KwakungeLesibili begodu khabe kungayiwa esikolweni. Boke abantwana kwakufanele bahlangane ebuthelelweni leencwadi ngombana kwakulilanga eliqakathekileko. KwakuliLanga leenTjhaba lokuFunda nokuTlola, begodu abantu bephasini loke bebazokutlola, bafunde bebalalele neendatjana ngalo ilangelo.

UNeo wayethabe khulu. Umtloli amthanda khulu, u-Joan Rankin waye azokuza ebuthelelweni leencwadi azokufunda iincwadi azitlolileko, begodu uyise wayemthembise ukumphekelela ayokubona umtloli lo. UNeo wayetlole incwadi ekhethekileko ngo-Joan Rankin, wayengasakghoni ukuzibamba afuna ukumnikela incwadakhe.

Kodwana ngeLesibili ekuseni lokha uNeo nakavukako, kwakunetjhada elirarako elivela ngephunyaneni. Wakhamba wayokuhlola. Wathola umtjhini wokuhlanza wenza itjhada elimbi elirhoroza sakukhohlela sengathi uzokuthuthumba.

Uyise kaNeo wayokuqala. “Baba ke!” watjho njalo.” Kutjho ukuthi ipompi iphukile. Izokubiza kangangani ukuze ilungiswe! Kuzokufuneka sithenge umtjhini omutjha tjha.”

“Angekhe sikghone ukuthenga umthini omutjha,” kutjho unina kaNeo. “Ngiyakubawa, angekhe ukwazi ukuwulungisa? Kufanele ngiye emsebenzini, kodwana kunezambatho ezinengi ezifuna ukuhlanzwa.”

Ubaba kaNeo akhange athande ukubona unina kaNeo angakathabi, ngalokho-ke wathi, “ngizawulungisa. UNeo uzangisiza ukufuna iwebhusayidi etjengisa bonyana imitjhini ephukileko ilungiswa bunjani.”

“Baba, kodwana ungithembise ukungiphekelela ebulungelweni leencwadi,” kutjho uNeo.

“Lokho kufanele kulinde, Neo. Umtjhini wokuhlanza uqakatheke khulu. Mhlambe uGogo uzakuphekelela,” kutjho uBaba.

“Ngisazikhupha namhlanjesi,” kutjho uGogo anikina ihloko. “Ngiyacolisa, Neo. Uzakufanela ukuya ngeveke ezako.”

UNeo wakwata khulu. “Kodwana Baba, ungithembise bonyana uzongisa ebulungelweni leencwadi,” watjho njalo. “Kufanele siye khona msinyana.”

UBaba wathatha ibhokisi lamathulusi wagugula, “Ipompo yomtjhini wokuhlanza ilungiswa njani” watlola kufunjathwako wakhe.

“Arha-ke,” watjho kuNeo, amtjengisa Ikhasi. “Lokhu akubonakali kulikhuni khulu.” Ngalokho-ke, wadosa umtjhini wokuhlanza wase uyawutjhugulula ukuze akghone ukukhupha ingemuva.

Ukulungisa umtjhini kwabalikhuni kunalokha nakawukuqalileko.

“Kunomdwebo lapha,” kububula uBaba, aqale ufunjathwako wakhe. “Kodwana muncancani, angikghoni ukubona bonyana khuyini okuyakuphi.”

Ubaba wawisa esinye seenkrufu sasesigedekela ngaphasi kwesiqandisi, kwafanela bonyana adose isiqandisi ukuze athole isikrufu. UNeo waqala isikhathi. Bekuli-iri lethoba nesiquntu. Bekusele isiquntu se-iri bonyana u-Joan Rankin afike ebulungelweni leencwadi.

“Baba, ngiyakubawa,” kwatjho uNeo, eqayeqa ngokudlheganisa iinyawo. “Ngiyakubawa, yenza msinyana sizokwazi ukuya ebulungelweni leencwadi. Kufanele sikhambe nje.”

“Ngiyasebenza lapha, awusizi ngalitho, Neo!” Kutjho uBaba abonakala akwatile.

UNeo bekangakathabi. Uyise umthembise ukumphekelela, kodwana izinto bezingasakhambi kuhle sikhatheso.

“AWA, AWA, AWA,” kurhuwelela uBaba. “Angikholwa-ke kwanjesi!”

“Khuyini?” Kubuza uNeo ngelizwanyana.

“Ibhethri lami alisenamandla kwanjesi!” kurhuwelela ubaba. “Ngibawa uyongithathela itjhajara.”

Khona ngesikhatheso igezi yakhamba.

“Baba ke,” kubabaza uNeo. “Igezi ikhambile kwanjesi.”

Ubaba ubonakala akwate khulu. “Lo nguLesibili omumbi khulu. Sengiseduze nokuqeda ukulungisa umtjhini, kwanjesi angisakwazi ukufunda bonyana kufanele ngenzeni okulandelako.”

UNeo wanikina ihloko. “Iye, nguLesibili omumbi khulu. Awukghoni ukulungisa umtjhini,
nami ngibhalelwa kuyokubona u-Joan Rankin,” kodwana akhenge asatjho okhunye ngombana wabona bonyana uyise bekakwate khulu. UNeo wabetha itafula yangephunyaneni ngezandla begodu wafaka ihloko hlangana nezandla zakhe.

Ubaba wapaka amathuluso wakhe wawasusa. “Akukho okunengi esingakwenza kwanjesi,” watjho njalo.

UNeo wavusa ihloko kancani. Iwatjhi yathi mizuzu elitjhumi ukuya e-irini letjhumi. Basengafika ebulungelweni leencwadi – bangaladelwa, kodwana angakghona ukubona u-Joan Rankin begodu angakghona ukumnikela isipho sakhe. Wase uphendla amakhasi wencwajana encani ayitlolileko. Utlole indatjana wase udweba neenthombe, uGogo wamsiza ukuyihlanganisa nokuyikhavara. Ubaba wehlisa ummoya. Wase uthatha incwadi kaNeo. “Khuyini lokhu, Neo?” Kwabuza uBaba.

“Yincwadi yami,” Kwatjho uNeo ngelizwanyana. “Bengiyoyinikela umtloli engimthandako e…” Akhange asawuqeda umutjho.

“Yiza,” kutjho uBaba, adobha iinlodlhelo zekoloyakhe. “Kufanele sikhambe khona NJE! Sisengafika ebulungelweni leencwadi ngesikhathi lokha nasingareya msinyana.”

U-Joan Rankini bekathoma ukufundela abantwana indatjanakhe lokha uNeo banoyise barhabela ngebulungelweni leencwadi. UNeo wathola indawo yokuhlala ngemuva wase uhlala phasi uyalalela. Indatjanakhe yayimnandi, ngitjho neenthombe zakhona zazizihle. UNeo wafisa sengathi angadweba njengaye ngelinye ilanga.

Okuhle kunakho koke! Lokha nakaqedako uNeo wamtjengisa incwadakhe, wacabanga bonyana imnandi.

“Ingabe indatjana le uyitlole wena ngokwakho kwamambala?” Wabuza uNeo.

“Iye,” kuvuma uNeo. “Begodu neenthombe nazo zidwetjwe ngimi. Sisipho sakho, Kosazana.”

U-Joan Rankin wavula ibhege yakhe wakhupha enye yeencwadi zakhe. Ngaphakathi watlola ukuthi, “NgeyakaNeo, owenza iincwadi ezihle,” wase utlikitla igama lakhe ngamagabhadlhela wabese uyamnikela.

UNeo wathaba khulu. Wakakarela incwadi angasafuni ukuyilisa.

Ngesikhatheso uyise waya kuye. “Angekhe ukholwe,” kutjho yena. “Ngithole incwadi emayelana nokulungiswa kwemitjhini yokuhlanza, qala – imidwebo mikhulu begodu icacile. Kubayini ungangitjeli kobana kunebulungelo leencwadi elifana naleli, Neo?
Ubaba wanga uNeo. “Iincwadi zisimanga. Amabhethri wazo akaphelelwa mamandla nakanye, begodu ungakghona ukuzifunda nanyana igezi ingakhamba.”

UNeo wamomotheka ukumomotheka kwethabo wase unikina ihloko. Liqiniso. Incwadi ungayifuna nanyana kukuphi ngesinye nesinye isikhathi.