Yonke imihla xa uSisanda oneminyaka esibhozo efika ekhaya, evela esikolweni, wayekhulula impahla yakhe yesikolo, atye isidlo sakhe sasemini ze adlale umlabalaba kunye notatomkhulu wakhe. Babesonwaba kakhulu xa behambisa “iinkomo” zabo ebhodini kangangokuba wayengafuni ukuyeka. Kodwa ubeye utatomkhulu amkhumbuze ngokuba ufuna ukuba ngumphathi wasebankini ngenye imini xa sele ekhulile.
“Uza kuyenza njani loo nto ukuba akufuni ukuya kwisikolo samabanga aphakamileyo?” wayemqhula atsho utatomkhulu wakhe.
USisanda wayesuka ahleke. “Hayi, ndiza kuya kwisikolo samabanga aphakamileyo nasedyunivesithi ngokunjalo. Yiyo loo nto ndisebenza nzima kangaka esikolweni!”
USisanda wayemde kakhulu xa kuthelekiswa neentanga zakhe – wayefuze utata wakhe. Wayefana nomama wakhe ngobuso bakhe obungqukuva kunye noncumo lwakhe oluhle. Bobabini abazali bakhe babevuka kwakusasa baye emsebenzini kumyezo wezilwanyana owawukufutshane. Ngethuba kungena isikolo sikaSisanda kunye nabahlobo bakhe, iinqwelo ngeenqwelo zabakhenkethi zazisele zithontelene emyezweni ukuya kubona izilwanyana zase-Afrika ezihle kunene.
Xa wayebhiyozela usuku lwakhe lokuzalwa kunyaka ophelileyo, uSisanda wafumana isipho esikhethekileyo – abazali bakhe babemfumanele imvume yokuba enze itheko lakhe kumyezo lowo wezilwanyana. Iindlulamthi ezisemyezweni zazinomdla wokusondela kweli qela labantu. Zazitsale iintamo zazo ezinde ukuze zikubone kakuhle okwakusenzeka ethekweni kwaye zazikhangeleka ngathi nazo ziyalifuna iqhekezana lekeyiki. USisanda wayezithanda iindlulamthi. Zonke izilwanyana zazimenza umdla, kodwa yayiziindlulamthi ezithe cwaka nezizolileyo ezazibe umxhelo wakhe. Wayenokuzibukela imini yonke ukuba wayenokunikwa ithuba.
Ngomnye uLwesihlanu, utata kaSisanda wabuya emsebenzini phambi kwexesha. Wayebonakala ekhathazeke kakhulu.
“Ingaba kukho into embi, Tata?” wabuza njalo uSisanda.
“Namhlanje ibubu leenyosi lihlasele laluma imazi yendlulamthi,” ucacise watsho utata kaSisanda. “Intloko yayo ibidumbe kokuya kutyiwa ziinyosi kangangokuba amehlo ayo amahle ebevaleke ngci. Sizame yonke into ukuyisindisa, kodwa oko akuncedanga nto – iye yafa. Eyona nto ibuhlungu kukuba isenenkonyana elincinane elidinga ukuba nonina walo.”
“Owu bethuna!” watsho uSisanda eqalisa ukulila. “Akwaba bekukho into endinokukwazi ukuyenza. Elo nkonyana lendlulamthi inokuba lilila njengam lo.”
USisanda walila ixesha elide. Umama wakhe wazama ukumthuthuzela. Wade wazama nokumfundela ibali lesibini ngexesha lokulala ukuzama ukumnceda ukuba alibale ngendlela awayeyisizela ngayo inkonyana yendlulamthi. Ekugqibeleni, uSisanda wade wabiwa bubuthongo ethuthuzelwa sisandi selizwi likamama wakhe.
Ngentsasa elandelayo uSisanda wavuka enecebo alicingileyo!
“Ndingaphangela nawe namhlanje?” wabuza kutata wakhe. “Ndinesipho endinqwenela ukusinika inkonyana yendlulamthi.”
Abazali bakhe bajongana, bancumelana baze bathi, “Ngokuqinisekileyo, ungaphangela nathi.”
Yayiyimini eshushu le kodwa kwakusibekele. Emyezweni kwakuzole apha ngendlela engaqhelekanga.
“Ndicinga ukuba ilanga aliphumanga namhlanje kuba lisizela inkonyana yendlulamthi,” watsho uSisanda.
Indlovukazi enkulu kakhulu yajonga olu sapho ludlula kuyo.
“Mhlawumbi ithe nqa ukuba kutheni intombazana encinane iphangela nabazali bayo nje,” watsho umama kaSisanda.
USisanda wanqwala. “Iza kumangaliswa ngakumbi xa ifumanisa esona sizathu,” wacinga njalo uSisanda.
Bayifumana inkonyana yendlulamthi imi yodwa. Yayithokombisile, ijingisa loo ntamo yayo inde namehlo ayo amakhulu namdaka ayekhangeleka edangele. USisanda wasondela kangangoko anakho apha kuyo. Wavula ingxowana yakhe waza wakhupha kuyo incwadi. Emva koko, abazali bakhe besamangalisiwe, waqalisa ukufundela inkonyana yendlulamthi. Yajika intloko ilandela ilizwi lakhe yaze yamamela ngokungathi iyaliqonda igama ngalinye. Ekuqaleni, abazali bakaSisanda babecinga ukuba ukufundela indlulamthi yindlalo kwaye yinto engaqhelekanga, kodwa yaguquka indlela abacinga ngayo xa bebona indlela eyayizole ngayo inkonyana – amehlo ayo anobubele ejonge kuSisanda.
“Ibali lam liyenze yaziva ingcono,” uSisanda uxelele utatomkhulu wakhe bakufika ekhaya.
USisanda wayeyindwendwela le ndlulamthi incinane amaxesha amaninzi emva kwemini nangeempelaveki. Kwaye ngalo lonke ixesha eyindwendwela, wayeyiphathela ibali elitsha aza kwabelana ngalo nayo. Aba bahlobo babini batsha babekhangeleka befanelene kakhulu kangangokuba nabakhenkethi abadlulayo babebafota.
Kancinci-kancinci indlulamthi encinane yomelela. Abantu bomyezo wezilwanyana babeyikhathalele kakhulu kwaye nalo lonke uthando eyayilufumana kumhlobo wayo omtsha, uSisanda, lwalusebenza ngokomlingo.
Ngenye imini umlawuli womyezo wezilwanyana wacela uSisanda ukuba amthiye igama lo mhlobo wakhe mtsha.
“Ndicinga ukuba uThokozani ligama elimnandi,” watsho uSisanda.
Ngosuku olulandelayo umlawuli womyezo watsalela utitshala kaSisanda umnxeba. Wamema bonke abantwana abafunda eklasini kaSisanda ukuba beze emyezweni baze kubona uThokozani. Le ndlulamthi intle yayikhulile inde kwaye yomelele kwezi nyangana zintathu ukususela kutyelelo lokuqala lukaSisanda.
Ngomhla wohambo, abantwana abafunda iBanga le-3 abangamashumi amane babelinde ngothakazelelo ukuba kuvulwe amasango omyezo wezilwanyana. Emva koko, ngokuzingca okukhulu, uSisanda wakhokelela wonke ubani kuThokozani. Abanye babantwana bajonga indlulamthi ende bemangalisiwe. Abanye babo babegigitheka ngobuphakuphaku. Utitshala wabo, uNkosazana Khanyile, wasuka nje yena wazincumela.
“Umhlobo wakho mhle kakhulu, Sisanda. Umenzele ububele kakhulu,” watsho utitshalakazi ngokuzolileyo.
“Ngubani igama lakhe?” yabuza enye inkwenkwe.
“UThokozani uthetha ukuthi ‘vuyani’,” wacacisa njalo uNkosazana Khanyile.
Abantwana bahlala phantsi bamamela lo gama uSisanda ebafundela ibali awayelifundele uThokozani mhla beqala ukuhlangana. Umlawuli womyezo wabafota. Abakhenkethi ababezidlulela nabo babafota. Kwanentatheli yephephandaba lasekuhlaleni uqobo nayo yabafota. Yathembisa ukuba ifoto yabo iza kupapashwa kwiphephandaba kwakamsinyane. Wonke ubani waqhwaba izandla.
Esinjani sona isipho! Ukufundela impiliso yomhlobo.
