UJabu wayengumfana owayethanda izinkambo zokuthola ulwazi. Wayehlala emzaneni omncane wase-Eastern Cape nogogo wakhe, nomkhulu, no-anti, nomalume, nabazala abaningi. Nakuba uJabu ayevame ukudlala nabazala bakhe nabangane bakhe, into ayeyithanda kakhulu, kwakuwukuhamba aye ehlathini ngakubo ayofuna ukuthola ulwazi ngezinto.

Zaziziningi izinto ayengazenza ehlathini. Wayengabuka izinyoni, wayengafuna imineke, noma wayengabukela imihlwa yakha izidleke zayo.

Nsuku zonke uJabu wayeba nesikhathi esimnandi ehlathini, kodwa njalo kwakumdabukisa ukuthi wayengakwazi ukuxoxela abazali bakhe ngezinkambo zakhe zokuyofuna ulwazi.

Umama nobaba kaJabu babehlala eMossel Bay eWestern Cape. Babemshayela ucingo maviki onke, kodwa ngokuvamile uJabu wayeba nemizuzu embalwa nje yokukhuluma nabo ngoba wonke umuntu wayefuna ithuba lokukhuluma nabo.

“Nginike ucingo. Kunento engifuna ukuyibuza u-Anti,” kusho omunye wabazala.

“Nginomyalezo obalulekile kababa wakho,” kumemeza umalume.

Lapho esalinde ithuba lakhe, umqondo kaJabu wawugijima ucabange ngazo zonke izinkambo ezijabulisayo ayefuna ukuxoxela abazali bakhe ngazo. “Ngizobaxoxela ngesikhathi ngibona inyoni enkulu ibamba igundwane lasendle. Cha! Ngizobaxoxela ngemineke engiyibonile idla amaqabunga namuhla ekuseni. Cha! Ngizobaxoxela ngomuhlwa ohambe wangena esikhindini sami. Cha! …” futhi imicabango yakhe yayiqhubeka kanjalo.

Lapho kufika isikhathi sakhe sokukhuluma nabazali bakhe, uJabu wayeba nezinto eziningi zokuzisho kangangoba wayegcina esevele woma nje ocingweni wathula, engazi ukuthi iyiphi indaba okumele ayixoxe.

Kwase kuthi, ngelinye iviki, uthisha wakhe, uMrs Nako, watshela ikilasi ngencwadi ekahle okuthiwa yidayari.

“Idayari yincwadi enamakhasi amaningi ongabhala kuwo,” kusho uMrs Nako ekilasini. “Ikhethekile ngoba ikhasi ngalinye lingelosuku olulodwa onyakeni kusukela kuJanuwari ukuya kuDisemba. Ungayisebenzisa ukubhala izinto ezibalulekile ezenzeke phakathi nosuku lwakho. Ungabuye uphawule nezinsuku ezithile, njengosuku lwakho lokuzalwa, ukuze ukwazi ukukhumbula ukwenza izinto ngalolo suku.”

UJabu wajabula!

“Yilento engiyidingayo!” ecabanga ejabulile. “Ngidinga idayari ukuze ngibhale kuyo zonke izinkambo zami zokuyofuna ulwazi. Khona-ke ngingahlala phansi futhi nginqume ukuthi yiziphi izinkambo engifuna ukuzixoxela abazali bami lapho befona ngokuzayo!”

Ngokushesha nje ngemva kwekilasi, uJabu wagijima waya kuMrs Nako futhi wambuza ukuthi unayo yini idayari, ngisho nendala, ayengayisebenzisa.

Ngenhlanhla, uMrs Nako wayeze namadayari athile amancane ekilasini enzela uma kunabafundi abawafunayo. UJabu wajabula kakhulu. “Ngiyabonga, Mrs Nako. Awazi ukuthi ibaluleke kangakanani kimi!” esho emamatheka.

Idayari yakhe entsha yayincane ngokwanele ukuba ingene ephaketheni, ngakho wayekwazi ukuyiphatha yonke indawo. Yayiluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka futhi inentambo ngaphakathi. UMrs Nako wathi angasebenzisa intambo ukumaka ikhasi afuna ukuvula kulo.

“Gogo, bheka idayari yami entsha!” uJabu ememeza esesesangweni njengoba efika ekhaya evela esikoleni. Wayejabule kakhulu kangangoba akalibonanga ichibi elikhulu elinodaka elalingaphambi kwakhe. Washo phakathi futhi wawa kwaxhaphaka amanzi aya phezulu! Bonke bahleka kakhulu – ngisho noJabu waqala ukuzihleka.

“Hawu, Jabu,” kusho uGogo. “Ngakutshela ukuthi ungaboshesha kakhulu uma ujabulile. Bheka manje umbozwe ngamanzi anodaka! Kodwa ngenhlanhla idayari yakho entsha ayimanzanga.”

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“Kunjalo Gogo.” kusho uJabu njengoba esukuma. “Kodwa lesi yisenzakalo sokuqala engizobhala ngaso kudayari yami!”

Lapho uJabu esezihlanzile futhi ephumule ngemva kokudla kwakusihlwa, wahlala phansi eduze noGogo futhi waqala ukubhala.

Ngemva kwezinsuku ezimbalwa, uJabu wajabula kakhulu ngoba wayebhale izinkambo eziningi kudayari yakhe entsha. Wafaka intambo endabeni echaza indlela awa ngayo echibini elinodaka.

“Ngiyayithanda le ndaba, Gogo,” kusho uJabu. “Le ndaba ingisiza ukuba ngikhumbule usuku engathola ngalo idayari yami. Futhi amakhono ami okubhala aya eba ngcono, Gogo, ngoba ngiyabhala nsuku zonke!”

“Kuhle kakhulu, Jabu,” kusho uGogo, emamatheka embhekile. “Manje, thatha idayari yakho ngoba abazali bakho bazofona khona manje.”

UJabu wakhipha idayari ephaketheni lakhe. Wazizwa ejabulile kakhulu ngoba ekugcineni wayazi ngokuthe ngqo ukuthi yini ayezoyisho lapho sekuyisikhathi sakhe sokuba akhulume ocingweni!

Yenza indaba ihlabe umxhwele!

• Dweba umfanekiso obonisa le ngxenye yendaba: Lapho uJabu esezihlanzile futhi ephumule ngemva kokudla kwakusihlwa, wahlala phansi eduze noGogo futhi waqala ukubhala.
• Thola izidalwa ezine uJabu azibona kule ndaba.
• Yenza idayari ye-aphula eyi-3D ekhasini 4. Bhala ngento eyodwa ejabulisayo eyenzeke kuwe namuhla.