“Ngifisa sengathi ngabe angiyi esikoleni namuhla,” washo njalo uBhuti uNogwaja ngenkathi evuka. “Ngifisa sengathi ngingahlala ekhaya ngilale usuku lonke.”
Ekhishini uGogo Nogwaja wayematasa enza iphalishi. “Sheshani we zingane,” esho ememeza. “Isidlo sasekuseni sesilungile.”
“Ngiyeza, Gogo,” kusho uSisi uNogwaja, ehla embhedeni. USisi uNogwaja wayefuna ukuya esikoleni njalo nje.
“Angizizwa kahle, Gogo,” kwasho uBhuti uNogwaja. “Ikhanda lami libuhlungu nomlenze wami ubuhlungu nomphimbo ubuhlungu, ngisho nendololwane imbala ibuhlungu.”
UGogo wamthinta ekhanda wamkala izinga lokushisa komzimba wakhe. “Awunalutho wena,” kusho yena. “Vuka manje-ke bese uyagqoka.”
UBhuti uNogwaja waphuma embhedeni. Waphuthuma ukukhipha izicathulo zakhe ngefasitela. “Angiziboni izicathulo zami,” kusho yena. “Ngeke ngiye esikoleni ngoba izicathulo zami azikho.”
USisi uNogwaja wayembonile umfowabo. “Lo nogwaja ogangile lona,” ethetha. “Uzame ukuzifihla. Manje, shesha-ke. Sizoshiywa yisikhathi.”
UBhuti uNogwaja wadla iphalishi lakhe. Wahamba wayohlala endlini encane. “Isisu sami sibuhlungu, Gogo,” ekhala. “Ngizwa ubuhlungu ngempela esiswini sami. Angeke ngikwazi ukuhamba ngezinyawo ngiye esikoleni.”
UGogo waletha ibhodlela lakhe elinomuthi obabayo. “Nazo-ke,” washo njalo, “phuza izinkezo ezimbili zalo muthi, isisu sakho sizolapheka.”
“Cha, cha, cha,” kumemeza uBhuti uNogwaja. “Isisu sami sesingcono manje.”
“Hambani-ke lapha,” kusho uGogo, ebanikeza imiphako yesikole. “Nifike nifunde
ngokuzimisela nibuye ekhaya senihlakaniphile.”
UBhuti uNogwaja wayehamba ezihudula ngemuva kukadewabo. Udadewabo wayegxuma, eqa futhi edansa indlela yonke ebheke esikoleni, kodwa umnewabo ezihudula nje emgwaqeni, ezizwa ethukuthele. “Angifuni ukuya esikoleni,” engundaza. “Ngifuna ukuzilalela nje.”
Ngokushesha bafika emasangweni esikole. “Usale kahle, Bhuti,” kumemeza uSisi uNogwaja, egijima engena ngaphakathi.
UBhuti Nogwaja waqalaza. Akekho owayembhekile. Ngokushesha wacasha ngemuva kwesihlahla. Wahlala lapho, ethule engathi nyaka, walinda kwaze kwakhala insimbi, wonke umuntu waba ngaphakathi esikoleni. Emva kwalokho wagijima wabuyela ekhaya. Wacasha wangena ngefasitela lasekamelweni lokulala, wazisonga embhedeni wakhe. Ngokushesha okukhulu wayeselele zwi ubuthongo, ehonqa.
Ngehora leshumi nanye uBhuti uNogwaja wayesezidelisile ngokulala. Wayesenesizungu nje. Walunguza emnyango wekamelo. Ngabe uGogo wayekuphi? Hawu. Wayehleli ekhishini, ephuza itiye noNkosikazi Mbila wakwamakhelwane. UBhuti uNogwaja waphefumulela phezulu. Kwakuyisicefe ukulala embhedeni usuku lonke.
Ngehora leshumi nambili uBhuti uNogwaja wayomile. Waphinda walunguza emnyango wekamelo lokulala. Ngabe wayekuphi uGogo? Wohhe! Wayebhaka isinkwa ekhishini. UBhuti uNogwaja waphefumulela phezulu. Wayefuna amanzi angawaphuza nothile nje angadlala naye.
Ngehora lokuqala uBhuti uNogwaja waphinde wahlola futhi. Kulokhu uGogo wayekhuluma noMfundisi uMpungushe. UMfundisi wayedla isinkwa esasibhakwe nguGogo ekhaya. Iphunga laso lamenza uBhuti uNogwaja waconsa amathe. Wayefisa sengathi ngabe uthola izingcezwana zesinkwa sikaGogo, sishisa siphuma kuhhavini. UBhuti uNogwaja waphefumulela phezulu.
Ngehora lesithathu uSisi uNogwaja wabuya ekhaya egxumagxuma. UBhuti uNogwaja wagxuma waphuma ngefasitela lakhe weza esegijima elandela udadewabo eqonde emnyango ongaphambili. “Sawubona, Gogo,” kusho uBhuti uNogwaja. “Sengifikile, ngibuya esikoleni.”
“Bekuwusuku oluhle kakhulu,” kusho uSisi uNogwaja. “Sibe nesifundo sokudweba nomdwebi wangempela. Sifunde ukudweba imidwebo ehlekisayo. Kanti uthisha omkhulu wethu uyashada. Ulethe iziphuzo nekhekhe namashibsi kwadla wonke umuntu. Bekumnandi, akunjalo, Bhuti?”
“Yebo, yebo,” kwasho uBhuti uNogwaja. Inhliziyo yakhe yavele yashona phansi. Wohhe!
Ngosuku olulodwa nje aluchithe elele embhedeni esikoleni basale bathola ikhekhe!
“Uthole nhloboni yekhekhe, Bhuti?” kubuza uGogo.
“Bekungelikashokoledi,” kusho uBhuti uNogwaja eqamba amanga. “Ikhekhe likashokoledi onekharameli namasheri phezulu.” Ngifisa sengathi ngabe bengiyile esikoleni, kucabanga uBhuti uNogwaja. Ngifisa sengathi ngabe ngilidlile ikhekhe.
Kusenjalo kuzwakale ukungqongqoza emnyango. Kwakumi uthisha kaBhuti uNogwaja,
uNkosazana Gundane. Wayephethe ipuleti linocezu olukhulu lwekhekhe elithandekayo.
“Sawubona, Gogo Nogwaja,” kwasho yena. “Ngibe buhlungu enhliziyweni yami ukuthi uBhuti uNogwaja ubegula ngalolu suku olukhethekile ngangokuthi ngimbekele ucezu lwekhekhe. Usenjani? Ngabe usengcono?”
Awu hhe! Manje uBhuti uNogwaja wayesesenkingeni. Wagijima waya ekamelweni
lakhe, wagxuma ephuma ngefasitela qede wayocasha esihlahleni egcekeni.
“Nanguya laphaya,” uSisi uNogwaja etshela uGogo. “Ucashe esihlahleni sikamango.”
UGogo noNkosazana Gundane bama ngaphansi kwesihlahla. “Ube wunogwaja ogange kakhulu,” kusho uGogo ewagcizelela amagama. “Ubalekele isikole!”
“Ngiyaxolisa, Gogo. Ngiyaxolisa, Nkosazana Gundane,” kukhala uBhuti uNogwaja. “Ngicela ningangithukutheleli.”
“Kuzofanele sikufundise isifundo,” kwasho uGogo. “Ngisazibuza ukuthi kufanele senzeni.”
“Ngiyazi,” kwasho uNkosazana Gundane. “Awungenzeli ngani inkomishana yetiye, bese sidla lolu cezu lwekhekhe elimnandi? Lokho kuzomfundisa ukuthi ukubalekela isikole ukuganga okukhulu.”
Nebala uGogo wabasela iketela, yena noNkosazana Gundane bathola izipunu ezimbili base babelana ngocezu lwekhekhe. UBhuti uNogwaja wayeselokhu econsa amathe, nesisu sakhe sasiduma, kodwa kwakungekho khekhe ayezolithola. Ngisho imvuthu yodwa le.
Ukusukela ngalelo langa uBhuti uNogwaja akaphindanga wabalekela isikole futhi. Ngisho nakanye nje. Ukulala embhedeni usuku lonke kwakuyisicefe esinesizungu kabi!
Veza ubuciko bakho!
Ake ucabange nje ukuthi uBhuti uNogwaja wayenqume ukwenzela uNkosazana Gundane ikhadi, ayezomnika lona ngenkathi eya esikoleni ngosuku olulandelayo. Yini obekungenzeka ayibhale kuleli khadi? Phakamisa ukuthi zingane zakho zenze ikhadi.
