Kudaladala kwakukho indodana egama linguThukile. Wayehlala nomama wakhe kwindlwana yabo encinane. Babehlupheke kakhulu kwaye umama wakhe wayefumana imalana ngokuthengisa amaqanda esikhukukazi sakhe.

UThukile wayesonqena kakhulu kangangokuba wayengenzi nto tu kwaphela. Ehlotyeni wayengqengqa emthunzini, aze ebusika ahlale, othe umlilo. Umama wakhe wayengakwazi nokumthuma ukuba ancede ngayo nayiphi na into.

Ngomnye uMvulo umama kaThukile wayenomsindo kakhulu kangangokuba wathi, “Thukile, ukuba awuphakami uyokusebenzela ukutya kwakho ndiza kuqinisekisa ukuba uphuma uphele kule ndlu.

Oku kwamkhathaza uThukile. “Kungcono kubekho into endiyenzayo,” watsho. “kweli ityeli umama wam uvakala ekhathazeke kakhulu.”

Ngoko ke ngoLwesibini, waya kumfama ohlala phesheya komlambo wayokucela umsebenzi. Umfama wathi uThukile makabiye iyadi yakhe. Ngokwenza oko wahlawulwa iingqekembe ezimbalwa zesilivere. UThukile wayengazange wanayo imali ebomini bakhe. Wazibamba ezo ngqekembe esandleni sakhe emana ezijula phezulu ukuze zimenyezele elangeni. Phambi kokuba awele emlanjeni zazisele zilahlekile zonke ezo ngqekembe.

“Sihibandini senkwenkwe,” utshilo umama wakhe esakufika ekhaya, “bekufuneka uzifake epokothweni eziya ngqekembe ukuze zikhuseleke.”

“O,kunjalo?” watsho uThukile, “Ndakwenza loo nto kanye kwixa elizayo.”

NgoLwesithathu, uThukile waphinda wahamba kwakhona. “Ndingakunceda ngeenkomo zakho?” wabuza omnye umfama.

“Ewe ungandalusela ezi nkomo,” waphendula umfama, “ndize ke ndikunike ingqayi yobisi njengentlawulo yomsebenzi wakho.”

Ekupheleni kosuku, umfama wanika uThukile ingqayi yobisi. UThukile wayithatha wayifaka epokothweni enkulu yedyasi yakhe njengoko wayeyalelwe ngumama wakhe. Kratya! Krapha! Kratya! Lwachitheka ubisi njengokuba ehamba endleleni, lwade lwaphela ubisi engqayini phambi kokuba afike ekhaya.

“Zinkosi zam!” utshilo umama. “USISIPHUKUPHUKU NGENENE! Bekufuneka uyithwale entloko ingqayi.”

“O, kulungile,” utshilo uThukile, “ndakwenza njalo kwixa elizayo.”

NgoLwesine, uThukile waya kumfazi owayesenza iyogathi. Lo mfazi wavuma ukumnika umsebenzi waza wathi uza kumnika iyogathi ukuba umncedisile. Ngaloo mva kwemini lo mfazi wamnika iyogathi ngenene uThukile. Yayikwisikhongozeli esivulekileyo nesithambileyo seplastiki, yaza yagqunywa ngelaphu ngaphezulu. UThukile wahamba wagoduka ethwele eso sikhongozeli entloko kuba umama wakhe wayethe makenze njalo. Kodwa ngexesha efika ekhaya, kwakusele iyogathi encinane kakhulu. Enye yayichithekile yaza enye yancamathela ezinweleni zakhe.

“Sihibandini senkwenkwe enguThukile,” watsho umama wakhe, “ngowuyiphethe kakuhle ngezandla zakho.”

“O, kulungile!” watsho uThukile. “Kulungile, ndakwenza njalo kwixa elizayo.”

NgoLwesihlanu, uThukile wahamba efuna umsebenzi kwakhona. Ngolu suku wasebenzela umbhaki-zonka. Lo mbhaki wayengenanto anokumnika yona ngaphandle kwenja. Ekupheleni kosuku umbhaki wamhlawula ngokumnika inja. UThukile wayithatha inja waza wagoduka eyiphethe kakuhle ngezandla zakhe.

“Le yindlela umama wam athe ndikuphathe ngayo,” uThukile uxelele inja leyo. Kodwa kungekudala, inja yaqalisa yakhwina yagqushalaza. Emva koko yamkrwempa yamluma, wade wanyanzeleka ukuba ayiyeke.

Akufika ekhaya, umama wakhe wathi kuye, “Owu Thukile, usisihiba. Bekufuneka ubophelele intambo apha entanyeni yayo uze uyitsale ikulandele.”

“Kulungile,” utshilo uThukile, “ndakwenza njalo kusasa.”

Usuku olulandelayo yayinguMgqibelo kwaye uThukile waya kusebenza esilarheni. Kweli ityeli wahlawulwa ngesixingaxinga esihle senyama. Wayithatha loo nyama, wayibophelela ngentambo wenza kanye njengoko umama wakhe ebemxelele ukuba enze njalo – wayitsala emva kwakhe! Xa efika ekhaya, inyama yayonakele yonke.

Ngaloo mini umama wakhe waba nomsindo kakhulu. “Ndiza kukuthini kanye?” wabuza. “Ngomso yiCawa kwaye siza kutya ikhaphetshu kuphela ngesidlo sangokuhlwa. Usisiphukuphuku, bekufuneka uyixwayile loo nyama.”

“Ndakwenza njalo kwixesha elizayo,” waphendula uThukile.

NgoMvulo uThukile wayokusebenzela umntu owamhlawula ngedonki. Ngoku, nangona uThukile wayomelele wakufumanisa kunzima ukuxwaya idonki. Waputalaza, waputalaza, wada ekugqibeleni wakwazi ukuyixwaya idonki. Waza waqalisa ke ngohambo lwakhe olugodukayo, ecothoza.

Endleleni yakhe egodukayo, wadlula indlu apho kwakuhlala khona indoda esisityebi. Esi sityebi sasinentombi enye kuphela. Yayintle kakhulu, kodwa yayiyiminyaka emininzi ingasathethi. Kananjalo, yayingazange ihleke nokuhleka ebomini bayo bonke. Oogqirha bathi uyakuze akwazi ukuthetha mhla kwabakho umntu othe wamhlekisa. Indoda esisityebi yayikhathazeke kakhulu yintombi yayo kangangokuba yathembisa ukuba nabani na onokuthi ayihlekise intombi yakhe, uya kuyitshatisa naye.

Le ntombazana intle yayikrobe ngefestile xa kwakugqitha uThukile exwaye idonki emagxeni. Imilenze yedonki yayijonge phezulu ikhabalaza emoyeni kwaye loo mbono wawukhangeleka uhlekisa kakhulu, kangangokuba le ntombazana yatsho ngesiqhazolo sentsini. Ngoko nangoko yakwazi ukuthetha kwakhona le ntombazana.

Indoda esisityebi yayonwabe kakhulu, yaza yasigcina nesithembiso sayo – yathi intombi yakhe ingatshata noThukile. UThukile waba yindoda esisityebi kakhulu ngenxa yokuba waba nje waba sisiphukuphuku esathi saxwaya idonki emagxeni aso!

Ukususela ngaloo mini, uThukile wahlala endlwini enkulu ehlala nomfazi wakhe kunye nomama wakhe, ekwakungasafuneki ukuba asebenze kwakhona. Ewe nje, noThukile zange kuphinde kubekho mfuneko yokuba athwale enye into kwakhona.