Ngamalanga lokha uSisanda oneminyaka ebunane nakafika ekhaya abuya esikolweni, uhlubula ijinifomu yakhe ambathe izambatho zekhaya, adle ukudla kwakhe kwemini bese uyokudlala umrabaraba nobamkhulwakhe. Bebezwa ubumnandi lokha nabadlulisa “iinkomo” zabo babhoda ibhodo kangangobana uSisanda akasafuni ukulisa. Kodwana ubamkhulwakhe uyamkhumbuza bonyana uthe ufuna ukuba mphathibhanga ngelinye ilanga lokha nasele akhulile.
“Uzakwenza bunjani lokho nangabe awuyi esikolweni esiphakemeko?” kutjho ubamkhulu enza ihlaya.
USisanda ahleke. “Ngizokuya esikolweni esiphakemeko neyunivesithi. Kungebangelo ngisebenza ngamandla kangaka esikolweni!”
USisanda mude kuneminyaka yakhe – ufuze uyise. Ubuso bakhe oburonjwana nokumomotheka kwakhe okuhle lifuzo likanina. Ababelethi bakhe bobabili bavuka ekuseni ngamalanga bayokusebenza esithamelweni seembandana esiseduze. Ngesikhathi uSisanda nabangani bakhe bathoma esikolweni, kungena iimbhesi ezizele iimvakatjhi abafuna ukuzokubona iimbandana ezihle ze-Afrika.
Ngelanga lakhe lamabeletho eladlulako, uSisanda waphatheka ngokukhethekileko – ababelethi bakhe bamtholela imvumo yokobana enzele umgidi wakhe wamabeletho esithamelweni seembandana. Iindlulamithi zesithamelweni bezimangele kobana kwenzekani ngesiqhema sabantu abanengi kangaka. Zalula iintamo zazo ezide ukuze zibone kuhle umgidi begodu zabonakala sengathi zifuna nekhekhe lamabeletho! USisanda uyazithanda iindlulamithi. Zoke iimbandana bezikhethekile kuye, kodwana ziindlulamithi ezizithobileko azithanda khulu ngehlizwakhe. Angathatha ilanga loke abukelana nazo.
Ngomunye uLesihlanu, ubaba kaSisanda wabuya emsebenzini frurhu. Khabe abonakala angakathabi nakancani.
“Kwenzenjani, baba?” kubuza uSisanda.
“Namhlanjesi umtjhitjhi weenyosi utinyele indlulamithi esikazi,” kuhlathulula uyise kaSisanda. “Ihlokwakhe beyivuvuke khulu ngonobangela wokutinyelwa amehlwakhe amahle bekavalekile. Sizame koke okusemandleni ukuyisiza, kodwana akhenge kusebenze, – yase iyafa. Okubuhlungu ukudlula koke kukobana inekonyana elisadinga itlhogomelo layo.”
“Bababe!” kutjho uSisanda athoma ukulila. “Ngifisa ngathi ngabe kunento engingayenza. Ngidlumbana bonyana umntwana wendlulamithi utshwenyeke njengami nje.”
USisanda walila, walila. Unina wazama ukumthulisa. Unina wabe wamfundela iindatjana ngesikhathi sokulala ukumsiza bonyana akhohlwe bona umzwela ubuhlungu kangangani umntwana wendlulamithi. Kusesenjalo, uSisanda wabanjwa buthongo walaliswa liphimbo elipholileko likanina.
Ngelanga elilandelako ekuseni uSisanda wavuka nombono! “Ngingakhamba nani emsebenzini namhlanjesi?” wabuza kuyise. “Nginesipho somntwana wendlulamithi.”
Ababelethi bakhe baqalana, bamomotheka base bathi, “Iye, kulungile, ungakhamba nathi.” Kwakulilanga elifuthumeleko kodwana linamafu.
Yoke into esithamelweni yabonakala ithule ngokungakajayeleki.
“Ngicabanga bonyana ilanga alikahlabi namhlanjesi ngombana lidanile ngomntwana wendlulamithi,” kutjho uSisanda.
Indlovu ekulu yaqala umndeni odlulako. “Mhlamunye iyamangala kobana kubayini umntazanyana omncani akhamba nababelethi bakhe emsebenzini,” kutjho unina kaSisanda.
USisanda avume ngehloko. “Uzokumangala nakatholako,” uyacabanga.
Bathola umntwana wendlulamithi ajame yedwa. Alengise intamo yakhe ede namehlwakhe azotho abonakala anganathabo. USisanda wajama eduze kwakhe ngendlela akghona ngayo. Wakhupha ibheganakhe encazana wase ukhupha incwadi. Ngaleso sikhathi, ababelethi bakhe basamangele, wathoma wafundela umntwana wendlulamithi incwadi. Watjhugulula ihlokwakhe waqala ngakuye wase ulalela kwangathi uzwisisa elinye nelinye igama elifundwako. Ekuthomeni, ababelethi bakaSisanda babecabanga bonyana ukufundela indlulamithi kukwenza into esimanga. kodwana batjhugulula imikhumbulo lokha nababona bonyana umntwana wendlulamithi ubukeka anokuthula kangangani – amehlwankhe alungileko aqale uSisanda.
“Indatjanami imenze wazizwa angcono,” uSisanda wacocela uyisemkhulu lokha nakafika ekhaya.
USisanda esikhathini esinengi ngemva kwamadina nangeempelaveke bekakhamba ayokuvakatjhela indlulamithi encani. Ngasosoke isikhathi nakayako, bekathatha incwadi azomfundela yona. Abangani ababili abatjhaba bebaqaleke babahle nababobabili ngitjho neenkhambi ezidlulako bezibathatha iinthombe.
Kancani, kancani indlulamithi encani yakhula, yabanamandla. Abantu besithamelweni bebayitlhogomela kuhle khulu begodu nethando lomngani wayo omutjha uSisanda belenza umsebenzi osimanga.
Ngelinye ilanga umphathi wesithamelweni wabawa uSisanda bonyana athiye umnganakhe omutjha lo ibizo.
“Ngicabanga bonyana uThokozani ligama elihle,” kutjho uSisanda.
Ngelanga elilandelako umphathi wesithamelo wadosela utitjhere kaSisanda umtato. Wamema boke abafundi betlasi kaSisanda bonyana bazokubona uThokozani. Indlulamithi ehle besele ikhulule yabayide begodu yabanamandla eenyangeni ezintathu solo uSisanda ahlangana nayo.
Ngelanga lekhambo lelo, abafundi bebanga lesi-3 besele bajame ngerhuluphelo bonyana iinyege zesithamelo zivulwe. USisanda ngokuzikhakhazisa wadosa woke umuntu phambili bonyana baye kuThokozani. Abanye abantwana baqala indlulamithi ede ngokumangala. Abanye bagigitheka ngokusaba. Utitjherabo, uKsz Khanyile, wamane wamomotheka.
“Umnganakho muhle, Sisanda. Ubenomusa khulu kuye,” watjho ngesineke.
“Ngubani ibizo lakhe?” kubuza omunye wabesanyana.
“NguThokozani,” kuphendula uSisanda.
“Ukuthi Thokozani kutjho ukuthi ‘ukuthokoza’,” kuhlathulula uKsz Khanyile.
Abantwana bahlala phasi balalela lokha uSisanda nakabafundela indatjana ayifundela uThokozani ngelanga lokuthoma abahlangana ngalo. Umphathi wesithamelo wabathatha iinthombe. Nezinye iimvakatjhi ezazidlula ngendlela nazo zabathatha iinthombe. Ngitjho nomthathiinthombe wephephandaba naye wabathatha. Umthathiinthombe wathembisa bonyana isithombe sabo sizakuba sephepheni msinyana. Woke umuntu wawahla izandla.
Ukufundela umngani ngomnqopho wokumpholisa. Sisipho esimangazako lesi!
