Onkhe malanga Sisanda loneminyaka lesiphohlongo nakafika ekhaya abuya esikolweni, ukhumula inyifomu yakhe, adle kudla kwakhe kwasemini bese udlala mlabalaba kanye namkhulu wakhe. Bajabula kakhulu bandizisa “tinkhomo” tabo titungelete ibhodi kangangobe Sisanda angabe asafuna nekuyekela. Kepha kusesenjalo, mkhulu wakhe umkhumbuta kutsi ufuna kuba ngumphatsi welibhange ngalelinye lilanga nasakhulile.

“Utawukwenta kanjani loko nangabe ungeke uye esikolweni semabanga laphakeme?” kwasho mkhulu atekula.

Sisanda uvele nje uyahleka. “Ngitawuya esikolweni semabanga laphakeme ngisho nasenyuvesi lombala. Kungako nje ngisebenta ngekutimisela esikolweni!”

Sisanda mudze kakhulu kuneminyaka yakhe − ufute babe wakhe. Buso bakhe lobuyindzingiliti nekumamatseka lokuhle nguloku kwamake wakhe. Bobabili batali bakhe bavuka ekuseni kakhulu baye emsebentini, esichiwini setilwane dvute nalapho bahlala khona. Ngesikhatsi Sisanda nebangani bakhe befika esikolweni, emabhasi lagcwele tivakashi besavele afika aletse tivakashi titewubuka tilwane tase-Afrika letinhle kakhulu.

Ngelusuku lwakhe lwekutalwa lolwendlulile Sisanda wajajuliswa ngendlela lekhetsekile – batali bakhe batfola imvume yekutsi bangagubhela lidzili lakhe lekutalwa kulesichiwi. Tindlulamitsi lebetikulesichiwi betilangatelela kwati kabanti ngalabantfu. Telula tintsamo tato tifuna kubona kahle lidzili futsi betibukeka sengatsi tifuna nencenye yalelikhekhe! Sisanda bekatitsandza tindlulamitsi. Tonkhe tilwane betikhetsekile kuye, kepha bekatsandza kakhulu tindlulamitsi letithulile futsi letimenene. Bekangacitsa lilanga lonkhe atibukela.

Ngalomunye Lesihlanu, babe waSisanda wabuya ekhaya ngembi kwesikhatsi lesetayelekile. Bekabukeka angajabuli.

“Konakalephi, Babe?” Kwabuta Sisanda.

“Lamuhla libulo letinyosi lisutele make wendlulamitsi,” kwachaza babe waSisanda. “Inhloko yakhe beyivuvuke kakhulu ngenca yalo lonkhe loludvosi kangangobe emehlo akhe bekavalekile. Setame ngako konkhe lokusemandleni etfu kutsi simsite, kepha akukasebenti – ufile. Lokubuhlungu kakhulu kutsi bekanelitfole lelincane lebelimdzinga.”

“Hhayi bo!” kwasho Sisanda asacala kukhala. “Ngifisa sengatsi kukhona lengingakwenta. Kungenteka kutsi lomntfwana wendlulamitsi ukhala njengami nje.”

Kwakhala Sisanda. Make wakhe wetama kumthulisa. Wadzimate wamfundzela indzaba leyengetiwe ngesikhatsi sekayolala entela kumsita kutsi akhohlwe kutsi ubuhlungu kangakanani ngalomntfwana wendlulamitsi. Ekugcineni, Sisanda waphatfwa butfongo walala, alaliswa livi lamake wakhe.

Ngakusasa ekuseni Sisanda wavuka nembono lotsite!

“Ngicela kuhamba nani uma niya emsebentini lamuhla?” wacela babe wakhe. “Nginesipho salomntfwana wendlulamitsi.”

Batali bakhe babukana bobabili, bamamatseka babese batsi, “Yebo, kulungile ungahamba natsi.”

Bekulilanga lelifutfumele kepha linemafu. Yonkhe intfo kulesichiwi beyibonakala ibindze ngendlela lengakavami.

“Ngicabanga kutsi lamuhla lilanga alihlabi ngoba lilusizi ngenca yalomntfwana wendlulamitsi,” kwasho Sisanda.

Indlovu lenkhulu yagolotela lomndeni lobewendlula lapho.

“Mhlawumbe iyamangala kutsi kungani lentfombatana lencane iya emsebentini nebatali bayo,” kwasho make waSisanda.

Sisanda walekutisa inhloko. “Utawumangala nakatfola imphendvulo,” wacabanga.

Batfola umntfwana wendlulamitsi eme yedvwana. Intsamo yakhe lendze beyigobile nemehlo akhe futsi abukeka abutfuntfu. Sisanda wema wasondzela kuye kakhulu ngendlela langakhona ngayo. Wavula sikhwama sakhe lesincane wakhipha incwadzi yakhe. Wabese umangalisa batali bakhe-ke, wabese ufundzela lomntfwana wendlulamitsi. Lomntfwana wendlulamitsi wajikisa inhloko yakhe wayibukisa ngalapho kuchamuka khona livi laSisanda sengatsi uva onkhe lamagama lashiwoko. Ekucaleni, batali baSisanda bacabanga kutsi kufundzela umntfwana wendlulamitsi yintfo lengakatayeleki, kepha bantjintja imicondvo yabo nababona kutsi lomntfwana wendlulamitsi ubukeka abindze kangakanani – emehlo akhe lamnene abuke Sisanda.

“Indzaba yami imente wativa ancono,” Sisanda watjela mkhulu wakhe nakefika ekhaya.

Sisanda bekavakashela lendlulamitsi lencane tintsambama letinyenti nangetimphelansontfo. Ngaso sonkhe sikhatsi nakaya kuye, bekahamba nendzaba latawabelana naye ngayo. Labangani labasha lababili bebabukeka bakahle nabandzawonye ngisho netivakashi lebetendlula betibatfwebula titfombe.

Kancane kancane lendlulamitsi lencane yacala kubanemandla. Bantfu kulesichiwi bebamnakekela kahle kakhulu futsi analo lonkhe lutsandvo lwemngani wakhe lomusha, Sisanda, lwenta timanga.

Ngalelinye lilanga umphatsi wesichiwi wacela Sisanda kutsi etse lomngani wakhe lomusha ligama.

“Ngicabanga kutsi Thokozani ligama lelikahle,” kwasho Sisanda.

Ngakusasa umphatsi wesichiwi washayela thishela waSisanda lucingo. Wamema bonkhe bantfwana labafundza naSisanda eklasini kutsi bete batewubona Thokozani. Lendlulamitsi lenhle beseyikhule yaba yindze yabuye futsi yaba nemandla etinyangeni letintsatfu nje kusukela ngelilanga lekuvakasha kwaSisanda kwekucala.

Ngelilanga lekuvakasha, bebangemashumi lamane bantfwana belibanga le-3 labebalindze ngekulangatelela kutsi kuvulwe emagede esichiwi. Sisanda-ke lapho wabahola bonkhe ngekutichenya wayobakhombisa Thokozani. Labanye balabantfwana babuka lendlulamitsi ngekumangala. Labanye bagigitseka ngekwesaba. Thishela wabo, Nks. Khanyile, wavele nje wamamatseka.

“Umngani wakho muhle, Sisanda. Umentele umusa,” washo ngebumnene.

“Ngubani ligama lakhe?” kwabuta lomunye webafana.

“Thokozani,” kwaphendvula Sisanda.

“Thokozani usho kutsi ‘jabulani’,” kwachaza Nks. Khanyile.

Labantfwana bahlala phasi futsi balalela Sisanda afundza indzaba layifundzela Thokozani ngelilanga bahlangana kwekucala. Umphatsi wesichiwi watfwebula tintfombe. Netivakashi lebetendlula lapho nato tatfwebula titfombe. Ngisho nemtfwebulititfombe weliphephandzaba lendzawo naye wabatfwebula. Wabatsembisa kutsi sitfombe sabo sitawuphuma ephephandzabeni masinyane. Wonkhe muntfu wamemeta.

Sipho lesihle kangaka! Kufundza kute welaphe umngani.