UPalesa noGracie solo bathoma ukuba bangani abakhulu nabaneminyaka emithathu ubudala. Bebabomakhelwana, nabonina bebabangani. Batjhiyana ngenyanga yinye begodu bakhuliswe kwangathi bayalamana. Bebenza yoke into ndawonye. Bebafunda esikolweni sinye bagcina sele bafunda eklasini elilodwa! Kwathi ngelinye ilanga, nasele abantazanaba bakhula khulile, kwenzeka okuthileko okwabazwisa ubuhlungu.

UGracie wafika ekhabo Palesa alila. “Kwenze njani?” Kubuza uPalesa, utshwenyeke khulu ngomnganakhe. “Ubaba ufumene umsebenzi kwelinye idorobho begodu umndenekhethu kufuze uthuthe,” UGracie ukhuluma alila. Abantazana ababilaba balila kabuhlungu. “Mma, uGracie angeza azokuhlala nathi?” UPalesa ubawa unina. “Mma, uPalesa angakhamba nathi?” UGracie ubawa unina. Kodwana okubuhlungu kukuthi, angekhe kwakghoneka ngombana omunye nomunye umntazanyana kufuze ahlale nomndenekhabo.

Ngaphambi kwelanga lokuthutha komndeni wekhabo Gracie, uPalesa wacabanga ngesipho esikhethekileko angasipha umnganakhe. Begade kuyibhengela ehle ayiphiwa ngugogwakhe eminyakeni embalwa edlulileko. Umfazi owathengisela ugogwakhe ibhengela le wathi wenze imihlobo emibili kwaphela. Enye inomkghabiso wenyanga kuthi enye ibe nomkghabiso wengelanga. Ugogo kaPalesa wakhethela uPalesa enomkghabiso welanga. “Ukukhanya kwamaphilwethu,” watjho njalo nakanikela uPalesa ibhengela.

Ngemva kobana ugogo kaPalesa ahlongakale, uPalesa bekezwa ithando lakagogwakhe nakambethe ibhengela le. Begade iligugu khulu kuye. “Ngifuna ukuyinikela uGracie ibhengela le,” UPalesa ukhuluma yedwa. “Izomkhumbuza ukuthi sizokuhlala sibangani abakhulu.” UGracie wathuthela esikolweni esitjha, kodwana bekahlala ahlulukele umnganakhe. Abantazana ababilaba bebahlala batlolelana qobe nabafumana ithuba. Ngelinye ilanga, uPalesa wafumana iphasela ngeposo. Beyibuya kuGracie. “Kazi kunani ngaphakathi,” kutjho uPalesa njengombana unina amnikela yona. “Ivule!” Kumomotheka uMma. Okwamangaza uPalesa, kukuthi wafumana ibhengela efana naleya ayipha uGracie ngaphakathi kwephasela. “Kubayini uGracie abuyise ibhengela yami?” Kubuza uPalesa, utshwenyekile begodu udanile.

Kodwana uPalesa nakaqalisisa ibhengela le kuhle, wabona ukuthi le inomkghabiso wenyanga. “Le yibhengela uGogo angitjela ngayo!” UPalesa utjho amomotheka. Begodu wafumana nencwadi ebuya kuGracie. UGracie bekatlole ukuthi: Ngifumene ibhengela le emzini wekhaya omutjha. Ngilingile ukuyibuyisela kumnikazi kodwana wathi ngingayithatha, sisipho. Ngikuthumele yona ngombana ngifuna ukukukhumbuza ukuthi sizokuhlala sibangani abakhulu. 

UPalesa bekazi ukuthi leli litshwayo lokuthi bazokuhlala babangani ngitjho nanyana bangahlali endaweni eyodwa. Bebafana nelanga nenyanga, enye nenye ikhanyisa ngendlela yayo.

Yenza indaba le ibemnandi!

•  Unaye umngani omkhulu? Khuyini oyithandako ngomnganakho omkhulu?
•  Dweba isithombe sakho unomnganakho omkhulu nenza izinto enithanda ukuzenza.
• Ungatlola bewukghabise incwadakho utjho bona umthanda kangangani umnganakho omkhulu. Ungathoma incwadakho ngokuthi, “Jabu othandekako, ngiyathokoza ngokuthi ube mnganami. Ngiyakuthanda ngoba...”