Tendai Matsika Timeline and Summary

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• Desperate to get a Scout's badge, Tendai wants to explore the city, but he knows his parents won't let him. So he and sister Rita hatch a plan to get the Mellower to convince their parents. Who cares if they are in a trance when they give permission?
• Out in the city, Tendai buys some snacks for Rita and Kuda. When they notice a blue monkey, they say hi—alas, it's not long before the monkey knocks them out and sells them to the She Elephant.
• Tendai, Rita, and Kuda are held in Dead Man's Vlei, a mine full of tunnels and dirt. They work the plastic mine for weeks, and while Tendai tries to escape, he doesn't get anywhere.
• In the mine, Tendai finds a ndoro, or a special shell used to contact spirits.
• When Tendai learns of the She Elephant's plans to sell them to the Masks, he, Rita, and Kuda make a run for it with the help of Trashman.
• Trashman takes them to Resthaven, where the clocks might as well be set back to the Stone Age. You know, if they had clocks there.
• Tendai is treated like a king, but Rita has to do a bunch of work. All he wants is to go home, but no one will let them leave.
• When Rita calls the chief out on planning to kill a baby girl, Tendai knows they need to leave Resthaven right away.
• Once again, Trashman helps them escape.
• They head to the Mellower's mom's place, but Rita is sick with the chicken pox, so they are too tired to do anything but crash.
• Over the next couple days, Tendai and Kuda get sick, too. Everyone is so busy recuperating that no one bothers to call their parents. Oops.
• By the time Tendai tries to call home, he realizes Mrs. Horsepool-Worthingham is keeping them hostage until she gets her hands on a pile of cash.
• The She Elephant shows up and captures the kids, and this time, she actually goes through with the sale to the Masks.
• Tendai is scared, especially when he learns that he will be a sacrifice to the Mask spirits.
• The Masks start the ceremony, but the mhondoro spirit helps Tendai fight them off.
• Pretty soon, Tendai, Rita, and Kuda are reunited with their folks and Tendai can celebrate his birthday.