Utata kaHanna wayengumlobi weentlanzi. Waphuma ngokukhawuleza endlwini esiya elwandle. Wawangawangisa isandla evalelisa njengoko wayehamba. UHanna wayesazi ukuba uyise uza kungabisekhaya iintsuku ezininzi, kodwa xa ebuyela ekhaya, wayeza kubuya nentlanzi esandul’ukulotywa ukuze bayiqhotse.
Kwangelo thuba umama kaHanna waphaphatheka okomoya. Kwakufuneka ukuba asebenze yonke imihla evekini, inyanga yonke.
“Ndishiyiwe lixesha,” wakhwaza esitsho umama. “UTannie Taliep lo ungummelwane wethu uyeza. Uncede uhlale ngaphakathi endlwini de afike. Ndiza kubuya ndikubone. Ndiyakuthanda kakhulu.” Wancamisa izandla waza wavuthela emoyeni lo gama eleqa ibhasi.
UHanna wayethe ntsho efesitileni, ejonge eso sibhakabhaka sizuba. Wayenesithukuthezi, eziva elilolo. Wathatha iphetshana nepensile, wazoba ubuso obuqengqeleka iinyembezi ezidleleni. Kusenjalo weva uTannie Taliep evula ucango lwangaphambili.
“Molo Hanna,” watsho uTannie Taliep. “Yintoni le?” Wathi hlasi elo phetshana waza walijonga. “Mhh,” watsho, “akukho xesha lemfeketho apha. Hamba uye kwa-Allie, ebumelwaneni, uye kuthenga isonka nobisi. Ndidinga iti yam ngawo lo mzuzu.”
Xa kanye evala ucango lwangaphambili, uHanna wabona umzobo wakhe ushwatyaniswa nguTannie Taliep, usenziwa ibhola encinci phambi kokuba ulahlwe phantsi ekhitshini. Kwa-Allie walinda de uMnumzana Ismail wambona.
“Molo Hanna,” watsho encumile. “Isonka nobisi njengesiqhelo? Awukabimde ngokwaneleyo ukuze ufike eshelufini nangoku?” watsho uMnumzana Ismail. Wanikina intloko yakhe uHanna. “Ungaxhalabi, uza kukhula kungekudala.”
UMnumzana Ismail wahleka ngobubele waze wamncumela naye uHanna. Wandula ke ngoku uHanna ukujonga ezantsi. Phantsi, ecaleni kweenyawo zakhe kwakukho iphetshana – iphepha elinye elinamagama ambalwa nemifanekiso emininzi. Walichola. UMnumzana Ismail wambona.
“Ungothuka xa ubona izinto eziziswa ngumoya apha,” kutsho uMnumzana Ismail. “Ungalithatha ukuba uyalifuna.” Watsho emnika isonka nobisi. “Ina –naku okuthengileyo.”
“Khawuleza-khawuleza,” wakhwaza uTannie Taliep ngethuba uHanna evula ucango, “Inkqubo yam sele iqalile kumabonakude.” Wathatha iplastiki kuHanna waza wazenzela iti ngokukhawuleza.
UHanna wahlala etafileni, ekhitshini. Wolula iphepha awayelichole waze wafunda igama elinye – uJamela. Kwakukho imifanekiso emininzi kaJamela. Umfanekiso kaJamela evuthela amakhandlela ekeyikini yemini yokuzalwa kwakhe. Umfanekiso kaJamela ezimele ebhokisini yekhadibhodi. Umfanekiso kaJamela ezisongele ngelaphu elihle kwakunye nomfanekiso kaJamela ephethe umqhagana obomvu.
Wasezela umoya uHanna. Wayenqwenela ukuba akwaba bekungoMvulo. Wayefuna ukubona ukuba ukhona na umntu ogama linguJamela esikolweni. Wayefuna ukufumana umhlobo onjengoJamela lo kanye.
NgoMvulo, wabaleka waya kwiklasi kaNkosazana Witbooi. “Uxolo, Titshalakazi, uyamazi uJamela?”
“Akukho Jamela apha. Buyela eklasini yakho,” watsho uNkosazana Witbooi.
NgoLwesibini, uHanna waya kwiklasi kaNkosikazi Booysen. “Uxolo Titshalakazi …”, kodwa akazange akwazi ukuqhubeka.
“Hanna Pieterse! Ufuna ntoni apha? Sekuqaliwe ukufundwa,” wakhwaza, engxola uNkosikazi Booysen.
NgoLwesithathu, wabuza uMnumzana Hendricks. Kodwa kwakungekho mntu umaziyo uJamela.
UHanna wayijonga imifanekiso eyayisephetshaneni amaxesha amaninzi kangangokuba iphepha lakrazuka lazizicwili, waba ke uJamela umkile ngolo hlobo.
Ngenye imini, iklasi yonke yayiphumile, ihambele kwithala leencwadi. Apho, kanye emva kwekhawuntari, kwakukho inenekazi elalinobuso obunobubele. UHanna waya ngqo kulo.
“Ewe-e,” latsho eli nenekazi. “Sowuyikhethile incwadi oyifunayo?”
UHanna wanikina intloko yakhe, waze wabuza, “Uyamazi uJamela?”
Lasondela kuye inenekazi. “Ingaba uhamba nale klasi endwendwele apha?” labuza. Wanqwala uHanna kwaye enethemba lokuba eli nenekazi alisayi kucaphuka. Eli nenekazi lafinga iintshiya. Laze laphumela kwelinye icala lekhawuntari, landula ukuthi chu uHanna ngesandla. “Yiza apha,” latsho lincumile. “Ndiyayazi intombazanana egama linguJamela. Ndazi nenkwenkwana egama linguAshraf. Ndazi nempuku engucwethwe egama linguWolfgang.”
Kwiyure enye emnandi yonke, eyonwabisayo, uHanna wadibana nabahlobo abaninzi. Wavula iincwadi waze waya kwiindawo ezohlukeneyo kwihlabathi jikelele.
Emaphepheni apho, wabona ezona zinto zikhwankqisayo. Emifanekisweni, wabona zonke izinto ezimangalisayo ezazenziwe nguJamela. Akuyeka ukuphangela ngeempelaveki umama kaHanna, notata wakhe ebuyile emsebenzini waselwandle, babehlala kunye bafunde iincwadi. Bebonke babesiya kuthenga noJamela baze badanise kunye noPapa Lucky. Bakhe bathatha nohambo kunye nendlulamthi.
UHanna ngoku walibala tu ngokuzoba ubuso obunxungupheleyo nokuziva elilolo kuba eneneni wayengeyedwa.
Sebenzisa ubugcisa bakho!
UJamela kunye noPapa Lucky kuAbahlobo bakaHanna ngabalinganiswa abasuka kwiincwadi zemifanekiso zombhali weencwadi zabantwana waseMzantsi Afrika, uNiki Daly. Ngabaphi abalinganiswa bebali abathandwa ngabantwana bakho? Bakhuthaze ukuba bazobe imifanekiso yabanye babalinganiswa bebali ababathandayo, ze ke emva koko baqambe ibali elitsha besebenzisa aba balinganiswa.
