Edolobheni laseMahikeng, kwakuhlala umfana omncane ogama lakhe kwakunguKabelo. Akukho okunye ayekuthanda ngaphezu kokupheka. Wayepheka ukudla okumnandi okwakuthokozelwa yiwo wonke umuntu emndenini wakhe. UKabelo futhi wayebhaka kahle. Wayebhaka amakhekhe nezinkwa. Wayebuye enze nesobho enzela abantu abangenamakhaya emphakathini wakhe.
Langa limbe ekuseni esikoleni, uNkk Ramaila, uthisha kaKabelo, wacela wonke umuntu ekilasini ukuthi asho ukuthi ufuna ukwenzani lapho eseqedile esikoleni.
Intombazane yasukuma. “Ngifuna ukuba yi-astronothi, ngishone le emkhathini,” kwasho yona.
“Ngingathanda ukuba wudokotela,” kwasho omunye wabafana.
Emva kwalokho kwasukuma uKabelo. “Ngingathanda ukuphila ngokupheka,” kwasho yena. “Ngifuna ukuba ngumpheki.”
Zonke izingane zethuka. Zaqale zamgqolozela uKabelo emva kwalokho zaqala ukuhleka.
“Kodwa ukupheka yinto yamantombazane,” kuhleka enye yamantombazane.
UNkk Ramaila watshela wonke umuntu ukuthi athule du. “Ungaba yinoma yini ofuna ukuba yiyo, Kabelo,” esho ngomusa. “Ungabalaleli.” Kodwa imizwa kaKabelo yayisivele ithintekile.
Esesendleleni eya ekhaya ebuya esikoleni ezinye izingane zazilokhu zimgcona.
Uthe uma efika ekhaya uKabelo, wathola uyise egeza izitsha ngenkathi unina enza isidlo sasemini.
“Bekunjani esikoleni namuhla?” kubuza uyise.
“Bonke bangihlekile uma ngibatshela ukuthi ngifuna ukuba ngumpheki, ngiziphilise ngokupheka,” kuchaza uKabelo. “Bathe abafana abapheki futhi ukupheka yinto yamantombazane. Bathe futhi abafana bangempela badlala umbhoxo nonobhutshuzwayo. Kodwa mina angizithandi zonke lezo zinto!”
Uyise wamanga. “Uthi uyazi ukuthi abanye babapheki abahamba phambili emhlabeni bangamadoda?”
UKabelo wamangala wayesethi, “Ngempela?”
“Yebo!” kwasho uyise ekhipha umakhalekhukhwini ekhukhwini lakhe. “Buka lapha!” Wakhombisa uKabelo izithombe zabapheki abaningi bomhlaba jikelele abangamadoda. Babuka izithombe zokudla okuhle okuphekwe ngabapheki, noKabelo waqala ukuzizwa esengconywana.
“Kufanele ungenele umncintiswano wokupheka, Kabelo,” kwasho unina kuye. “Kukhona omunye obizwa ngokuthi Umpheki Osemncane Wezinga Eliphezulu nobonakala kumabonakude.”
Uyise wavuma. “Yebo,” kwasho yena, “upheka kahle kakhulu. Ungawunqoba lowo mncintiswano.”
Wawungenela kanjalo-ke uKabelo umncintiswano okuthiwa Umpheki Osemncane Wezinga Eliphezulu.
Ngemva kwezinyanga ezimbalwa, njengengxenye yomncintiswano, uKabelo wavela kumabonakude. Wazithola esephakathi kwabapheki abancane abafana naye. Abanye babo kwakungabafana abathanda ukupheka – njengaye nje!
Umncintiswano wawunzima ngempela! Abapheki abasebancane bacelwa ukuthi bapheke izidlo ababengakaze bazipheke ngaphambilini. Kwakufanele futhi basebenzise izithako ababengakaze bezwe ngazo ngaphambilini. Ngamunye ngamunye, babevotelwa ngabehluleli ukuphuma emncintiswaneni. UKabelo wayebabona bekhala lapho sebephuma. Wayengafuni ukuba kwenzeka esifanayo nakuye. Wayigxilisa ngamandla amakhulu ingqondo yakhe kwakwenzayo ukuqinisekisa ukuthi akenzi phutha.
Ngenkathi uKabelo efinyelela emzuliswaneni wokugcina womncintiswano, unina noyise baziqhenya ngaye! Sonke isikole sasibukela umabonakude – ngisho nabafana namantombazane ababekade bembhuqa. UKabelo wayenza isikole sakhe ukuba siziqhenye ngaye.
UKabelo wazizwa esenovalo. Umncintiswano wawusuzophela, kodwa kwakukhona umuntu oyedwa owayesele ukuthi uKabelo amehlule ukuze aphumelele. Inkinga kwakungukuthi lo mpheki osemncane wayenamagalelo amahle njengaye uKabelo!
Waqala umzuliswano wokugcina. Bobabili abapheki abasebancane babenehora ukupheka izidlo zabo. Emizuzwini eyishumi nanhlanu uqalile umzuliswano, uKabelo wawisela phansi isitsha esigcwele ingxube kaphaya wenkukhu. Wayengavumelekile ukucosha le ngxube – lokhu kwakusho ukuthi uzokhala ngaphansi emncintiswaneni. Ngakho kwakufanele aqale phansi futhi. Manje kwase kuzoba nzima kuye ukuthi aqede ngesikhathi. Wonke umuntu obukele wayekhathazakile, kodwa uKabelo wakwazi ukuqeda isidlo sakhe ngesikhathi.
Emva kwalokho abehluleli kwase kufanele bakuzwe ukudla. Lokhu kwakuzonquma ukuthi ngubani ophumelele! Bakuzwa ukudla kukaKabelo base bethi bacabanga ukuthi kunambitheka kahle kakhulu. Emva kwalokho base bezwa ukudla kwalona omunye umpheki osemncane. Bacabanga ukuthi nakho kwakunambitheka kahle kakhulu! Bahamba ukuze bathathe isinqumo sokugcina. Izethameli zazazi kahle ukuthi ukukhetha ophumelele kwakuzoba nzima.
Kwathatha ihora lonke ukuthi abehluleli babuye nesinqumo sokugcina. Ophumelele kwakungu … Kabelo! Abazali bakhe babengeve bejabule futhi beziqhenya! Indodana yabo yayinguMpheki Osemncane Osezingeni Eliphezulu wonyaka. UKabelo wathola indebe kanye nomklomelo wemali.
Ngosuku olulandelayo uKabelo wathatha indebe yakhe waya nayo esikoleni kanti wonke umuntu lapho wayegubha Kanye naye. UKabelo wayebonise wonke umuntu ukuthi nabafana bangaba ngabapheki!
“Ngiyajabula ukuthi awuzilalelanga ezinye izingane ngenkathi zikugcona,” kwasho uNkk Ramaila. “Uyabona, ngakutshela, ungaba noma yini ofuna ukuba yiyo!”
