ULwesihlanu lwaluhlale luwusuku olukhulu “lweMiklomelo Yezinkanyezi”.
Kuze kube manje, uThoko wayesethole inkanyezi ephuzi yezibalo, inkanyezi ebomvu yokubhala ngobunono nenkanyezi eluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka “yezandla ezihlanzekile”. Izinkanyezi eziluhlaza okotshani kwakungezokusiza ngokuphathisa uNkosikazi McKensie isikhwama sakhe esikhulu ukusuka emotweni yakhe ukuya egumbini lokufunda. Umuntu wayethola inkanyezi esagolide yokufunda. Izinkanyezi ezisagolide zazingefaniswe nezinye!
Izinkanyezi zazihlale ziklonyeliswa ngaphambi kokuthi kukhale insimbi yokuphuma kwesikole bese zonke izingane zigijima ziya komama, kobaba, kogogo noma ko-anti bazo enkundleni yezemidlalo. Ngaphandle kukaThoko, owayehlala eduze nesikole futhi owayeya ekhaya ngezinyawo. UThoko wayehlala noMama wakhe ngemuva kwesitolo sokuthunga sikaGogo wakhe.
ULwesihlanu lwaluwusuku olukhethekile futhi ngoba uThoko wayethola imali yokuzithengela oncamnce endleleni eya ekhaya. Kanti uThoko waba nenhlanhla futhi ngalolu Lwesihlanu ngoba wafika endaweni yokupaka izimoto ngesikhathi sokuthi asize uNkosikazi McKensie ekuthwaleni isikhwama sakhe esikhulu aye egumbini lokufundela. Mhlawumbe uzowina inkanyezi eluhlaza okotshani. Noma phela bekungaba ngcono ukuthola inkanyezi esagolide.
Kamuva nje, uThoko ubesenze imizamo mayelana nokufunda kwakhe – ukufunda akhombise imizwa, ukuphumula kancane ngemuva kukakhefana bese eyama ngemuva kukangqi ukuze adonse umoya. UBrendan wayengumpetha ekufundeni, izingane eziningi zazimbiza ngokuthi “uMehlo Ayaphanga” ngoba wayesefunde izincwadi eziningi.
UThoko wasiza uNkosikazi McKensie ukuthi akhiphe amaphepha okusebenzela. Iphepha lokusebenzela langoLwesihlanu laliphathelene nesikhathi – kanti sasihamba kancane ngempela kuThoko. Wayefisa sengathi angakwazi ukwenza izinti zamawashi adwetshiwe zizungeze bese zima eSikhathini Semiklomelo Yezinkanyezi! Ngesikhathi somculo, wayengasakwazi ukulinda ukuthi kuphele umugqa wokugcina weculo elisha. Kwakunzima ukulinda iMiklomelo Yezinkanyezi.
Babengenzi lutho ngesikhathi sesifundo sokugcina, ngakho uThoko wanquma ukufunda. Kanti ngesikhathi efunda, wakhohlwa nya ngesikhathi – wathatha incwadi yokuqala, kwalandela enye nenye. Ngesikhathi esefake izihloko zezincwadi ohlwini lwezincwadi azifundile, uNkosikazi McKensie wayeseme ngomumo ukumemezela abawine izinkanyezi.
UShane, uRapelang, uCorne noTaitum bonke bathola izinkanyezi eziphuzi. UGift, uGaswin, u-Aydon, uChleo noKay-Lee bathola izinkanyezi ezibomvu. URoche, uShaunique noMiscka bathola izinkanyezi eziluhlaza okotshani. Kanti-ke uDana Rose, owayekwaze ukugeza asuse uqhakaza oluhlaza okotshani eminweni yakhe ngesikhathi sekhefu, wathola inkanyezi eluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka. UThoko wezwa sekubizwa igama lakhe.
“Thoko noBrendan,” kumemezela uNkosikazi McKensie, ebuka izinhlu zezincwadi ezifundiwe. UBrendan ufunde izincwadi ezinhlanu kanti uThoko ufunde eziyisithupha! Wagcwala injabulo ngesikhathi uNkosikazi McKensie enamathisela inkanyezi enombala osagolide esiphongweni sakhe.
“Kenqe, kenqe!” kukhala insimbi yesikole. UThoko waphuma ngejubane emasangweni esikole. Wayesejahe ukukhombisa uMama noGogo inkanyezi yakhe esagolide. Ngesikhathi efika esitodlwaneni samadonathi anongwe ngezipayisi, ubuso bakhe base bushisa ngenxa yokugijima. Indodakazi encane kaNkosikazi Ismail, uSharifa, yayizenza umninisitolo. Wanikeza uThoko idonathi elinongwe ngezipayisi elifakwe ephaketheni lephepha wase emamatheka kamnandi. “Ngiyabonga,” kusho uThoko esuka ngejubane.
“Mama! Gogo!” ememeza, engena nezicabha emnyango ongaphambili, “Bhekani ukuthi ngitholeni?”
UGogo wayeka umthungo wakhe walunguza, noMama walunguza naye.
“Sawubona, Thoko!” kusho bona. “Bekunjani esikoleni?”
“Bhekani!” kusho uThoko. UMama noGogo babheka ngesikhathi uThoko ebakhombisa isiphongo sakhe.
“Sibhekeni, Thoko?” kubuza uGogo.
“Inkanyezi yami esagolide!” kusho uThoko ngokunengwa.
“Iphi inkanyezi esagolide?” kubuza uMama.
“Le,” kusho uThoko, efuna ngeminwe yakhe esiphongweni. Kodwa wezwa isiphongo sakhe esibushelelezi kuphela! Yayilahlekile inkanyezi esagolide! UThoko wakhihla isililo ngesikhathi echaza ukuthi ubethole inkanyezi esagolide yokufunda.
“Bewukuphi ngesikhathi ugcina ukuba nayo?” kubuza uMama.
“Esikoleni,” kuphendula uThoko.
“Wenzeni ngemva kokuphuma kwesikole?” kubuza uGogo. UThoko wachaza indlela yakhe esuka isikoleni echiphiza.
“Nokho, bekuyinkanyezi eyenziwe ngephepha nje,” kusho uMama. Cha, akunjalo. Bekuyinkanyezi esagolideyekhethelo.
“Sula izinyembezi, sizohamba siyobheka inkanyezi yakho esagolide,” kusho uGogo.
UGogo wasiza uThoko wabuyela emuva ngendlela abehambe ngayo, bajika ekhoneni bahamba ngendlela eya esikoleni. Laphaya esitodlwaneni samadonathi sikaNkosikazi Ismail bathola inkanyezi esagolide kaThandi – inamathele esiphongweni sentombazanyana kaNkosikazi Ismail encane! Ngesikhathi uNkosikazi Ismail ezwa indaba kaThoko ebuhlungu, wathi, “Sharifa mntakwethu, ekaThoko leyo nkanyezi esagolide.” Kodwa inganyana enguSharifa yayiyithanda kakhulu inkanyezi kaThoko esagolide. Kwathi ngesikhathi uNkosikazi Ismail ezama ukuyisusa, uSharifa wakhala sengathi uyabulawa.
UGogo waphendukela kuThoko. “USharifa usemncane ukuthi angazi ukuthi buyini ubulungiswa. Kodwa wena usumdala ngokwanele ukuthi ungamcabangela. Myeke ayigcine inkanyezi yakho esagolide, ” kusho yena. UThoko wathi ukucabanga isikhashana. Amachopho enkanyezi esagolide ayesegoqekile, futhi yayibukeka sengathi izophinde iwe futhi. “Kulungile,” kusho uThoko, “Angayigcina uSharifa.” Kodwa wayesazizwa engemnandi ngaphakathi. Kwakungelula ukuwina izinkanyezi ezisagolide.
Kwathi ngesikhathi sokulala, uGogo walethela uThoko into yekhethelo ayemenzele yona – insiza yokubopha izinwele enenkanyezi enoqhakaza enombala osagolide. “Lokhu okokuba ngumfundi ovelele,” kusho uGogo. Wase eqabula uThoko esiphongweni enyenyeza ethi, “Lokhu okokubaintombazane enomusa ecabangela abanye abantu.” UThoko wabamba isiphongo sakhe wase ethi ukucabanga ngalokhu ngesikhathi elala: “Izinkanyezi ezisagolide zigoqana amachopho bese ziyawa. Ukuqatshulwa kuhlala ungunaphakade!”
