ILong Street yayisisitalato esibanzi neside kakhulu. Ehlotyeni, xa uSonny nabahlobo bakhe bevela esikolweni, izihlangu zabo zazigcwala luthuli. Ebusika, izihlangu zabo zazigcwala udaka namanzi. Kodwa ngexesha leeholide zesikolo, kwakungekho mntu ukhathalayo nokuba isitalato sinothuli okanye sinodaka.
ELong Street kulapho uSonny nabahlobo bakhe babedlala khona iqakamba. Wonke umntu wayesiza kubukela kwaye kwakungekho mntu ukhalazayo xa ibhola iwele ngaphakathi esitiyeni somntu. Kwakungekho namnye, ngaphandle nje kukaMnumzana Peterson.
“Kwezi holide zizayo siza kuba nemidlalo emikhulu yeqakamba,” watsho uSonny xa bagodukayo nganjikalanga ithile.
“YHAAAAAA!” kwatsho uSimon noJack.
“Thumi? Uthini wena?” wabuza uSonny.
“Phofu nicinga ntoni NGAYE?” kwabuza uThumi. Watsho ekhomba endlwini kaMnumzana Peterson. “UJack sele eyophule enye yeefestile zakhe kwangoku.”
“Uthini NGAWE?” wabuza uJack. “Sele ubethe iibhola ezimbini zonke, zaya kungena esitiyeni sakhe.”
Babesazi ukuba xa bathe bajula okanye bayibetha ibhola yaya kungena ngaphaya kodonga lukaMnumzana Peterson abasokuze baphinde bayifumane. Xa ibhola ithe yaqengqelekela ngaphantsi kwesango likaMnumzana Peterson, inja yakhe uShikisha, yayiyithatha. Bema bhuxe, beqwalasele indlu kaMnumzana Peterson. Wayeneengcwangu, efunyenwe lulaka kwezi nyanga zimbalwa zidluleyo.
“Sisenayo ibhola yeqakamba esaseleyo? Bendicinga ukuba zikuShikisha, uzithathe zonke esinazo,” watsho uThumi.
“Ndinayo enye endinayo,” watsho uJack encumile, “ngoko ke masicwangcisele ukubamba owona mdlalo weqakamba OWAKHE wagqwesa.”
Ngosuku lokugqibela lwesikolo, uSonny wayengasakwazi nokuzibamba, engxamele ukugoduka ukuze adlale iqakamba. Waye onwabe ngeyona ndlela, de wabulisa noMnumzana Peterson ngokuwangawangisa ingalo, kodwa uMnumzana Peterson akazange amhoye konke.
“Molo, Mama,” wakhwaza xa angena endlwini. Umama wakhe wayefunda iphephandaba. Naye wayezonwabele ngeyona ndlela.
“Molo, nyana wam,” waphendula umama wakhe ngobubele. “Khawumamele apha. Nantsi into emangalisayo. ILong Street ngoku iza kwandiswa, de iye kufikelela koluya dederhu lutsha lweevenkile. Ekugqibeleni kuza kubakho iibhasi nezitophu zokumisa iibhasi kule ndlela. KODWA …” watsho, “oku kuthetha ukuba akukho mntu uza kuphinda adlale esitalatweni ngoku.”
“INTOOONI?” Wothuka kakhulu waphantse wawa uSonny akuva oku. Umdlalo omkhulu wawusele ucwangcisiwe! Waphuma phandle wachopha phambi kwendlu ezitephsini, embombozela eyedwa. Weva ingxolokazi enkulu eyamenza waphakamisa amehlo, wajonga. YayinguMnumzana Peterson lowo, ekhwele elelini esonyusa udonga lwakhe, ngokongeza ezinye izitena.
“Yhuuuuu!” wabhavuma uSonny ngumsindo. “Ndiyazi ukuba ufuna ukunqanda iibhola zethu ukuba zingaqabeli ngaphaya kodonga lwakhe, kodwa akusafunekanga azikhathaze ngaloo nto ngoku.”
Kuthe kusenjalo wafikelwa yimbono – ukuba nje bonke abahlobo bakhe bangadibana bacele bonke abazali babo, kungenzeka … mhlawumbi nje … babenawo nokuba mnye umdlalo wokugqibela weqakamba. Wakhawuleza waya kukhangela uSimon.
KuMgqibelo olandelayo yayisisankxwe kuba icebo likaSonny noSimon lalisebenzile! Namhlanje yayiza kuba ngumdlalo omkhulu wabo wokugqibela – OWONA mdlalo mkhulu weqakamba kweyakhe yakho! Bonke abantwana esitalatweni babeza kudlala. KWAYE kwakuza kubakho namabhaso! Abanye babazali benza izimuncumuncu zomntu wonke belungiselela ukuba kwabelwane ngexesha lesidlo sasemini. UTata kaThumi wayeza kukhupha amabhaso, enika abo baphumeleleyo, ekupheleni kosuku.
Nangona babedlalela nje ukuzonwabisa, uSonny wayenalo uvalwana. Abantu baqhwaba izandla ngethuba uThumi ebhowulisha ibhola yakhe yokuqala.
UJack weza ngaphambili. QHWAAAA! Waqhokra ibhola kakhulu kangangokuba yenyuka yaya phezulu kakhulu emoyeni.
USonny waya ngaphambili ezama ukuya kuganga ibhola, kodwa ilanga lalimphandla. Wancina amehlo, elindile waya phantsi kwebhola. Wonke umntu wayeqhwaba izandla. Wathi xa uSonny evala izandla eyinqakula ibhola, yasuka yataka, yaphoncuka. Yaqamza kanye yaqengqeleka ukuya kungena phantsi kwesango leyadi kaMnumzana Peterson. Wavele watyhafa, ephelelwe lithemba ngoku uSonny.
“NGOKU siza kuthini?” kwabuza uThumi.
“Asikwazi ukuqhubeka nokudlala umdlalo wethu!” watsho uJack.
“SOZE siphinde siyifumene ibhola yethu!” wagxwala watsho uSimon.
USonny watsala umoya onzulu. “Ndiza kuyikulanda ibhola yethu,” watsho.
“Kodwa uMnumzana Peterson uza kukungxolisa,” watsho uThumi.
“Akazukukunika ibhola ... kwaye noShikisha inokuba sele eyombele, wayingcwaba!”
“Akunani, kodwa kuza kufuneka ndizamile,” watsho uSonny. “Ngumdlalo wethu wokugqibela lo kwaye besisaqala ukudlala. Asisokuze siphinde silifumana elinye ithuba elinje.”
Ngobukrotikazi obukhulu, uSonny wavula isango leyadi kaMnumzana Peterson wangena. UShikisha wayengabonakali ndawo. USonny waxuxuzelelwa ngamathumbu. Wayesoyika. Wayengafuni kungxoliswa nguMnumzana Peterson. Nje phambi kokuba afike kwisango elingaphambili, lazivulekela ngamandla. Gqi ngoMnumzana Peterson. Wayekhangeleka emkhulu kakhulu xa ukufutshane naye. Izidlele zakhe zazibomvu, oku komntu onomsindo kakhulu.
Xa kanye uSonny eza kuvula umlomo athethe, uMnumzana Peterson wabhomboloza ngelo lizwi lakhe likhulu wenjenje, “Sonny! Kubonakala ngathi ndigqibe kanye ngexesha.”
“Khawuphinde Mhlekazi?” watsho uSonny.
“Yiza,” watsho uMnumzana Peterson, baza baya esitiyeni sakhe esingasemva.
USonny wawuvula ng’a umlomo.
Yayisesona sitiya sikhulu kwisitalato sonke. Ingca kwanemithi yayichetywe kakuhle, iheji le nemithi ijikeleze kakuhle ngathi sisangqa. UMnumzana Peterson wayebophelele intambo ebhijelayo ngasesitiyeni, ngokungathi libala leqakamba lokwenyani kanye. Phakathi, embindini webala kwakukho amaphini okuqhokra nezinti zeqakamba.
USonny waphakamisa amehlo wajonga kuMnumzana Peterson waza wancuma. UMnumzana Peterson wancuma naye ngovuyo. “Ndiyaxolisa kuba khange ndikwazi ukunilumkisa nokunazisa ngeenguqu eziza kwenziwa apha esitalatweni. Ndiphangelela ikhansela, kodwa bendingavumelekanga ukuba ndithethe nto ngezi nguqu KODWA … ikho into endinokuyenza.” Wayothula phezulu intsini. “NGOKU KE … babize bonke abantu bangene ngaphakathi, sidlaleni iqakamba.”
Ngoku uSonny nabahlobo bakhe banendawo yokudlalela iqakamba. UMnumzana Peterson uyavuya xa bemtyelele kwaye uyakonwabela ukubukela yonke loo midlalo yabo. Uwarekhodisha kakuhle kakhulu amanqaku ebhodini. Kwaye xa ibhola ithe yaqhokrwa, yaya kuwa kude kakhulu, ukhona uShikisha, ubaleka ayilande!
Sebenzisa ubugcisa bakho!
Khuthaza abantwana bakho ukuba bazobe umfanekiso webala leqakamba elingasemva komzi kaMnumzana Peterson. Mabasebenzise iinkcukacha ezisebalini ukuze bancedakale. Cebisa ukuba babhale umhlathi ochaza ibala leqakamba ezantsi kwemifanekiso yabo.
