“Awu, hhe!” uMotlatsi noTshepo baphefumulela phezulu ngenkathi ikhayithi labo elinokumnyama nokubomvu lihlala phezu kophahla lukaNkk Ntshona maqede lithandeleka othini lukamabonakude.

“Asisheshe! Kumele silidonse liphume ngokushesha!” kumemeza uTshepo.

UMotlatsi wabamba intambo walidonsa. Wethuka, uthi lukamabonakude olwase luludala kakhulu, lwagoba lwaze lwacishe lwathinta amathayili afulele uphahla lukamakhelwane wakubo.

“Ubaba uzothukuthela kakhulu!” kukhala uTshepo, emboza ubuso ngezandla zakhe.

“Ngeke athukuthele njengoNkk Ntshona!” kuphendula uMotlatsi. Wabamba umfowabo bathi tshobe ngemuva kwegalaji. “Mbheke! Nanguya!”

Nebala bo, uNkk Ntshona wayemi ngaphandle komnyango wekhishi lakwakhe ebeke izandla edanda. Abafana babekwazi ukubona ukuthi uthukuthele. Wabuka phezulu ophahleni walubona uthi olugobile. Wawavula kakhulu amehlo akhe. Wanikina ikhanda. Amashiya akhe asikaza ukuhlangana phakathi nobuso bakhe. Washaya ngonyawo phansi. Izindebe zakhe zomlomo zaziwumugqa owodwa oqondile.

“Ubaba usitshelile ukuthi sindizise ikhayithi epaki kuphela nathi sathembisa ukuthi sizokwenzenjalo!” uTshepo ehlebela umfowabo.

“Sisenkingeni enkulu manje,” kuvuma uMotlatsi. “Asimlalelanga! Ucabanga ukuthi uzokwenzani?” Unyawo lwakhe lwakhahlela uthuli.

“Mhlawumbe ubaba uzolithatha ikhayithi lethu,” kuphendula uTshepo, “noma ngeke aphinde asinike imali ukuthenga amaswidi.” Wagqolozela umfowabo emehlweni.

Ukubukeka edumele kwedlula ebusweni bukaMotlatsi. “We! Yini okunye?”

“Sisephulile isithembiso sethu. Isithembiso siyinto yangunaphakade.” Utshepo wahlala phansi wafaka ikhanda phakathi kwezandla.

“Pho kuzokwenzekani manje?” kubuza uMotlatsi eluma izinzipho zakhe.

UTshepo wenwaya ikhanda lakhe. “UBaba ngeke aphinde asithembe.”

“Kusho ukuthini lokho, Tshepo? Yini ukuthemba?” kubuza uMotlatsi.

“Ssh! Hhayi kakhulu kangaka! UNkk Ntshona uzosizwa! Ngicabanga ukuthi kusho ukuthi ngeke asikholwe uma simtshela into,” kuhleba uTshepo.

“Usho njengobangithe ngiziphasile Izibalo esikoleni?” kubuza uMotlatsi, ejuluka.

“Cha, ukukholiwe lokho ngoba ufunde umbiko wakho wasesikoleni,” kusho uTshepo.

“Usho njengalapho ngimtshela ukuthi ngidle u-ayisikhilimu njengesidlo sasemini?” kuphakamisa uMotlatsi, ezama ukuqondisisa.

UTshepo wanikina ikhanda. “Hhayi kanjalo,” kusho yena. “Kufanele kube yinto ebalulekile.”

“Njengalapho ngilahle amarandi amabili ayenginikeze wona?” kubuza uMotlatsi.
“Ngamtshela ukuthi awile ekhukhwini lami.”

“Wayazi ukuthi lokho kuyiqiniso ngoba wawunembobo ekhukhwini lakho,” kuchaza uTshepo.

“Usho ini kanti? Ngabe kusho ukuthi uBaba uzohamba anyamalale angaphinde abuye? Noma uzosiyisa kude?” kubuza uMotlatsi, sekuthi makakhale.

UTshepo wanikina ikhanda. “Lutho! UBaba uyasithanda! Wukuthi nje uma uthembise umuntu othile ukuthi ngeke uyenze into ethile, akumele uyenze – nangephutha. Futhi, uma uthembise umuntu ukuthi uzokwenza into ethile, kumele uyenze yikhona lowo muntu ezokwethemba. Njengalesi sikhathi uthembise uSibongile ukuthi uzolithola ipeni lakhe elisha ngempela walithola! Manje-ke, sshh!”

UTshepo noMotlatsi balunguza ekhoneni legalaji. Bambona uNkk Ntshona ebuka umakhalekhukhwini wakhe. Wayesezoshayela othile ucingo.

“Uzofonela uBaba! Awu, ngeke! Singamvimba kanjani?” kubuza uMotlatsi. Wayesezobaleka ngenkathi uTshepho ezinikela. Waphuma lapho babecashe khona, waqonda ngqo engozini!

“Sawubona, Nkk Ntshona,” kusho uTshepo eqonde othangweni. “Ngiyaxolisa kakhulu ngothi lwakho lukamabonakude.”

UNkk Ntshona wambuka phansi naphezulu, izindebe zakhe zihlangene ngci. Wayephefumula ngokushesha. “Uthi olusha lubiza imali, uyazi, Tshepo. Mhlawumbe kumele uthole umsebenzi ungithengele olunye olusha!” Izwi lakhe lalikhala kuzwakale kakhulu njengensimbi.

“UBaba uyasinika imali yokuthenga esikuthandayo,” kusho uMotlatsi esondela ezoma eduze kukamfowabo. “Sizosebenzisa imali yethu yokuzithengela esikuthandayo ukuze sikuthengele uthi olusha.” Wayefisa sengathi ngabe akakushongo lokho, kodwa wayazi ukuthi kwakuswelekile.

“Ngempela?” kwasho uNkk Ntshona ngenkathi izwi lakhe liphakama. “Niyithola nini imali yenu, futhi yimalini?”

“Sithola amarandi amahlanu ngamunye ngesonto,” bahlebeza ndawonye, behlehla kancane.

“Lawo amarandi ayishumi ngesonto. Singayonga …” kusho uTshepo, edonsa izwi. Kungathatha isikhathi eside ukukhokhela uthi olusha lukamabonakude futhi uBaba uzothola ukuthi kwenzekeni.

Abafana babelokhu bebukana bodwa bephelelwa ngamandla ngangokuthi baze bakhohlwa nguNkk Ntshona. Uma bephinda bembheka futhi, bathola ukumangala. UNkk Ntshona wayebukeka ebusweni bakhe ethambile futhi sengathi usephusheni.

Abafana babamba umoya.

“We zingane, ngake ngaba nalo ikhayithi. Lalinombala ompunga nophinki. Ngama esivandeni sasekhaya likamkhulu wami eLesotho ngibambe intambo yalo. Landiza laya phezulu esibhakabhakeni. Lalibukeka lijabule kakhulu. Ngalidedela. Ngalibuka lindiza liya phezulu, phezulu, ngaze angabe ngisalibona nhlobo.”

Wamoyizela ebuka abafana. “Kulungile, Tshepo noMotlatsi. Ngeke ngimtshele uyihlo. Loluya luthi oludala bese lungenamsebenzi walutho vele. Bengidinga ukuthenga olusha. Ngizothola ileli bese uyagibela uthathe ikhayithi lenu.”

Ngenkathi ehamba eqhela kubo abafana bamuzwa ethi, “Ngingase ngikhiphe isiphuzo soshokoledi oshisayo nekhekhe ekhishini uma senehlela phansi!”

Abafana bavele babhekana base bemoyizela.

Veza ubuciko bakho!

Endabeni, kukhona incazelo yokuthi ubuso bukaNkk Ntshona bubukeka kanjani uma ethukuthele. Khuthaza izingane zakho ukuthi zidwebe isithombe sokuthi ubuso bazo noma bomngani wazo bubukeka kanjani uma zithukuthele.