UPalesa noGracie babengabahlobo abasenyongweni ukususela beseneminyaka emithathu ubudala. Babengabamelwane, ibe noomama babo babengabahlobo. Babeshiyana ngenyanga ekuzalweni ibe bakhuliswa ngathi ziintombi zomntu omnye. Yonke into babeyenza kunye. Bafunda kwisikolo esinye ibe babesoloko bephela besiba kunye naseklasini! Kuthe ngenye imini, xa la mantombazana ayesele ebuqabuka, kwenzeka into eyabenza bakhathazeka kakhulu. UGracie wafika kwikhaya likaPalesa elila. “Kwenzeke ntoni?” uPalesa wambuza, exhalabile ngumhlobo wakhe. “Utata ufumene umsebenzi kwesinye isixeko, ibe kufuneka intsapho yasekhaya ifuduke,” watsho uGracie zisehla iinyembezi. La mantombazana alila kakhulu omabini. “Mama, uGracie akanakukwazi ukuhlala nathi torho?” watsho uPalesa ecenga unina. “Mama, uPalesa akanakuhamba nathi torho?” uGracie wamcenga esitsho unina.

Kodwa, ngelishwa, yayingenakukwazi ukwenzeka le nto kuba nganye kula mantombazana kwakufuneka ihlale nentsapho yayo. Ngosuku olungaphambi kokuba intsapho yakuloGracie induluke, uPalesa wacinga ngesipho esikhethekileyo awayengasipha umhlobo wakhe. Yayisisacholo esinezihombiso awayesiphiwe ngumakhulu wakhe kwiminyaka ethile edluleyo. Umama owayethengisele umakhulu wakhe eso sacholo wayethe zimbini kuphela ezolo hlobo awayezenzile. Esinye isacholo sasinesihombiso esililanga, saza esinye saba nesihombiso esiyinyanga. Umakhulu kaPalesa wayemkhethele ilanga uPalesa. “Ukukukhanya ebomini bethu,” watsho xa wayenika uPalesa eso sacholo.

Xa umakhulu kaPalesa waswelekayo, uPalesa wayesoloko eluva uthando lukamakhulu wakhe xa enxibe eso sacholo. Sasikhetheke ngokwenene kuye. “Ndifuna ukupha uGracie esi sacholo,” watsho uPalesa ethetha yedwa esebeza. “Siza kumkhumbuza ukuba mna naye siza kuhlala singabahlobo abasenyongweni.” UGracie wafudukela kwisikolo sakhe esitsha, kodwa wayemkhumbula kakhulu umhlobo wakhe. La mantombazana mabini ayebhalelana qho xa efumana ithuba. Ngenye imini, uPalesa wafumana ipasile eposini. Yayivela kuGracie. “Kazi yintoni le ingaphakathi,” watsho uPalesa xa unina emnika yona. “Yivule!” watsho uMama encumile.

Into eyothusa uPalesa kukuba kulo pasile wafumana isacholo esifana neso wayesinike uGracie. “Kutheni uGracie esibuyisile nje isacholo sam?” wabuza uPalesa, enexhala kwaye ebudana. Kodwa xa uPalesa eqwalasela esi sacholo, wabona ukuba esi sona sasinesihombiso senyanga. “Sesiya sacholo uMakhulu wayendixelele ngaso esi!” watsho uPalesa etsho ngolumbhoxo lona uncumo. Emva koko wafumana nesibhilivana esivela kuGracie. UGracie wayebhale wathi: Ndifumene esi sacholo kwikhaya lethu elitsha. Ndizamile ukusibuyisela kumniniso, kodwa uthe mandisithathe uyandipha sona. Ndikuthumelela sona ukuze ndikukhumbuze ukuba mna nawe siya kuhlala singabahlobo abasenyongweni. “Ngumnqa wokwenene lo,” watsho uPalesa, njengoko wayenxiba eso sacholo.

UPalesa wayesazi ukuba olo luphawu lokuba abo bahlobo babini babeza kusoloko bengabahlobo, nokuba sebeqelelene kangakanani. Babenjengelanga nenyanga, ngamnye evelisa ukukhanya ngendlela yakhe eyahlukileyo.

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