Kwake kwaba nowesifazane osemusha ogama lakhe nguMatty. Wayehlala epulazini elincane, lapho kwakunomhlabathi oqinile futhi kunzima ukusebenza khona. Kodwa uMatty wayengeyena umlimi ovamile. Ngokuzimisela wasebenza kanzima elangeni elishisa bhe ukuze akhulise imifino eyanele ukuba ayithengise emakethe ephithizelayo eyayiseduze naye.

Lapho izitshalo sesivuthiwe, futhi esenokwanele ukuba abelane ngakho nabanye, uMatty wagcwalisa ubhasikidi wakhe futhi waqonda emakethe, izihlathi zakhe zigcwele injabulo. “Namuhla ngizoyithengisa yonke le mifino futhi mhlawumbe ngizozitholela intandokazi yami,” esho.

Phela, intandokazi kaMatty yayimlindile emakethe. Kwakungama-aphula – ama-aphula amakhulu, anojusi, ehla esiphundu. Wayezifela ngoshukela owawugcwele kuwo. Ayengumvuzo wakhe wawo wonke umsebenzi onzima ayewenza.

Ekolosini elithile lezithelo, uMatty wahlangana nogogo onobungani, onezihlathi ezingathi ngama-aphula avuthiwe. Amehlo kagogo aqhakaza njengoba ayebona uMatty emangazwe yizithelo ezimibalabala.

Ingqondo kaMatty yadideka njengoba ayecabanga ukuthi yimaphi ama-aphula okwakumele awathengele umbhako wakhe olandelayo. “Ama-aphula abomvu, amnandi ekhekheni,” uMatty esho kakhulu njengoba ethatha i-aphula elibomvu. “Mhlawumbe nama-aphula amaGranny Smith ngenze ngawo uphaya, kanye namaHoney Crisp ambalwa okwenza ama-muffin. Futhi nakanjani nama-aphula amaGolden Delicious okwenza i-apple crumble efudumele.” Njengoba ayebiza i-aphula ngalinye, uMatty wayelifaka kubhasikidi wakhe.

Ugogo wancincitheka. Welula isandla futhi wanika uMatty i-golden apple. “Noma ubani othanda ama-aphula kangaka, ufanelwe yintandokazi ekhethekile. Nayi, thatha leli aphula elikhethekile. Liyohlale likulethela injabulo,” kusho ugogo.

“Ngiyabonga kakhulu,” kusho uMatty ngokwazisa. I-golden apple yayinkudlwana futhi iyinhle kunanoma yiliphi i-aphula ayeke walibona. Wayengeve ejahile ukufika ekhaya, ayizwe.

Njengoba ilanga lalizilahla kunina, uMatty wabuyela epulazini lakhe. Wawahlela kahle futhi wawawasha wonke ama-aphula, elokhu ecula evale umlomo ngenjabulo njengoba esebenza. Wayezobhaka zonke izibiliboco ayeke wazicabanga, kodwa wazibekela eceleni i-golden apple ukuze azimince ngayo yena.

Lapho nje uMatty esehlele futhi wawasha wonke ama-aphula, wathatha i-golden apple yakhe ekhethekile. “Manje-ke sekuyisikhathi sokuziminca,” esho. Kodwa njengoba ayeselungele ukuluma, kwaqhamuka ikhanda elincane embotsheni ye-aphula.

“Ungangidli bo!” kumemeza isibungu.

UMatty waliwisa phansi ngokumangala i-aphula. “Mhlola muni lo?” ekhokha umoya.

Isibungu saphuma sinyobozela, sisho ngamehlo amakhulu futhi kungathi siyaxolisa. “Ngiyaxolisa ukuzibusisa nge-aphula lakho, kodwa belimnandi kakhulu!” sisho.

UMatty wavele waxakeka nje ukuthi acasuke yini noma cha. Ugogo wayethe leli aphula laliyohlale limlethela injabulo, kodwa manje wayengasaqiniseki.

Ekugcineni uMatty wakhipha umoya kakhulu futhi wathi, “Sibungu esincane, unenhlanhla ngokuthi namuhla ngijabulile. Ngizogqiba leli aphula lakho engadini ngasemuva ukuze ulidle kahle ngokuthula, ungaphazanyiswa yizinyoni.”

Njengoba uMatty ayefaka i-aphula emgodini ayewumbe enhlabathini, isibungu sathi, “Sala kahle, Matty. Ngiyathembisa ukuthi ngizokubuyisela ngomusa wakho.” UMatty waphakamisa isandla evalelisa futhi wabuyela ekubhakeni kwakhe.

Ngakusasa ekuseni, njengoba kwakuphuma imisebe yelanga yokuqala igcwala esibhakabhakeni, amehlo kaMatty avuleka futhi wezwa iphunga elimnandi ayengakaze alizwe. Waphuthuma phandle futhi wakhexa wukumangala. Ngaphambi kwakhe, kwakumi isizemazema sesihlahla sama-aphula, amagatsha aso esindwa ngama-aphula amahle kunawo wonke ayeke wawabona.

UMatty wadansa wazungeza isihlahla, uhleko lwakhe luhlangene nomculo wezinyoni. Wakha ama-aphula, ngalinye ngalinye, emangele ngesimangaliso esasenzeke ngobusuku obubodwa.

Ngalelo langa kusihlwa, uMatty wabuyela esihlahleni, wabeka i-muffin ayesanda kuyibhaka ezimpandeni zaso. “Ngiyabonga,” esho ngezwi eliphansi. “Wayeqinisile ngempela ugogo ngoba lesi sihlahla ngempela siyohlale singilethela injabulo!”

[Get story active!] Yenza indaba ihlabe umxhwele!

Yisiphi isithelo osithanda kakhulu? Dweba isithombe saso. Ngaphansi komdwebo wakho, bhala umusho othi, “Isithelo engisithanda kakhulu …”. Ungacela omunye umuntu ukuthi akusize ubhale umusho wakho.
Bhala uhlu lwazo zonke izinto ongazenza ngesithelo sakho osithanda kakhulu. Kungaba yinto ongayibhaka noma uyipheke, ijusi noma uphudingi obandayo.
Cabanga ngephunga, ukunambitheka, ukuma kwalo nombala we-aphula noma nanoma yisiphi esinye isithelo. Cabanga ngomsindo esiwenzayo lapho usiluma. Manje bhala inkondlo ngaleso sithelo.