UGus noGabby, izimfene ezimbili, ezinomusa, babehlala engxenyeni ekhethekile yezu. Babenendlu encane abalala kuyo, kanye nejangijimu (jungle gym) yokhuni abadlala kuyo. Babenazo nezihlahla ezintathu abagibela kuzo.
UGus noGabby babedla isidlo sasemini. Babedla iklabishi, nethanga, nobhontshisi, nommbila, namawolintshi, nopopo, namahhabhula kanye nobhanana abaningi. Babebathanda obhanana!
Ngokushesha, kwavela ikhanda lomfanyana phezu kodonga lwengadi kaGus noGabby.
"Sanibona," kusho yena.
"Sawubona," kusho uGus.
"Ngicela ukubuza ukuthi ngabe ngingehla yini ngizodlala kuleyo jangijimu?" kubuza yena.
"Yebo," kusho uGus. "Gxumela phansi engadini, kodwa uqaphele isihlahla esinameva!"
Ngakho-ke umfana omncane wagxumela phansi wase ehlela otshanini eduze kwezimfene.
"Besesiqeda nje ukudla isidlo sethu sasemini, kodwa sisenobhanana owodwa osele," kusho uGus. Noma wayekuthanda ukudla ubhanana ukudlula konke okunye ukudla, uGus wayeyimfene enomusa. Wawunika umfanyana.
"Ngabe uyawufuna?" kubuza yena.
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"Yebo, bandla." kusho umfanyana. Wathatha ubhanana wase emamatheka.
"Uphi umama wakho?" kubuza uGus.
"Ulahlekile," kusho umfanyana.
"Habe! Ngabe nawe ulahlekile?" kubuza uGus.
"Cha, angilahlekile. Ngilapha," kuphendula umfanyana.
"Kuyiqiniso lokho," kusho uGus. "Ulahleke kanjani umama wakho?"
"Besihamba, sidla u-ayisikhilimu, kwathi uma ngiphakamisa amehlo, angabe ngisambona," kusho umfana.
"Ngikholwa ukuthi ngizomthola ekuhambeni kwesikhathi. Kodwa-ke ake sidlale okwamanje!" kusho uGus. Wase ethatha isandla somfanyana, emqukula embeka phezulu kujangijimu.
Bachitha intambama emnandi ndawonye. UGus wahamba ikhanda lakhe libheke phansi kumapali okhuni ejangijimu, ebambelele ngezandla kanye nezinyawo zakhe, kanti-ke nomfanyana wenza okufanayo. UGus wabamba igatsha elalilengela kujangijimu wase eshwibeka eya esihlahleni esikhulu. Umfanyana wenza njalo naye. Babebambelela nangemilenze yabo emagatsheni bese belenga amakhanda abo ebheke phansi! UGus nomfanyana badlala intambama yonke, kwaze kwaba yilapho umfanyana esekhathele ukudlala.
"Kungani ungaphumuli?" kusho uGus.
"Kulungile." kusho umfanyana. Wazumeka walala wathi zwi embhedeni ohlanzekile, wotshani onuka kamnandi endlini encane kaGus noGabby.
"Uma kuwukuthi ulahlekile, mhlawumbe angahlala nathi la unomphelo," kusho uGabby. "Ngingakuthanda lokho!"
"Ngingakuthanda nami lokho," kusho uGus.
Kusenjalo kwafika umphathi wezu.
"Ngicabanga ukuthi ngikuphathele izindaba ezibalulekile," kusho yena, wase enika uGus incwadi. Wase ehamba, wavala isango emva kwakhe.
"Kufanele ukuthi yizindaba ezibalulekile uma kuyincwadi kaGus!" kucabanga uGabby. "Ithini incwadi, Gus?" kubuza uGabby emamatheke kakhulu.
UGus wagibela phezulu kujangijimu wase evula incwadi. "Ivela kuPhoyisa uMoloi," kusho yena.
"Yifunde, yifunde!" kusho uGabby.
UGus wabamba incwadi phambi kwakhe wase efundela uGabby kakhulu:
Gus Othandekayo
Sicela usisize.
UMolefe ulahlekile. Uneminyaka emi-5. Ubehamba ezulazula ezu nomama wakhe. Bebedla u-ayisikhilimu. Umama kaMolefe uthi uyawuthanda u-ayisikhilimu kashokoledi, ube esebuza uMolefe ukuthi imuphi u-ayisikhilimu awuthandayo. Kodwa uMolefe akaphendulanga, ngoba ubengasekho!
Umama wakhe ubekhathazeke kakhulu. Umemeze waphindaphinda ethi, "Molefe, Molefe, ukuphi?" Kodwa akuphendulanga muntu.
Umama kaMolefe ugijime kuyo yonke izu emfuna, kodwa akamtholanga. Ulahlekile. Unyamalele! Kanjalo nje!
Umama kaMolefe uyakhala la esiteshini samaphoyisa manje, Gus. Sicela usisize.
Uma kukhona izindaba ozitholayo ngoMolefe, ushaye isifuba sakho kakhulu, sizobe sesiza lapho sigijima.
Okumhlophe kuwe, Gus.
Umngani wakho
UPhoyisa uMoloi
UGus wayedangele. "Ngicabanga ukuthi lo mfanyana olele endlini yethu kungenzeka ukuthi unguMolefe," kusho yena.
"Yini ucabange lokho, Gus?" kubuza uGabby.
"Ngoba uthe umama wakhe ubedla u-ayisikhilimu ngesikhathi elahleka," kusho uGus. "Uma kuwukuthi unguMolefe, angeke sikwazi ukumgcina. Unina uyamkhalela."
"Kumele ukuthi udangele kakhulu," kusho uGabby. "Uqinisile, Gus, asikwazi ukumgcina."
Kusenjalo kwavuka umfanyana weza engadini ecikica amehlo akhe.
"Ngifuna umama wami. Ukuphi?" kusho yena.
"Sizomthola," kusho uGus. "Ubani igama lakho, mfanyana?"
"NginguMolefe," kusho umfanyana.
"Ngizotshela uPhoyisa uMoloi kanye nomama wakho ukuthi ulapha," kusho uGus. Wase ema eqondile phezu kwejangijimu. Waphakamisa izingalo zakhe wase eshaya kakhulu isifuba sakhe esikhulukazi.
UPhoyisa uMoloi wezwa ukukhala kwesigubhu. Wagijima ehefuzela eya endlini yemfene. Unina kaMolefe wezwa ukukhala kwesigubhu wase elandela uPhoyisa uMoloi. Wagijima ehefuzela eya emzini wezimfene.
"Ulapha, Molefe!" kusho yena. Wamphakamisa wase emgona.
"Bakutholile, Mama!" kusho uMolefe.
"Yebo! Bekunzima empilweni yami ngaphandle kwakho, Molefe," kusho yena. "Pho yini ube lapha nezimfene?"
"Bengidlala kujangijimu nomngani wami, uGus," kusho uMolefe.
"He ... mameshane! Hhayi-ke, kumele sigoduke manje, Molefe," kusho unina. Wabuka uGus. "Ngiyabonga ngokunakekela kwakho uMolefe kanye nokudlala kwakho naye," kusho yena.
UMolefe wagijima waya kuGus, kanti imfene enkulukazi yamumbambatha ekhanda. UGabby wambuka emamatheka kakhulu.
"Nisale kahle," kusho uMolefe, wase ehamba nonina.
"Gus, uMolefe uphephile, ngenxa yakho," kusho uPhoyisa uMoloi. "Ungumseshi omuhle!"
Ngosuku olulandelayo kwafika ezu iNhloko yamaPhoyisa kanye nebhendi edlala izinsimbi zomculo kanye nomthwebuli-zithombe kanye nentatheli. Babelandelwa iqulu labantu. Umphathi wezu wabaholela engadini kaGus noGabby. Ibhendi yezinsimbi zomculo yadlala umucu, umthwebuli-zithombe wathatha izithombe zikaGus, kwathi intatheli yona yabhala indaba ngoGus noMolefe. Kwachwaza izihlwele.
"UGus ungumseshi omuhle," kusho iNhloko yamaPhoyisa. "Wake wabamba nesela elidumile elalintshontsha izikhwama zokuthengiwe kanti manje usethole umfanyana obelahlekile. Usebenzile, Gus!" INhloko yamaPhoyisa yase inika uGus isixhawu esikhulu sobhanana ophuzi wase enika uGabby izimbali ezinhle eziphuzi.
Lapho sebehambe bonke, uGus noGabby bahlala phansi badla bonke obhanana kwaze kwasala owodwa. "Ngabe ungawuthanda yini ubhanana wokugcina, Gabby?" kubuza uGus.
"Cha ngiyabonga, Gus," kusho uGabby emamatheke kakhulu. "Ngidla izimbali. Usungumseshi odumile manje! Ungawudla ubhanana wokugcina!"
Wenzenjalo-ke.
