Molweni, igama lam ndinguThando. Umama uthi wandithiya eli gama kuba undithanda kakhulu. Ndihlala nomama, ukanina wam uSantie, kunye nomakazi wam uSallie. USantie kunye nomama wakhe baqale ukuhlala nathi kwiiveki ezimbini ezidlulileyo. Umakazi uSallie ngudade bomama omncinane. Ndiyaqala ukumbona oko ndazalwa kuba ndeva umakhulu esithi umyeni wakhe akafuni asindwendwele. Babehlala eMpumalanga phambi kokuba baze kuhlala nathi eRhawutini. Umama uthi umakazi uSallie waba neengxaki ekhaya ngoko ke kwafuneka ukuba beze kuhlala nathi. Akazange andixelele ukuba yayizingxaki zekhaya zantoni na ezo.

Siyalingana ngeminyaka noSantie. Hayi kodwa, asilingani ncam, mna ndimshiya ngeenyanga ezine.

“Zinyanga ezintathu neentsuku ezingamashumi amabini!” ukhwaze watsho uSantie.

“Hayi suka, iyafana loo nto nje neenyanga ezine, geza ndini,” kutsho mna.

“Hayi ayifani tu!” uphendule ngelitshoyo.

Njengokuba nawe uzivela uSantie uyakuthanda ukuphikisana nabanye. Andazi kutheni enamaphike kangaka. Akukho nakowabo apha. Bendisatsho ke, futhi ngoku kufuneka ndisebeze ukuze angandiva aphazamise kwakhona, “Ndimdala ngeenyanga ezine kuye.”

Namhlanje lusuku lokuzalwa lukaSantie. Ugqiba iminyaka eli-11. Umama uthi uza kulwenza lube lusuku olukhethekileyo. Umakazi uSallie uyaphangela ngokuhlwanje. Usandul’ ukuqeshwa njengeweyitala kwirestyu yaseSandton kwaye akakwazi ukufumana ikhefu lasebusuku. Ngoku ke ngumama oza kusisa kwimiboniso-bhanyabhanya ukuze sibukele othi Jock of the Bushveld.

Ndiyathemba ukuba kuza kuba mnandi. Asikwazi kulinda. Gxebe mandithi, andikwazi kulinda. Namhlanje, ukuza kuthi ga ngoku, akukhange kube mnandi. Ngalo lonke ixesha ndifuna ukudlala umdlalo othile, uSantie ufuna ukudlala omnye, kwaye kufuneka senze into efunwa nguye. Umama uthi mandidlale loo onto ifunwa nguSantie kuba lusuku lwakhe lokuzalwa. Ndizamile ukucela ukuba sidlale omnye umdlalo, kodwa uSantie uvele wakhalela ukuba aviwe ngumama esithi, “Kodwa lusuku lwam lokuzalwa nje!” Ndinethemba lokuba ngosuku lwakhe lokuzalwa olulandelayo uyakuba sele engasekho apha.

Emva kokuba sigqibile ukuhlamba kwaye sele ilixesha lokuya kwimiboniso-bhanyabhanya, umama uthe unesipho sikaSantie nesam. Usithengele iilokhwe nezihlangu ukuze sizinxibe xa sisiya kwimiboniso-bhanyabhanya. Uthi oko ukwenzele ukuze sikhangeleke njengamanenekazi. Wowu ayabi sabaphantsi nje loo nto! Kutheni engasithengelanga iijini okanye ezinye iimpahla? Ilokhwe kaSantie iyafana neyam, kodwa ibomvu lo gama eyam imthubi. Kwakhona sifake isihlangu ezifanayo, qha ezakhe zibomvu ze ezam zibe mthubi. Ndiyazicaphukela iilokhwe. USantie uyazithanda iilokhwe.

“Mama! Sineminyaka elishumi elinanye, hayi esixhenxe!” Nditshilo kumama kuba ndineentloni zezi mpahla zifanayo.

Umama wandijonga wathi, “He wena Thando, yindlela othi enkosi ngayo leyo? Ndakuyithatha loo lokhwe ndiyibuyisele evenkileni kwaye akuyi kuhamba nathi ukuya kwimiboniso-bhanyabhanya. Kutheni ungaqwebi imbeko nje, ufane noSantie uthi enkosi?”

Ngoko nangoko ndiye ndathi, “Enkosi,” ndithethela phantsi.

Umama wandijonga wathi, “Andikuvanga!”

Ndiye ndakhwaza ndathi, “Ndithe ENKOSI.”

“Kwangcono ke. Ngoku hamba uyokutshintsha,” utshilo. Ndibona ngoSantie encumile ending’ong’ozela emva komama. Ingathi ndingakhe ndimtswebe. Uyandicaphukisa.

Siye sagqiba ukunxiba, ndiyicaphukela ngokwenene ke le lokhwe, wabe umama sele esithi, “Masihambeni mantombazana.” Siyamlandela.

Xa singena eteksini sisiya kwimiboniso-bhanyabhanya, umqhubi weteksi uthi, “Azisentle ngako iintombi zakho, Nkosikazi.” Nako ke ndincuma nangona ndisazi nje ukuba ndikhangeleka ngcono kunoSantie. Kodwa ndiye ndakhathazeka kuba ubuze kumama esithi, “Ingaba ngamawele?”

Xa kanye ndiza kuthi hayi, asingomawele, umama wathi, “Hayi, ngumntu nodade wabo nje kuphela.” Akangodade wethu. Ngukanina wam!

Sifikile kwimiboniso-bhanyabhanya kwaye ndithemba ukuba andisayi kubona namnye endimaziyo ovela esikolweni sam.

Yehla ke inkathazo!

Njengokuba silinde umama ukuba athenge amatikiti, ndibone le nkwenkwe inomtsalane nendiyithandayo yaseklasini yam. USiya uhamba nomhlobo wakhe osenyongweni uSam, kwaye nabo baze kubukela imiboniso-bhanyabhanya.

Uthi kum, “Tyhini molo Thando, anikho badala na ukunxiba iimpahla ezifanayo?”

Uyayibona ke le nto bendiyithetha? Ndanga ndingathi vuleka mhlaba ndingene.

“Uyintoni ke wena kuloo nto? Usisidenge senkwenkwe esingazinto ngefashoni!” waphendula uSantie.

Owu Nkosi yam, kutheni esenza le nto nje?

“Yha, akunamsebenzi nokuba uthini na ‘wele’ likaThando”, utshilo waze yena noSam babethana ngezandla baqalisa nokuhleka besolathisana ngathi.

Ndingqinibe uSantie ndathi, “Yintoni ingxaki yakho? Ibikho imfuneko yaloo nto?”

“Ebekugezela. Mna bendisithi ndiyakunceda,” uphendule watsho.

“Enkosi kakhulu! Khange ndicele ncedo kuwe. USiya yeyona nkwenkwe inomtsalane eklasini yam kwaye ngoku ndiza kuba yintlekisa,” nditshilo ngomsindo.

“Ingaba sisinqandamathe sakho?” ubuzile egungquzisa amehlo.

“Hayi akasiso, nditshilo. Ndinqwenela ukuba abesisinqandamathe sam, kodwa ngoku akasoze abe saba siso, ngenxa yaloo mlomo wakho mkhulu.

“Nye-nyenye-nye-nye, uThando unesinqandamathe, uThando unesinqandamathe …” ucule loo ngoma.

Ngawo loo mzuzu kanye kwabe sekufika umama, wabuza kuSantie, “Yintoni leyo, sithandwa?”

USantie uphendule wathi, “Asiyonto, Makazi. UThando kunye nam besiqhulana nje.”

Umama uthe, “Kulungile,” waza wasinika omnye nomnye ibhokisi yepopkhoni, isiselo kunye neeSmarties.

“Enkosi kakhulu, Makazi, olu lolona suku lwam lokuzalwa lumnandi,” utshilo uSantie ephuza umama esidleleni.

Umama uye wancuma wathi, “Owu sithandwa sam, asiyonto nje le. Ndiyathembisa ukuba kulo nyaka uzayo ndiya kwenza ngcono kunoku.”

Kuthi mandife! Olu lolona suku lokuzalwa lwakhe lwalubi. Kwaye asilulo nolwam. Kanti uSantie useza kuba lapha nakulo nyaka uzayo?

Xa ndikhulile ndifuna ukuba ngumenzi wemiboniso-bhanyabhanya ebonisa izinto njengoko zinjalo, iidokhyumentari. Andiqinisekanga ukuba benza ntoni kanye kanye, kodwa inenekazi ebelindwendwele esikolweni lithe lingumenzi wolu hlobo lwemiboniso-bhanyabhanya kwaye oko kuvakele kumnandi kum. Uthe ushicilela amabali. Ngoko ke nam ndishicilela eli bali ukuze xa uSantie ekhulile, abe nokukhumbula ukuba olu yayilolona suku lokuzalwa lwakhe lwalulubi!