Umgwaqo uLong wawubanzi futhi umude. Ehlobo, ngenkathi uSonny nabangani bakhe bebuyela emakhaya bebuya esikoleni, izicathulo zabo zazigcwele uthuli. Ebusika, izicathulo zabo zazixova udaka namanzi. Kodwa ngesikhathi samaholidi esikole, akekho owayenendaba ukuthi umgwaqo unezintuli noma unodaka yini.
Emgwaqeni uLong yilapho uSonny nabangane bakhe babedlala ikhilikithi khona. Kwakuza wonke umuntu ophuma ngaphandle ezobuka futhi akekho owayekhononda uma ibhola lingena esivandeni sakhe. Akekho ngisho noyedwa, ngaphandle kukaMnumzane Peterson.
“Kula maholide sizoba nemidlalo emihle kakhulu yekhilikithi,” kusho uSonny ngenkathi beya ekhaya ngenye intambama.
“YEEEBO!” kusho uSimon noJack.
“Wena, Thami? Uthini?” kubuza uSonny.
“Kodwa nithini NGAYE?” kubuza uThami. Wakhomba umuzi kaMnumzane Peterson. “UJack usebulale elinye lamafasitela akhe.”
“WENA-ke?” kusho uJack. “Usushaye amabhola aze aba mabili angena esivandeni sakhe.”
Babazi kahle ukuthi uma beshaye noma baphonsa ibhola leqa uthango lomuzi kaMnumzane Peterson, ngeke baphinde balibone lelo bhola. Uma kwenzekile ibhola labo lagingqika langena ngaphansi kwesango, inja yakhe, uShikisha, yayilithatha. Bayigqolozela indlu kaMnumzane Peterson. Ubehlala equmbe kakhulu ezinyangeni ezimbalwa ezedlule.
“Likhona ibhola lekhilikithi esinalo? Bengicabanga ukuthi onke akuye,” kusho uThumi.
“Nginalo elilodwa,” kusho uJack wayesemoyizela, “masihleleni umdlalo wekhilikithi omuhle UKWEDLULA yonke.”
Ngosuku lokugcina esikoleni, wayengxamile elinde ukubuya ekhaya azodlala ikhilikithi. Wayengeve ethokozile, waphakamisela ngisho uMnumzane Peterson isandla, kodwa uMnumzane Peterson wamshaya indiva.
“Sawubona, Mama,” washo ngenkathi engena ngaphakathi. Unina wayefunda iphephandaba. Wayethokozile.
“Yebo, mfana wami,” ephendula. “Lalela lapha-ke. Kuhle lokhu. Umgwaqo uLong manje usuzohamba uze ufike enxanxatheleni entsha yezitolo. Ekugcineni sekuzoba namabhasi nezitobhi zamabhasi. KODWA …” kusho yena, “lokhu futhi kusho ukuthi ngeke kusaba bikho ukudlala emgwaqeni.”
“I-NI-I-I?” inhliziyo kaSonny yavele yawa yafika ezicathulweni zakhe. Umdlalo ubusuvele uhleliwe! Wahamba waphumela phandle qede wahlala esitebhisini esingaphambi kwendlu evungama. Umsindo omkhulu wamenza waphakamisa amehlo. UMnumzane Peterson wayephezulu elelini, enza uthango lwangaphambili lomuzi wakhe lube lude kakhulu ngokungeza izitini.
“Ahha!” kuhonga uSonny ngentukuthelo. “Ngiyazi ufuna amabhola ethu angalweqi uthango lwakhe, kodwa manje akusamele azihluphe.”
Khona manjalo wafikelwa umcabango othile – uma ngabe bonke abangani bakhe bengahlangana bacele bonke abazali babo, emva kwalokho … mhlawumbe … bangaba nomdlalo wokugcina wekhilikithi. Wahamba ngokushesha eyobheka uSimon.
NgoMgqibelo olandelayo kwakunentokozo enkulu ngoba isu likaSonny noSimon lalisebenzile! Namuhla kwakuzoba wumdlalo wokugcina – omkhulu, omuhle umdlalo UKWEDLULA yonke! Zonke izingane ezakhele lo mgwaqo zazizodlala. FUTHI kwakuzoba nemiklomelo! Abanye abazali babenza okokwehlisa amathe ukuze wonke umuntu ezokwabelana ngakho ngesikhathi sesidlo sasemini. Ubaba kaThumi wayezonikezela ngemiklomelo ekupheleni kosuku.
Nakuba konke kwakwenzelwa ukuzithokozisa nje, uSonny wayezizwa enovadlwana. Iqoqwana lezibukeli lashaya ihlombe ngenkathi ibhola lokuqala lishwitshwa nguThumi.
UJack washoshela phambili. QHUUU! Walishaya ibhola ngamandla ngendlela yokuthi lahamba laya phezulu emoyeni.
USonny waya phambili ukuze ayobamba ibhola, kodwa ilanga lalikhanya liqonde ngqo emehlweni akhe. Waligqolozela, walinda wayesema ngaphansi kwalo. Wonke umuntu wayeseshaya ihlombe. Ngenkathi eqala ebuyisa izandla ukubamba ibhola kahle, lavele laphuma futhi. Lagqoma kanye lase ligingqika laqonda ngaphansi kwesango lomuzi kaMnu Peterson. Inhliziyo kaSonny yavele yacwila.
“MANJE sizokwenzenjani?” kubuza uThumi.
“Ngeke sikwazi ukuqhubeka nomdlalo wethu!” kusho uJack.
“Ngeke SIPHINDE silithole futhi ibhola!” kubibitheka uSimon.
USonny wadonsa umoya kakhulu. “Ngizolilanda ibhola,” kusho yena.
“Kodwa uMnumzane Peterson uzokuthethisa,” kusho uThumi.
“Ngeke avume uthathe ibhola … futhi uShikisha mhlawumbe usevele wagubha umgodi maqede waligqiba nje!” kusho uSimon.
“Kulungile, kumele ngizame kodwa,” kusho uSonny. “Wumdlalo wethu wokugcina kanti yikhathi siqala ukudlala. Ngeke siphinde silithole elinye ithuba lokudlala kanjena.”
Ngesibindi, uSonny wavula isango likaMnumzane Peterson wangena wenyuka ngendledlana. UShikisha wayengabonwa nangokhalo. Isisu sikaSonny wasizwa sihlambuluka.Wayezwa uvadlwana. Wayengafuni ukuthethiswa uMnumzane Peterson. Ngaphambi kokuthi afike emnyango wangaphambili, wavele wavuleka! Khona lapho wayemile uMnumzane Peterson. Wayebonakala emkhudlwana kulokhu. Izihlathi zakhe zazibomvu sengathi wayethukuthele ngokwedlulele.
Ngenkathi esefuna ukuvula umlomo uSonny, uMnumzane Peterson washo ngezwi elikhulu elibhodlayo, “Sonny! Kubonakala sengathi ngiqede nje ngesikhathi esifafnele.”
“Uxolo, mnumzane, angizwanga?” kusho uSonny.
“Woza,” kusho uMnumzane Peterson wayesehamba eya esivandeni sakwakhe esingemuva.
USonny wavele wakhamisa nje.
Kwakuyisivande esikhulu kunazo zonke kulo mgwaqo. Utshani babugundiwe futhi kukhona izihlahla ezizungeze emaphethelweni. UMnumzane Peterson wayefake intambo yazungeza amaphethelo esivande, njengasenkundleni yangempela yekhilikithi. Futhi phakathi nendawo, kwakukhona izindukwana zekhilikithi.
USonny wabuka uMnu Peterson maqede wamoyizela. UMnu Peterson wamoyizela naye ngemfudumalo. “Ngiyaxolisa ukuthi angikwazanga ukunixwayisa ngezinguquko emgwaqeni. Ngisebenza emkhandlwini, kodwa bengingavumelekile ukusho noma yini. KODWA … ngikwazile ukwenza okuthile.” Wahleka. “MANJE … woza nabo bonke abakhona lapha sizodlala ikhilikithi.”
Manje-ke uSonny nabangani bakhe njalo nje banendawo yokudlala ikhilikithi. UMnumzane Peterson uyathanda uma bemvakashele futhi uyakuthokozela ukubukela yonke imidlalo. Unekhono elihle lokubagcinela amaphuzu. Futhi uma ibhola lishaywe noma liphonswe laya kude kakhulu, uShikisha uyagijima alilande!
Veza ubuciko bakho!
Khuthaza izingane zakho ukuthi zidwebe isithombe senkundla yekhilikithi esivandeni esingemuva emzini kaMnumzane Peterson. Mazisebenzise imininingwane esendabeni ukuzisiza. Zikhuthaze ukuthi zibhale isigaba esichaza le nkundla yekhilikithi ngaphansi kwezithombe zabo.
