UTemo wayeyintombazane ehlakaniphile eyayihlala emzananeni waseQunu. Wayethanda ukuya esikoleni nokufunda izinto ezintsha.

Ngolunye usuku esikoleni, ikilasi lakhe lafunda ngokutshala nokukhulisa imifino.

UTemo wayethathekile kakhulu ngale ndaba kangangokuthi wayesejahe kakhulu ukufika ekhaya axoxele abazali bakhe ngayo.

KENQEKENQEKENQE! Insimbi yokugcina yokuphuma kwesikole yakhala izingane zonke zaphuma emakilasini azo ukuze zigoduke.

Lapho uTemo efika ekhaya, unina noyise babesekhishini beziphuzela itiye.

“Sawubona, Mama. Sawubona, Baba,” washo engena ekhishini.

“Yebo, Temo,” bephendula abazali bakhe.

“Belunjani usuku lwakho namuhla esikoleni?” kubuza unina.“Bekumnandi! Ngifunde okuthile okungithathekisilekakhulu,”

kwaphendula uTemo ngenjabulo ngenkathi eqonde ekamelweni lakhe lokulala.

Abazali bakaTemo bazibuza ukuthi indodakazi yabo yayikhuluma ngani, kodwa ngaphambi kokuba bamcele ukuthi achaze, wayesenyamalele.

Egumbini lakhe, uTemo wakhumula umfaniswano wesikole wagqoka ezinye izingubo zakhe.

Kodwa lezi kwakungezona izingubo zakhe ezijwayelekile. Wagqoka i-ovaloli, wafaka amagambhuthi nesigqoko.

UTemo waphinde wangena ekhishini. “Ta-da! Mama noBaba, bukani!” kusho yena.

Abazali bakhe bamangala kakhulu. UTemo wayengathandi nje ukwenza umsebenzi wasekhaya, pho kungani wayegqoke izingubo zokusebenza?

“Kungani ugqoke kanjalo, Temo?” uyise ebuza.“Ngoba ngifuna ukuqala ukutshala imifino yami, Baba,” washo ngentokozo.

“Usho ukuthi ufuna ukuba nengadi yakho la ekhaya?” kubuza unina.“Yebo, Mama,” kuphendula uTemo.

Abazali bakaTemo babhekana base bezibuza ukuthi uTemo uzokwazi kanjani ukunakekela ingadi

ngoba uhlale ekhononda ngemisebenzi yasendlini elula njengokwenza itiye. Kodwa bakhetha ukumkholwa.

Ngakho-ke uTemo noyise baphumela phandle bakhetha indawo ethile egcekeni labo lapho uTemo

ayengaqala khona ingadi yakhe. Uyise kaTemo wayesengena ngaphakathi ukuze agqoke i-ovaloli yakhe.

Okokuqala, uTemo noyise basebenzisa imfoloko yasengadini ukuvukuza inhlabathi ababeyikhethile.

Lokhu kwasiza ukwenza inhlabathi ithambe ukuze kutshalwe imbewu. Kwaphinde kwasiza ukukhipha

ukhula namatshe angadingeki ngaphansi komhlaba. Okulandelayo, bahhala lonke ukhula olungadingeki namatshe avela enhlabathini.

UTemo noyise bafaka lonke ukhula ezikhwameni ezinkulu ezimnyama zepulastiki base bekulahla emigqonyeni kadoti.

Ngakusasa lapho uTemo evela esikoleni, wakhumula umfaniswano wakhe wesikole washeshisa wangena engadini yakhe noyise.

Uyise wayethenge imbewu ukuze bayitshale. Ngakho-ke, batshala, batshala! Batshala imbewu yesipinashi, ekakherothi,

ekatamatisi nekabhontshisi. UTemo wase enisela inhlabathi ukusiza imbewu ukuba imile.

Nsuku zonke emva kwalokho uTemo wayekujabulela kakhulu ukubuyela ekhaya uma evela esikoleni anisele ingadi yakhe.

Kodwa kwakukhona inkinga encane: ngenkathi kungekho muntu obonayo, izilwane zase ziqala ukudla imifino kaTemo!

Ngolunye usuku, lapho evela esikoleni, uTemo wathola izimbuzi zidla engadini yakhe. Wazixosha zabaleka wabe esegijimela endlini.

“Mama! Baba!Izimbuzi zidla izitshalo zami zemifino. Aningigadelanga ngani kodwa?” esho ekhala.

“Phephisa, Temo,” kuxolisa uyise. “Mina nomama besisacambalele. Ake siphumele phandle sibone ukuthi yini esingayenza.”

Ngakho-ke bayongena engadini. Yeka umonakalo owawenziwe yizimbuzi! Kodwa okungenani yingxenye encane nje yensimu eyayinomonakalo.

“Ake sakhe uthango sibiyele ingadi, Baba,” kusho uTemo.“Umqondo omuhle lowo!” kuphendula uBaba.

Ngakho-ke uTemo noyise bakha uthango oluzungeze ingadi ukuze izimbuzi zingabe zisakwazi ukungena.

Ngosuku olulandelayo lapho ebuya ekhaya evela esikoleni, uTemo wathola izinkomo zidla izitshalo zakhe.

Izinkomo zase zihlakaniphe ngokwanele sezikwazi ukuvula isango lengadi ngezimpondo zazo!

UTemo wazama ukuxosha izinkomo, kodwa kwaba yinkomo eyodwa nje, enezimpondo ezinkulu nezicijile eyamgqolozela

wafa uvalo! Izinkomo zazibukeka zizinkulu kakhulu! Ngakho wagijima wabalekela endlini.

“Mama! Baba! Manje-ke sekuyizinkomo ezidla izitshalo zami zemifino,” kusho yena.

UTemo noyise baphumela phandle bathola izinkomo zizitika engadini kaTemo. Uyise wazixosha.

“Baba, kungani singalikhiyi ngengidi isango?” kuphakamisa uTemo. “Ngaleyo ndlela izinkomo ngeke ziphinde zikwazi ukuvula isango.”

Uyise wabona kungumqondo omuhle lowo, ngakho bahamba bayothenga ingidi bakhiya isango.

Ngosuku olulandelayo lapho uTemo ebuya esikoleni, akatholanga zona izimbuzi, akatholanga zona izinkomo,

kodwa izinyoni ezazidla izitshalo ensimini yakhe! Wazixosha wabe esegijimela ukuyotshela abazali bakhe.

“Mama! Baba! Manje sekuyizinyoni ezidla izitshalo zami zemifino,” wakhala.

Uyise kaTemo waphumela naye ngaphandle ukubona ukuthi kwakuyini inkinga.

“Angisazi ukuthi sengizokwenzenjani manje, Temo,” kusho uyise enwaya ikhanda njengoba wayesacabanga kanzima.

“Sengiyazi ukuthi yini esingayenza,” kusho uTemo ngokushesha. “Singabeka inethi phezu kwengadi, izinyoni ngeke zikwazi ukufika ezitshalweni.”

Nempela uTemo wayeqinisile! Wayengeke aphinde akhathazeke nganoma yiziphi izilwane ezidla izitshalo

engadini yakhe futhi. Akukho zimbuzi ezazingangena, akukho zinkomo ezazingangena futhi akukho zinyoni ezazingangena.

Izitshalo ensimini yakhe zakhula, zakhula, ngokushesha imifino yabe seyilungele ukuvunwa!

Unina kaTemo wapheka isobho elimnandi likabhontshisi, ukherothi, isipinashi kanye notamatisi, bonke basithokozela isidlo esasivele engadini kaTemo.