UThoko wangena kwithala leencwadi ehamba kunye noMakhulu. Walithanda kakhulu ivumba lesakhiwo esitsha. Wazithanda kakhulu iishelufa zeencwadi kunye neetafile ezibengezelayo. Namhlanje wayenethemba lokufumana incwadi ekhethekileyo aza kuyifunda. Incwadi yamabali … enemifanekiso!

Wabamba isandla sikaMakhulu esishushu xa bengena kwigumbi apho zonke iincwadi zabantwana zazigcinwa khona. Inenekazi elalisedesikeni laphakamisa intloko, labajonga lancuma. Lalinxibe ibheji encinane. Kuyo kwakubhalwe, “Li-bra-ri-an” (“So-tha-la”).

“UThoko angathanda ukuboleka incwadi kwithala leencwadi,” kutsho uMakhulu.

“Ingaba uThoko unalo ikhadi lethala leencwadi?” wabuza usothala. UThoko wanikina intloko. “Kulungile ke, ungalifumana ikhadi lethala leencwadi uze uboleke iincwadi emva kokuba nje uMakhulu ezalise olu xwebhu,” kwatsho usothala.

UMakhulu wahlala phantsi kwisitulwana esityheli esingakwitafilana eluhlaza waze waqalisa ukuzalisa uxwebhu. UThoko wahlala esitulweni esibomvu wabhekabheka. Kwakukho iitafile nezitulo ezininzi ezimibalabala. Kwakuxhonywe imifanekiso neepowusta ezimibalabala edongeni. Ezishelufini kwakukho iincwadi eziziintlobo ngeentlobo nezininzi kakhulu.

“Ndiyalithanda eli thala leencwadi,” kwasebeza uThoko. Umakhulu waphakamisa amehlo wamjonga, waze wancuma.

“Kutheni ungakhangeli incwadi emnandi oza kuyiboleka ze ugoduke nayo nje,” kwatsho uMakhulu.

UThoko wajikeleza kwelo gumbi ethe chu. Ezinye iincwadi zazikwiishelufa eziphezulu, angafikeleliyo kuzo. Kwezinye wayefikelela, kodwa ezo zona iincwadi zazinamagama amaninzi, zingenamifanekiso.

“Mandikubonise ukuba zigcinwa phi na iincwadi ezinemifanekiso, Thoko,” kwatsho lo sothala unobubele, ogama linguNadia. UThoko walandela uNadia, baya kwiishelufa awayefikelela kakuhle kuzo.

“Ungangxami, uthathe ixesha lakho,” kwatsho uNadia. “Ndiqinisekile uza kuyifumana eyona ncwadi ikulungeleyo apha.”

Ngethuba uMakhulu engenisa uxwebhu, uThoko wayesele eyifumene incwadi emlungeleyo – incwadi eyayimalunga nempuku, impungutye, isikhova, inyoka KUNYE negongqongqo eloyikekayo elalineempondo namabamba amade.

“Le ncwadi ikhangeleka ngathi iyoyikisa. Masikhangele ukuba ayikho na enye engasayikukuphuphisa kakubi,” kwatsho uMakhulu. UMakhulu wafumana incwadi eneqweqwe elihle. Yayinomfanekiso womkholonjane onxibe ilokhwe yokudanisa epinki kunye namaphiko amenyezelayo.

“Le ikhangeleka iyincwadi emnandi,” watsho uMakhulu. Kodwa uThoko wanikina intloko. Wayekwazi akuthandayo kwaye wayeyazi into ayifunayo. Ngoko ke, wayibamba nkqi incwadi yakhe.

“Aha, wonke umntu uyayithanda loo ncwadi,” kwatsho usothala xa ebona ukuba uThoko ukhethe eyiphi na incwadi. UThoko waqwalasela ngononophelo xa ebona incwadi yakhe igximfizwa isitampu esinomhla ekufuneka ayibuyise ngawo. “Nantso ke!” kwatsho uNadia, enika uThoko incwadi yakhe yokuqala ayiboleke kwithala leencwadi kunye nekhadi lakhe lokuqala.

“Ngoku ke ulilungu elipheleleyo lethala leencwadi,” kwatsho uNadia. UThoko wayevuya kakhulu!

“Yiphathe kakuhle incwadi yakho,” watsho uMakhulu xa beshiya ithala leencwadi.

Hayi loo ncwadi! Elinjani ukuba mnandi ibali! Enjani ukutsala umdla imifanekiso! Nkqu noMakhulu wathi lelona bali labantwana limnandi awakhe walifunda eli. Kwaye wathi xa uThoko ebalisela abanye abantwana ngelo bali, bonke bafuna ukuyibona loo mifanekiso.

Ngoko ke, kwathi ngomnye uLwesihlanu uThoko wayithatha le ncwadi kwithala leencwadi waya nayo esikolweni, eyiphathele uNkosikazi Rhode, utitshalakazi wakhe, ukuze amfundele ze ambonise naloo mifanekiso. Abantwana babehleka kuba babelithandile elo bali, ingakumbi uThemba, nowayefuna ukuba liphindaphindwe ukufundwa. Kodwa uNkosikazi Rhode wayivala incwadi wayinika uThoko ukuze ayifake ebhegini yakhe apho ikhuseleke khona.

Ngokuhlwa kwaloo mini, ngexesha lokulala, uMakhulu wathi, “Thoko, ngomso lusuku lokubuyisela incwadi yakho kwithala leencwadi. Oko ke kuthetha ukuba ngokuhlwanje bubusuku bokugqibela bokufunda elo bali lihlekisayo. Ngochulumanco, uThoko wavula ibhegi yakhe, kodwa incwadi yethala leencwadi yayingekho apho!

“Owu, Thoko” watsho uMakhulu, “inokuba uyishiye esikolweni!”

“Hayi,” watsho uThoko, “Ndiyifake ebhegini yam asakundinika uNkosikazi Rhode!”

UThoko wayefuna ukukhala. Wayeza kuthini usothala ukuba uThoko akayibuyisanga incwadi ngosuku olulandelayo? Ngokwenene ke watsho waqalisa ukulila!

“Ngubani onokukhupha incwadi ebhegini yakho?” kwabuza uMakhulu. UThoko wacinga, ingqondo ibethabethana.

“NguThemba Nombela!” wakhala watsho uThoko. “Ebelithande kakhulu elaa bali kangangokuba ebefuna ukuba liphindaphindwe ukufundwa!”

“Ingaba uThemba lisela?” kwabuza uMakhulu.

“Ngamanye amaxesha uThemba uyazithatha izinto engazicelanga, kodwa udla ngokuzibuyisa,” kwaphendula uThoko.

Ngentsasa elandelayo, uMakhulu noThoko baya kwaNombela ukuya kukhangela ukuba incwadi yasethaleni leencwadi ikuThemba kusini na.

“Ewe,” watsho uThemba, “Bendiza kuyibuyisa, kodwa uLinzi Dube uye wayiboleka kum.”

UThemba wabonisa uMakhulu kunye noThoko apho ukhoyo umzi wakwaDube. Ukufika kwabo kuloo mzi, uLinzi wayekhona … kodwa yona incwadi yayingekho apho!

“IkuTatomkhulu,” kwatsho uLinzi. “Akakwazi ukufunda, kodwa ebefuna ukubuka imifanekiso.”

Nabo ke behamba bonke, uLinzi, uThemba, uThoko kunye noMakhulu besiya endlwini kaTatomkhulu. Bafika ehleli phambi kwendlu yakhe engahleki eqikileka.

“Ha, ha, ha! Linzi, le ncwadi ihlekisa kakhulu! Ndiyonwabele kakhulu,” latsho eli xhego. UMakhulu wamcacisela ukuba loo ncwadi yeyasethaleni leencwadi kwaye banemizuzu nje embalwa kakhulu yokuba bayibuyisele kwithala leencwadi kwangexesha.

UThoko wayengazange ambone uMakhulu ekhawuleza ngohlobo awayekhawuleza ngalo namhlanje. Kodwa ukufika kwabo kwithala leencwadi, ucango lwalusele luvaliwe. UMakhulu wafunda isaziso waze wathi, “Kuza kuvulwa ngoMvulo kwakhona ngoku.”

“Kodwa Makhulu, usothala uza kuqumba kakhulu kuba le ncwadi bekufuneka ukuba ibuye namhlanje,” kwatsho uThoko.

“Ungazikhathazi ngaloo nto,” kwatsho uMakhulu. “USothala ndiza kumcacisela ukuba kwenzeke ntoni na. Ndiqinisekile ukuba uyayiqonda into enokwenzeka xa incwadi imnandi njengale. Wonke umntu ufuna ukuyifunda! Okwangoku ke, singakhe siqhube umzuzwana siyonwabela nangakumbi de kufike uMvulo lowo.”

Kwathi kwakufika imvakwemini yangoMvulo, uMakhulu kunye noThoko bathatha incwadi bayibuyisela kwithala leencwadi. UNadia waqaphela ukuba idlulelwe lixesha. Kodwa wathi uMakhulu akumcacisela isizathu sokuba bangakwazi ukuyibuyisa kwangexesha, wasuka

uNadia wancuma, wathi, “Libali elimangalisayo eliyaa! Thoko, kwixesha elizayo usiza, yiza nabahlobo bakho bonke ukuze babengamalungu ethala leencwadi nabo … ningamshiyi ke notatomkhulu kaLinzi naye. Sifundisa abantu ukufunda qho kusasa ngoLwesihlanu.”

Nyhani ke, koko kanye okwenzekayo.

YayingengoThemba nje kuphela owaye wathanda ukuboleka iincwadi, kodwa uLinzi nabahlobo bakaThoko abaninzi babangamalungu ethala leencwadi. Nkqu naye notatomkhulu kaLinzi! Uwathanda kakhulu amagama amatsha awafunda qho ngoLwesihlanu. Kodwa ezona ncwadi azithanda kakhulu, zezo zinemifanekiso emenza ahleke aqikileke!