Endzaweni lekhashane, kwakuhlala umfana lophuyile lobekalusa timvu kuze ondle umndeni wakubo. Abehlale anemusa futsi alusito kubomakhelwane bakhe futsi abesibusiso kugogo namkhulu wakhe labamkhulisa kusukela asengumfana lomncane. Ligama lakhe bekunguThabo futsi bekatsandvwa ngibo bonkhe bantfu.

“Hawu! Ngiyabonga, Thabo, kungiyela esitolo uyongitsengela sinkhwa,” kusho Make Abbas. “Ungayitsatsa ishintji.”

Kodvwa Thabo bekati kutsi Make Abbas abedzinga yonkhe imali lanayo. “Kulungile, Make Abbas,” asho amamatseka. “Ayikho imbhadalo yekuba nemusa.”

Ngalelinye lilanga, umlimi lobekasetjentelwa nguThabo, wefika ekhaya nemshana wakhe Simphiwe. Simphiwe abegcoke kahle futsi asikhuluma ashelela siNgisi.

“Thabo, wota utowubona Simphiwe,” kusho lomlimi. “Simphiwe uhlala edolobheni kodvwa utosivakashela sikhashana. Ngetsemba kutsi nobabili nitawatana futsi nibe bangani.” Thabo abejabulile kuhlangana nemuntfu longuntsanga yakhe. Bekunelitsemba lekutsi bangaba bangani labakhulu.

Kodvwa ngekushesha injabulo yaThabo yagucuka yaba lusizi. Kwavela kutsi Simphiwe abedzelela futsi atikhukhumeta. Abengamhloniphi malume wakhe angahloniphi nato tonkhe tisebenti talelipulazi. “Labantfu laba basidzala,” kusho Simphiwe, ahleka kakhulu emadvodza lagibela tincola letidvonswa yimbongolo nakaya emsebentini nanakabuyela ekhaya. “Futsi nje kungani umuntfu angakhetsa kutowuhlala lapha endzaweni lekhashane nebantfu naletinye tindlu?”

Simphiwe futsi bekala kusita ngemisebenti lebeyentiwa onkhe malanga lapha epulazini. “Ngingumuntfu lofundzile mine. Nicabanga kutsi ngingaya esikolweni kuze ngigcine ngenta nje imisebenti yetandla? Awukho umsebenti lengitawenta kulena!”

Esikhundleni sekutsi asite, Simphiwe abevilapha acitsa emalanga akhe angephansi kwesihlahla, angafuni kusita nakwentiwa kudla kwasekuseni noma kwasemini noma kwenta leminye nje imisebenti yasekhaya. Thabo abedvumateke kakhulu kutsi umfana longuntsanga yakhe angavilapha kangaka futsi angabi nemusa. “Ngifundza esikolweni sakulendzawo. Kulesikolwa sifundziswa kubaluleka kwekuba nemusa nekusebenta kamatima. Simphiwe akatifundzi letintfo letisisekelo,” kucabanga Thabo. “Usiphukuphuku ucabanga kutsi ekuphileni angenta kanjena.”

Ngalelinye lilanga, Simphiwe abebhorekile wancuma kutsi elule tinyawo aye ehlatsini lebelitungelete lelipulazi. Bonkhe bantfu bamecwayisa kutsi kwenta njalo kuyingoti, njengoba bekunetinja letilahlekile lebetihlala kulelihlatsi. Ngaso sonkhe sikhatsi betihlale tilambile futsi tite bungani nakancane! Kodvwa Simphiwe wamane nje wahleka. “Natini nine?” asho ngekwedzelela. “Ngihlakaniphe ngalokwenele kutsi ngingatinakekela.”

Thabo abehambe nemlimi bayotsenga tintfo. Nakabuya, tisebenti tamtjela kutsi Simphiwe uncume kwelula tinyawo aye ehlatsini ayedvwana. Ngekushesha Thabo watsatsa indvuku nelibhokisi lemetjiso wagijima wayobuka Simphiwe.

“Akaboni kutsi usengotini lengakanani,” Thabo akhuluma yedvwa njengoba ahamba angena ehlatsini ngekushesha ngangalokunekwenteka. “Labanye bangitjela kutsi ngiyekele lomfana wasedolobheni lodzelelako atowufundza sifundvo, kodvwa angifuni kwenteke intfo lembi kuSimphiwe. Ngekushesha kutawuba mnyama, futsi lelihlatsi liyindzawo leyingoti, ikakhulukati kumfana lonjengaSimphiwe longazange sekaphume kulelidobha esikhatsini lesendlulile.”

Thabo abesafune sikhatsi lesidze ngesikhatsi ngekushesha eva kukhala lokwamenta wetfuka. Wagijima waya lapho bekeva khona lokukhala futsi wabona Simphiwe asemkhatsini wemhlambi wetinja letilahlekile. Letinja tativete ematinyo ato lacijile futsi tilungela kumbamba timlume. Thabo kwadzingeka acabange ngekushesha. Walayida lendvuku labekete nayo wase ucondza kuletinja.

Sikhashana, letinja tachubeka tisongela kuhlasela labafana, kodvwa ngekuhamba kwesikhatsi tajika tahamba.

Simphiwe abechachatela ngenca yekwesaba. Wasuluka sihlakala ngesikhatsi etama kubalekela letinja futsi abechuta eva buhlungu. Thabo abenemandla ngenca yawo wonkhe lomsebenti lomatima bekawenta kulelipulazi, ngako wetfwala Simphiwe yonkhe indlela wabuyela naye kulelipulazi.

Ngemuva kwemalanga lambalwa Simphiwe besekakhona kuhamba ngetinyawo takhe, kodvwa besekunalokushintjile ngaye. Besekanemusa futsi sekwehlile nekutikhukhumeta. Besekathulile futsi sekamhlonipha kakhulu malume wakhe nato tonkhe letisebenti. Nakabona Thabo, wambonga ngekutsi usindzise kuphila kwakhe futsi wamupha makhalekhikhini wakhe akhombisa kutsi uyabonga, kodvwa Thabo wala kusemukela lesipho. Wamane nje wamamatseka futsi watsi, “Ayikho imbhadalo yekuba nemusa,” wachubeka awasha lencola ledvonswa yimbongolo.

[Get story active!] Yenta indzaba ibe nemdlandla!

• Dvweba sitfombe kuze ukhombise lencenye lena yalendzaba: Bonkhe bantfu bamecwayisa kutsi kwenta njalo kuyingoti, njengoba bekunetinja letilahlekile lebetihlala kulelihlatsi. Ngaso sonkhe sikhatsi betihlale tilambile futsi tite bungani nakancane! Kodvwa Simphiwe wamane nje wahleka.
• Phindze ufundze lendzaba. Yenta luhla lwato tonkhe timfanelo letehlukile Thabo lanato bese wenta luhla lolwehlukile lwetimfanelo lanato Simphiwe. Cala kanjena: Thabo u… Simphiwe u…
• Fundza totimbili letinhlu takho – luhla lolukhuluma ngaThabo neluhla lolukhuluma ngaSimphiwe –utifundze ngalokuvakalako. Sebentisa livi lakho kuze usho emagama lakuletinhlu takho ngetindlela letikhombisako kutsi asho kutsini.