Umama wabeka phansi amaplastiki anezinto azithengile wase efofobala esitulweni sasekhishini. “Shu, kodwa ngaze ngakhathala,” esho esula umjuluko esiphongweni sakhe. “Ekubeni usemningi umbhako okumele ngiwubhakile wetiye losuku lokuzalwa lukaMfundi uDumisani elisesontweni namhlanje ntambama.”

“Ngabe uzokwenza amapanikuku, Mama?” kusho u-Unathi ngesasasa. “Ngizokusiza.”

“Cha!” kusho uMama. “Leli yitiye elikhethekile losuku lokuzalwa likaMfundisi uDumisani. Bonke abefundisi basesontweni lethu bayeza, kanye nomngani omkhulu kaMfundisi uDumisani, uMfundisi uBuso. Sengizwile ukuthi uMfundisi uBuso uthanda ama-scone kashizi, ngakho-ke ngithenge inhlama yama-scone. UMfundisi uDumisani uthanda amabhisikidi kashukela, ngakho-ke ngithenge inhlama yawo.”

U-Unathi wabukeka edangele, “Ngicabanga ukuthi kumele wenze amapanikuku, Mama. Athandwa yiwo wonke umuntu. Futhi uma ungawenza, ngingakusiza.”

“Cha, ngiyabonga, Unathi,” kusho uMama. “Ngifuna ukuthi bonke abantu babone ukuthi ngibhaka kahle kangakanani. Ngibhaka ama-scone Kanye namabhisikidi, futhi ngijahile. Kumele ngikwenze ngedwa lokhu.” UMama waqala ukuqaqa amaphakethe enhlama yama-scone kanye nenhlama yamabhisikidi wase ekhipha ibhotela kanye nezitsha.

U-Unathi wabuka uMama evula elilodwa kumaphakethe wase elithela esitsheni. Wafaka izikwele ezincane zebhotela engxubeni wase eyihlikihla ngeminwe yakhe. “Ngabe leyo yinhlama yama-scone noma eyamabhisikidi, Mama?” kubuza u-Unathi.

“Ngeyama-scone,” kusho uMama ethela ushizi engxubeni futhi ekuhlanganisa konke.

U-Unathi wabuka iphakethe elingasenalutho eliphezu kwetafula. Lalinesithombe samabhisikidi abukeka emnandi ngaphambili kulo.

“Mama, ngabe uqinisekile ukuthi unephakethe elifanele?” kubuza u-Unathi.

UMama waphakamisa amehlo eyeka ukuthela ubisi enkomishini yokukala. “Ngiyaxolisa, Unathi,” esho ngokuthukuthela, “kodwa bengikutshelile ukuthi ngijahile. Ngicela uyodlala.”

“Kodwa …” kuqala u-Unathi.

“Hamba,” kusho uMama ngolaka.

U-Unathi wezwa sekuthi akakhale. Wayezama ukusiza. Kwakubukeka sengathi uMama akabi nanhliziyo uma ezama ukujabulisa abanye abantu.

U-Unathi wahamba wayahlala esihlahleni esikhulu engadini. Wabuka uMama ngefasitela lasekhishini.

Lapho uMama eseqedile ukwelula kanye nokusika inhlama yokugcina, wesula izandla zakhe ngendwangu wase ebuka ngefasitela. Wabona u-Unathi ehleli esihlahleni wase emqhweba ukuthi ehle. Wajabula u-Unathi. Mhlawumbe uMama akasamthukuthelele futhi uzomvumela ukuthi akhothe izitsha.

UMama wamamathekela u-Unathi ngesikhathi engena ekhishini. “Sengiqedile ukubhaka. Ngiyaxolisa ngenxa yokuthi bengikucasukele, kodwa bekukuningi obekumele ngikwenze. Ngikushiyele inhlama yamabhisikidi encane engangesipuni ozoyizwa,” kusho uMama.

U-Unathi wamamatheka naye wase ephonsa igengqele lenhlama yamabhisikidi emlonyeni wakhe. Wavala amehlo akhe wase elinda ukuzwa ubumnandi obusashukela ukuthi bufinyelele ezinzweni zakhe zokunambitha.

“Hhayi, phi!” kukhala u-Unathi, ngesikhathi ekhafulela igengqele lenhlama esandleni sakhe. “Aze amabi la mabhisikidi abukeka emahle. Angiwathandi nhlobo.”

UMama wabuyisa izinhlonzi ngokukhulu ukumangala, “Uchaza ukuthini, Unathi? Ubuluhlaza impela nje lobu.”

“Uxolo, Mama, kodwa nawe kuzomele unambithe lokhu,” kusho u-Unathi. “Akumnandi neze.”

UMama wahlephula inhlama encane wase eyifaka emlonyeni wakhe. Wenyusa ikhala ngenxa yokuzwa okungashayi khona. “Kwaze kwakubi lokhu,” kusho yena. “Kodwa ngabe konakelephi?” Kusenjalo wavala amehlo akhe ngezandla. “Awu, cha!” kukhala yena. “Ngiphambanise inhlama yama-scone kanye nenhlama yamabhisikidi! Ngenze ama-scone anoshukela kanye namabhisikidi kashukela anoshizi!”

UMama wahlala etafuleni wase ethwala izindla zakhe ekhanda. “Ngizokwenzenjani manje? Angisenayo enye inhlama yama-scone noma yamabhisikidi, futhi sengisalelwe isikhathi esincane. Kodwa ngizokwenzani yetiye losuku lokuzalwa likaMfundisi uDumisani?”

U-Unathi wabe esefikelwa umqondo omuhle. “Kunesikhathi esanele sokwenza amapanekuku, Mama! Futhi sidinga ufulawa, amaqanda, amafutha kanye nobisi kuphela. Sihlale sinakho lokho. FUTHI ngingakusiza!”

UMama wawola u-Unathi. “Uqinisile. Ngcono ukuba bengivele ngakulalela kwasekuqaleni. Amapanekuku azoba mahle kakhulu.”

UMama no-Unathi baqala ukwenza umsebenzi ngaleso sikhathi. Benza amapanekuku amaningi. U-Unathi wadla amahlanu ngesikhathi elekelela!

Itiye losuku lokuzalwa ngalelo langa ntambama laba yimpumelelo enkulu futhi kwaba kuhle kakhulu nokuthi abefundisi bobabili babezifela ngamapanekuku!