Layla o ne a rata di phazele tsa jigsaw. O ne a rata tsohle mabapi le tsona – ho tloha ka setshwantsho se lebokosong ho isa ho motsotso oo a kenyang karolwana ya ho qetela moo e lokelang. Hape o ne a rata le modumo le kamoo dikarolwana tseo di utlwahalang ka teng ha di ntse di eya kwana le kwana tafoleng. Kahoo ka Moqebelo o mong le o mong hoseng, ha mme wa Layla a mo isa laeboraring ho ya nka dibuka tse ntjha a siya tsa kgale, Layla o ne a nka le phazele.

            Jwale, mosebetsi wa laeboraring o ne a boloka diphazele tsohle shelofong e kamora deske ya hae, mme ka Moqebelo o mong le o mong ha Layla a botsa hore na a ka batla phazele eo a ka e adimang, mosebetsi wa laeborari o ne a re, “Helang, Layla, o fela o hlanyetsa diphazele!” Mme Layla o ne a se na taba hobane o ne a HLILE a hlanyetsa diphazele!

                  Ka Meqebelo e mengata kamoraho kgutla laeboraring, Shireen, motswalle wa Layla wa hlooho ya kgomo, o ne a tla ho tla bapala. Tjhe, kwana e ne e batla e le motswalle wa hlooho ya kgomo wa Layla, ntle feela le nthwana e le nngwe – Shireen o ne a rata ho hlahella ka pele dinthong tsohle.

            Hoseng ha Moqebelo o mong, Layla a adima phazele ya ntsu ya tlhapi ya Afrika laeboraring. Setshwantsho se ne se bontsha nonyana e hodimo marung ka mapheo a yona a phatlaletse mme e tshwere tlhapi ka dinala tsa yona. Phazele eo e ne ena le dikotwana tse ngata ho feta phazele efe kapa efe eo Layla a kileng a e etsa. Mme ha se seo feela, dikotwana di ne di le nyane haholo ho feta tsa phazele efe kapa efe eo Layla a kileng a e etsa. Layla o ne a thabile haholo! Empa Shireen o ne a sa thaba hohang hobane seo Layla a neng a se batla feela e ne e le ho qalella ka phazele.

            “Ha ke batle ho etsa phazele e tenang,” ha rialo Shireen. “Ha re bapale mabenkele.”

            “Ho lokile,” ha rialo Layla, “mme kamora moo re tla etsa phazele ya ka.”

            “Ke tla ba monga lebenkele,” ha rialo Shireen, “hobane ke tswa pele ha ke le monga lebenkele, mme wena o ka ba moreki wa ka.”

            E se kgale Layla o ne a rekile ka tjhelete ya hae kaofela. Yaba Shireen o re, “Ha re bapale sepetlele.”

            “Tjhe,” Layla a araba. “Ke bapetse lebenkele. Jwale ha re etse phazele ya ka.”

            Empa ka lebaka le itseng, Shireen o ne a ntse a sa batle ho etsa phazele, kahoo a re, “Ha re bapale sepetlele hona jwale mme re ka bapala phazele kamora dijo tse motsheare.”

            Yaba ba etsa jwalo.

            “Ke tla ba ngaka” ha rialo Shireen.

            “Tjhe, o ne o le monga lebenkele,”ha rialo Layla. “Ke tla ba ngaka.”

            “Empa o keke wa kgona,” ha rialo Shireen, “hobane ke tswa pele ka ho ba ngaka.”

            Kahoo he, Shireen ya eba ngaka mme Layla ya eba motho ya kulang!

            Ha Ngaka Shireen a qala ho hlahloba motho ya kulang, a tsikinyetsa mokudi mme mokudi a keketeha mme a sa kgone ho se sisinyehe. Yaba Ngaka Shireen o a omana, “Tlohela ho sisinyeha hoseng jwalo ha ke sa tla bapala le wena.”

            Empa pele Ngaka Shireen a ka omana hape, mme wa Layla a ba bitsa ba tlo ja.

            “Ke tshepa hore le bapala ha monate,” ha rialo mme wa Layla.

            “Ee,” ha rialo Layla pele a loma roti ya hae e kentsweng pinabatha, dihwete tse kereitilweng le disultana. “Kamora dijo mona re ilo etsa phazele ya ka.”

            “Ha ke batle ho etsa phazele ya hao,” ha rialo Shireen.

            “Empa o ntshepisitse,” ha araba Layla.

            “Ha ke sa batla he. Ke batla ho kenya mebala ditshwantshong.” Ha rialo Shireen.

            Jwale Layla o ne a se a kgathetse ke ho utlwa Shireen a bolela kamoo a tswang pele ka teng nthong tsohle, mme a kgenne hobane Shireen a sa phetise ditshepiso tsa hae. Ho ne ho se letho le ka mo thibelang ho etsa phazele. Kahoo kamora dijo tsa motsheare, Layla a fa Shireen buka ya ditshwantsho le dikerayone hore Shireen a tle a kenye mebala ha yena a ntse a etsa phazele ya hae. Empa ho ne ho ena le setshwantsho se le seng feela se setseng se sa kenngwang mebala bukeng mme Shireen a qeta ka pele. Yaba o phahamisa buka ho bontsha Layla mme a re, “O lenama haholo!”

            “Ke hobane phazele ena e thata,” ha rialo Layla.

            “Ke nahana hore nka e etsa kapele ho feta wena,” ha rialo Shireen.

            “Ho lokile,” ha araba Layla, “ha ke e qeta o ka nna wa iteka mme re tla bona!”

            “Ho lokile,” ha rialo Shireen, “feela haeba ke a batla.”

            Eitse ha Layla a qeta phazele, a e heletsa hape. A kenya dikotwana tsohle ka hara lebokoso ntle le sekotwana se le seng se nang le leihlo la ntsu. Mme yaba o fa Shireen lebokoso.

            “Ke eo,” a rialo, “sebaka sa hao ke seo.”

“Ha ke batle ho e etsa,” ha rialo Shireen.

            “Empa o ntshepisitse!” ha rialo Layla.

            “Tjhe, ha ke a o tshepisa!” Shireen a omana. “Ke itse feela haeba ke a batla, mme jwale he ha ke batle.”

            “Mohlomong ha o batle hobane ha o kgone ho etsa diphazele,” ha rialo Layla.

            “Ke a tseba!” Shireen a omana le yena. “Ke tswa pele diphazeleng!”

            “E etse he,” Layla a mo qala.

            Shireen a hlotha lebokoso ho Layla. “Ke tla e etsa,” ha rialo Shireen, “empa ha feela o ka ya bapala ka ntle. Ke tla o bitsa ha ke qetile.”

            Layla a ya ka ntle mme a taka ditshwantsho santeng ka thupa ha ka tlung, Shireen a bula lebokoso la phazele mme a qala ho phethola dikotwana tsa phazele a di shebisa hodimo.

            Ka ntle, Layla a fumana sekotwana sa thapo ya kgale mme a e fasella sefateng sa loquat hore e tle e re ha Shireen a qetile ka phazele ba kgone ho bapala kgati ka yona. Empa ka tlung, Shireen o ne a thatafallwa ke ho aha dikotwana mmoho ho bopa setshwantsho sa phazele. O ne a lakatsa eka a ka be a sa ka a re o tswa pele diphazeleng. Ka potlako, a heletsa bonyane ba phazele eo a neng a se a e entse mme a kgutlisetsa dikotwana tsohle ka lebokosong. Yaba o mathela ka ntle mme a hoeletsa Layla eo nakong ya jwale a neng a palame hodimo sefateng sa loquat, “Ke qetile!”

            “Kaofela ha yona?” ha botsa Layla.

            “Ehlile,” ha rialo Shireen, mme a qala ho palama sefateng.

            “Butle!” Layla a araba a hoeletsa. “Ke a theoha ke tlo e bona.”

            “Empa ke se ke pakile diphazele ka lebokosong hape,” ha rialo Shireen.

            “Hobaneng?” ha botsa Layla.

            “Hore o tle o se ke wa di paka ka bowena ha morao,” ha araba Shireen.

            “Oo,” Layla a araba, “empa o reng ka sekotwana see?” A phahamisa sekotwana se nang le leihlo la ntsu ho sona seo a neng a se bolokile.

            Shireen a thola. A dula sefateng a ipona e le sephoqo.

            Kamora nakwana, Layla a hoeletsa, “Hela, o a tseba keng, ke fumane diloquats tse butswitseng. Na o a di batla?”

            “Ee, ke a di kopa,” ha rialo Shireen ka lentswe le lesesane.

            Layla a theohela lekaleng le tlase moo Shireen a neng a dutse teng mme a mo fa tse ding. Mme ba dula moo, ba eja diloquats mme ba sheba hore ba ka tshwella dithotse tsa tsona bohole bo bokae.

            Shireen a tshwella hole ho feta.

            “Ke wena ya tswang pele ka ho fetisisa,” ha rialo Layla.

            “Mme wena,” ha rialo Shireen, “o motswalle wa nnete, wa hlooho ya kgomo.”

Iqapele!

Iketsetse phazele ya hao! Seha o ntshe ditshwantsho dimakasineng kapa dikoranteng – kapa o take ditshwantsho tsa hao. Kgomaretsa setshwantsho sekgetjhaneng sa khateboto mme o thale mela ho sona ho se arola ka lenane la dikotwana tseo o batlang hore phazele ya hao e be le tsona. Jwale seha hodima mela. Tswakanya dikotwana tseo mme ebe o aha phazele ya hao kapa o e fe motswalle hore a e ahe.