BekunguLesibili futsi bekungayiwa esikolweni. Bonkhe bantfwana bebatawuhlangana emtapolwati bahlanganele lusuku lolukhetsekile. BekuLusuku Lekufundza Nekubhala futsi bantfu labavela mhlaba wonkhe bebatawufundza baphindze babhale babuye futsi balalele tindzaba ngalo lona lolo lusuku.

Neo bekajabule kakhulu. Umbhali lamtsandza kakhulu, Joan Rankin, bekatawuba khona emtapolwati atewufundza tincwadzi latibhalile, futsi babe wakhe bekametsembise kumyisa ayombona. Neo bekabhale incwadzi lekhetsekile ngaye, futsi bekangasakhoni nekulindza kutsi amnike.

Kepha Neo watsi nakavuka ngaLesibili ekuseni, bekunemsindvo longetayeleki lebewuchamuka ekhishini. Wahamba wayobuka. Umshini wekuwasha bewenta umsindvo lomkhulu, losakukhwehlela kube sengatsi utawuchuma.

Babe waNeo weta watewubuka. “Hhayi bo!” kwasho yena. “Kungahle kusho kutsi kwephuke iphampu. Kutawubita imali lenyenti kuwulungisa. Kungenteka kudzingeke kutsi sitsenge umshini lomusha.”

“Angeke sibe nemali yekutsenga umshini lomusha,” kwasho make waNeo. “Ungete wawulungisa yini? Ngifanele kutsi ngiye emsebentini, futsi kunewashini lenyenti lengcolile.”

Babe bekangatsandzi kubona make waNeo aphatseke kabi wabese utsi, “Ngitawulungisa. Neo utangisita. Ngitawutfola iwebhusayithi letangikhombisa kutsi umshini lophukile ulungiswa kanjani.”

“Kepha Babe, ungetsembise kungiyisa emtapolwati,” kwasho Neo.

“Loko kutawumela kutsi kume, Neo. Lomshini wekuwasha ubaluleke kakhulu. Mhlawumbe Gogo angakuyisa,” kwasho Babe.

“Ngiyatikhipha lamuhla,” kwasho Gogo, anikina inhloko yakhe. “Ngiyacolisa, Neo. Utawuya kuleliviki lelitako.”

Neo waphatseka kabi kakhulu. “Kepha, Babe, ungetsembise kutsi utangiyisa emtapolwati,” kwasho yena. “Sifanele kutsi sihambe masinyane.”

Babe walandza libhokisi lakhe lemathulusi waphindze futsi wagugula ku-inthanethi, kumakhalekhikhini wakhe kutsi “Ilungiswa kanjani iphampu yemshini wekuwasha”.

“Nako-ke,” washo kuNeo, wamkhombisa likhasi. “Loku akubukeki kulukhuni.” Watsi ngekusho njalo, wadvosa umshini wekuwasha wabuye futsi wawugucula kute kutsi akhiphe loku lokuwuvale ngemuva.

Kepha kulungisa lomshini bekulukhuni kwendlula indlela bekubukeka ngayo.

“Kunemdvwebo lapha,” kwavungama Babe, abuka lucingo lwakhe. “Kepha mncane kakhulu, angikhoni kubona kutsi ini ingena kuphi.”

Babe wawisa sinye setikulufu sagicika sangena ngaphasi kwefriji, ngako-ke kwadzingeka kutsi advose ifriji kute akwati kutfola lesikulufu. Neo wabuka liwashi. Bese ishaye igabence insimbi yemfica. Besekusele nje ihhafu yeli-awa kutsi Joan Rankin afike emtapolwati.

“Ngiyakucela tsine, Babe,” washo agucumagcuma anjintja imilente. “Ngicela, kutsi usheshise kute kutsi sikwati kuya emtapolwati. “Sifanele kutsi sihambe manje.”

“Ngimatasatasa lapha futsi awungisiti, Neo!” Babe wabukeka atfukutsele.

Neo waphatseka kabi. Babe wakhe bekametsembise kutsi utamyisa, kepha manje yonkhe intfo ayihambi ngendlela lefanele.

“CHA, CHA, CHA,” kwatsetsa Babe. “Angikukholwa loku!”

“Ini?” Neo wabuta ngelivi lelincane.

“Manje libhethri lelucingo lwami selinemlilo lomncane!” kutsetsa babe. “Ngicela ungilandzele sifakamlilo.”

Kepha ngaso sona leso sikhatsi kwacisha gezi.

“Hhayi bo,” kwasho Neo. “Manje sekucishe gezi.”

Babe wabukeka atfukutsele kakhulu. “Lona nguLesibili lomubi kakhulu lengingatange sengimbone. Sengisemkhatsini wekucedza kuwulungisa lomshini kepha manje angisakwati kufundza kutsi yini lokulandzelako lengifanele kutsi ngikwente.”

Neo walekutisa inhloko. “Yebo, nguLesibili lomubi kakhulu lengingatange sengiwubone. Awukhoni kulungisa umshini, futsi ngishiywa nguJoan Rankin,” kepha akachubekanga nekusho lokunye lokunyenti ngobe bekabona kutsi Babe bekatfukutsele kakhulu. Neo watitsi bhaca etafuleni lasekhishini watfukusa inhloko yakhe emikhonweni yakhe.

Babe wapakisha emathulusi akhe. “Kute lesingakwenta manje,” kwasho yena.

Neo waphakamisa inhloko yakhe kancane. Liwashi belitsi alishumi emaminithi lasele kutsi kushaye insimbi yelishumi. Bebasengakhona kufika emtapolwati – batawufika ngemuva kwesikhatsi lebesibekiwe, kepha bekatawumbona Joan Rankin futsi bekasengakhona kumnika sipho sakhe. Wavula emakhasi alencwadzi lencane labekayentile. Bekabhale indzaba futsi advwebe nemidvwebo, futsi Gogo bekamsitile kutsi ayihlanganise abuye futsi ente nekhava. Babe bekehlise umoya. Watsatsa incwadzi yaNeo. “Yini lena, Neo?” kwabuta yena.

“Yincwadzi yami,” Neo washo ngelivi lelincane. “Bengitawuyinika umbhali lengimtsandza kakhulu e …” Akatange awucedzele lomushe.

“Asihambe,” kwamemeta Babe, ahlwitsa tikhiya takhe temoto. “Sifanele kutsi sihambe MANJE! Sisengafika emtapolwati ngesikhatsi lesifanele uma singaphangisa.”

Joan Rankin besacalile kufundzela bantfwana indzaba yakhe ngesikhatsi Neo naBabe wakhe bangena ngekushesha emtapolwati. Neo watfola sihlalo ngemuva wabese uhlala phasi kute alalele. Indzaba yakhe beyimnandzi, kantsi futsi netitfombe tayo nato betitinhle. Neo wafisa kutsi sengatsi naye angakwati kudvweba kanjena ngalelinye lilanga.

Futsi advwebe letinhle kakhulu? Watsi nasacedzile, Neo wabese umkhombisa incwadzi yakhe, wacabanga kutsi yinhle kakhulu.

“Ingabe lendzaba utibhalele yona wena ngekwakho?” washo ambuta.

“Yebo,” kwasho Neo. “Futsi naletitfombe tidvwetjwe ngimi. Sipho sakho, Make.”

Joan Rankin wabese uvula sikhwama sakhe watsatsa yinye yetincwadzi takhe. Ngekhatsi kwayo wabhala kutsi, “YaNeo, lowenta tincwadzi letinhle”, wabese futsi usayina ligama lakhe ngetinhlavu temagama letinkhulu wabese uyamupha.

Neo wajabula kakhulu. Wabamba lencwadzi wayicinisa bekangasafuni kuyibeka phasi.

Kwatsi kusenjalo Babe wakhe weta kuye. “Angeke ukukholwe loku,” kwasho yena. “Ngitfole incwadzi lemayelana nekulungisa imishini, futsi buka – lemidvwebo mikhulu futsi icacile. Bewungangitjeli ngani kutsi umtapolwati unetincwadzi letinje, Neo?”

Babe wabamba Neo wamsondzeta esifubeni sakhe. “Tincwadzi tiyamangalisa. Emabhethri ato akaphelelwa ngumlilo, futsi uyakwati nekutifundza ngisho nome ngabe gezi ucishile.”

Neo wamamatseka ngenjabulo wabuye wavuma,a ngenhloko. Loko bekuliciniso. Incwadzi ungayifundza nome ngabe ukuphi futsi nanome ngabe ngusiphi sikhatsi.