Kwasukasukela. Kwakukhona umfana ogama lakhe linguThukile. Wayehlala nomama wakhe endlini encane. Babempofu kakhulu kanti ukuphela kwemali eyayitholwa umama yayivela ekudayiseni amaqanda ayezalelwa isikhukhukazi sakhe.
UThukile wayeyivila elikhulu, wayehlala angenzi lutho. Wayelala emthunzini ehlobo bese ehlala eduze nomlilo ebusika. Umama wakhe wayengakwazi ukumenza ukuthi asize nanganoma yini.
Ngomunye uMsombuluko ekuseni wayethukuthele kakhulu wathi, “Thukile, uma ungayi ukuyosebenzela ukudla kwakho ngizokwenza ukuthi uhambe ungaphinde ubuye lapha ekhaya.”
Lokhu kwamkhathaza uThukile. “Sengathi kumele ngenze okuthile ngalokhu,” kusho yena. “Namhlanje umama uzwakala ethukuthele kakhulu.”
Ngakho ngoLwesibili, wayofuna umsebenzi kumlimi awayengaphesheya komfula. Umlimi wathi uThukile akalungise ucingo. Ngalokhu wakhokhelwa imali eyizinhlamvu zesiliva ezimbalwa. UThukile wayengakaze abe nemali empilweni yakhe. Wabamba imali ewuhlweza ezandleni zakhe wahamba ede eyiphonsa phezulu eyinqaka ukuze ayibone icwebezela elangeni. Walahlekelwa yiyo yonke imali yakhe ngaphambi kokuba awele umfula.
“Silima ndini somfana,” kusho umama wakhe ngesikhathi efika ekhaya, “bekumele uyifake kahle ephakatheni lakho.”
“O,” kusho uThukile, “ngizokwenzenjalo ngokuzayo.”
NgoLwesithathu, uThukile wahamba futhi. “Ngabe ngingakusiza ngezinkomo zakho?” ebuza omunye umlimi.
“Yebo,” kusho umlimi, “ngizokukhokhela ngojeke wobisi ngomsebenzi wakho.”
Ekupheleni kosuku, umlimi wanika uThukile ujeke wobisi. UThukile wathatha ujeke wawufaka ephaketheni elikhulu lejazi lakhe njengoba wayetshelwe ukuthi enze kanjalo umama wakhe. Phaxa! Phaxa! Phaxa! Lwachitheka lonke ubusi ngesikhathi ehamba endleleni kanti nojeke wawungasaphethe lutho ngesikhathi efika ekhaya.
“Kodwa nkosi yami!” kusho umama wakhe. “UYISILIMA! Bekumele uthwale ujeke ekhanda lakho.”
“Kulungile,” kusho uThukile, “ngizokwenzenjalo ngokuzayo.”
NgoLwesine, uThukile waya kowesifazane owayenza iyogathi. Wavuma ukuthi uzomnika iyogathi uma engamsiza. Ntambama ngalolo suku wanika uThukile iyogathi. Yayisesiqukathini seplastiki esivulekile esimbozwe ngendwangu. UThukile waya ekhaya ethwele isiqukathi ekhanda lakhe ngoba yilokho ayethe akwenze umama wakhe. Ngesikhathi efika ekhaya, kwase kusele iyogathi encane esiqukathini. Enye yayo yayichithekile, enye yayo yayinamathele ezinweleni zakhe.
“Thukile, silima ndini somfana,” kusho umama wakhe, “bekumele uyiphathe ngokucophelela ngezandla zakho.”
“O!” kusho uThukile. “Kulungile, ngizokwenzenjalo ngokuzayo.”
NgoLwesihlanu, uThukile wahamba futhi. Ngalolu suku wasebenzela umbhaki. Umbhaki wayengenayo enye into ayengaholela ngayo uThukile ngomsebenzi wakhe ngaphandle kwenja. Ngakho ekupheleni kosuku umbhaki wamkhokhela ngokumnika inja. UThukile wathatha inja waya ekhaya eyiphethe ngokucophelela ezandleni zakhe.
“Umama wami wathi kumele ngikuphathe kanje,” kusho uThukile enjeni. Kungaphelanga sikhathi esingakanani, inja yaqala ukukhala nokupaquza. Yase, iqala ukumklwebha nokumnepheza kakhulu kangangokuba waze wayidedela.
Uma efika ekhaya, umama wakhe wathi kuye, “O, Thukile, awuve uyisiduphunga. Bekumele ubophele intambo emqaleni wayo bese uyihola.”
“Kulungile,” kusho uThukile, “ngizokwenzenjalo kusasa.”
Usuku olulandelayo kwakunguMgqibelo, kanti uThukile wayosebenzela umnikazi webhusha. Ngalolo suku wakhokhelwa ngesigaxa senyama esihle. Wathatha isigaxa senyama, wasibopha ngentambo wase enza njengoba ebetshelwe umama wakhe − wasihudula emva kwakhe! Ngesikhathi efika ekhaya, yase yonakele iphelile inyama.
Umama wakhe wamthukuthelela kakhulu. “Ngizokwenzani kodwa ngawe?” kubuza yena. “Kusasa yiSonto manje-ke kuzomele sidle iklabishi esidlweni sakusihlwa. Ave uyisilima, bekumele uthwale inyama ehlombe lakho.”
“Ngizokwenzenjalo ngokuzayo,” kuphendula uThukile.
NgoMsombuluko, uThukile wahamba wayosebenzela omunye umuntu futhi owamkhokhela ngembongolo. Manje-ke noma uThukile wayenamandla, wakuthola kunzima ukugibeza imbongolo emahlombe akhe. Wazama wazama, kodwa ekugcineni waze wayigibeza imbongolo emahlombe akhe, ngendlela umama wakhe ayemtshele ngayo. Wase eqala uhambo lwakhe elubhekise ekhaya kancane.
Endleleni kaThukile ebheke ekhaya kwakumele adlule endlini okwakuhlala kuyo indoda enothe kakhulu. Isicebi lesi sasinendodakazi eyodwa. Yayiyinhle kakhulu, kodwa kwase kudlule iminyaka eminingi kakhulu ingathi vu. Yayingakaze futhi ihleke empilweni yayo. Odokotela babethe iyophinde ikwazi ukukhuluma futhi uma kukhona umuntu oyihlekisile. Indoda enothile yayikhathazeke kakhulu ngendodakazi yayo kangangokuthi yathi noma ubani ozokwenza ukuthi indodakazi yayo ihleke, angashada nayo.
Indodakazi enhle yayibuka phandle ngesifasitela ngesikhathi kudlula uThukile ethwele imbongolo emahlombe akhe. Imilenze yembongolo yayibheke phezulu futhi lokhu kwakuhlekisa kangangoba yaze yaphubuka yahleka intombazane. Ngaso leso sikhathi yakwazi ukuphinde ikhulume futhi.
Indoda enothile yayijabule kakhulu, yasigcina isethembiso sayo – yathi indodakazi yayo noThukile bangashada. UThukile waba indoda enothe kakhulu ngenxa yokuthi waba isilima kangangokuthi wathwala imbongolo emahlombe akhe!
Kusukela ngalolo suku, uThukile wahlala endlini enkulu kanye nonkosikazi nomama wakhe okungazange kuphinde kudingeke ukuthi asebenze futhi. Kanti, phela , noThukile akazange aphinde athwale enye into emahlombe akhe futhi.
