; the narrator holds his head and whispers, 'Jy was die beste hond, Sjokolade.' They bury him under the damaged oak, and Skelms drops the rusty key from the cemetery box into the grave - 'Vir jou, ou maat.' Their father announces a move to a distant city. On the last day Skelms carves 'S + S' into the trunk, the narrator asks, 'Ons sal terugkom, nè?' and he nods. Driving away, she sees a brown shape by the oak - blinks, and it is gone. She tells no one.
A fair critique
Where it falls short
The book stays small on purpose, and that costs it. The parents are sketched in broad strokes - the dominee father pays bills and says little, the mother bandages and feeds - so the adults never become full people. Elize arrives and leaves almost as fast, more symbol than friend, and the treasure plot dissolves without ever really paying off. Readers wanting a big arc or answers will find none; the ghost at the window is left unexplained, the photograph's woman unnamed, and the ending trusts you to sit with loss rather than resolve it.
In one sentence
A quiet Afrikaans childhood story where a brother, a brown dog and a small town teach a girl that some losses you carry forever, carved into tree bark and memory.
Is it for you?
Who should read it
Perfect for Afrikaans-speaking kids around 9-13 who love animal stories, and for adults who grew up in a dorp and want that ache of recognition. Also a gentle pick for any family working through the death of a pet.
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FAQ
Who wrote selfone, SKELMS en sjokolade?
selfone, SKELMS en sjokolade was written by Alet Steenkamp.