Kwake kwaba newesifazane losemusha ligama lakhe lokungu-Matty. Abehlala epulazini lelincane, lapho umhlabatsi wakhona wawulukhuni futsi kusebenta kumatima. Kodvwa Matty abengumlimi lowehlukile. Ngekutimisela abesebenta kulelo langa lelishisa bhe kuze alime tibhidvo letenele kuze atitsengise emakethe lephitsitelako eceleni kwalapho abehlala khona.

Nasetilungile titjalo takhe, futsi titinyenti kakhulu, Matty abetipakisha ebhasikidini ahambe aye emakethe, tihlatsi takhe betivakashela tindlebe ngenjabulo. Abetsi: “Lamuhla ngitatitsengisa tonkhe letibhidvo mhlawumbe bese ngititsengela lokutsite.”

Uyabona, lokutsandzekako kuMatty kwakummele emakethe. Bekungemahhabhula – lamakhulu, lanambitsekako, emahhabhula lamnandzi kakhulu. Wehluleka kutibamba akhangwa kunambitseka kwawo. Bekangumhlomelo wakhe ngawo wonkhe umsebenti wakhe wekutimisela.

Endzaweni yetitselo, Matty wahlangana nagogo lonebungani, tihlatsi takhe tatibovu njengemahhabhula lavutsiwe. Emehlo akhe abecwabita njengoba abukela Matty ancoma lesitselo lesimibalabala.

Matty ingcondvo yakhe beyigijima njengoba acabanga kutsi ngumaphi emahhabhula labekatawatsenga awasebentise nakaphindze abhaka. “Emahhabhula labovu, amnandzi nawubhaka likhekhe,” kusho Matty ngalokuvakalako njengoba atsatsa lihhabhula lelibovu. “Futsi mhlawumbe emahhabhula lokutsiwa yi-Granny Smith kuze ngente iphayi, nemahhabhula lambalwa lokutsi yi-Honey Crisp ekwenta emamafini. Bese nakanjani kuba ngemahhabhula lokutsiwa yi-Golden Delicious ekwenta emahhabhula lafutfumele.” Njengoba abita ngeligama lihhabhula ngalinye, Matty abewafaka ebhasikidini yakhe.

Logogo wahleka. Welula sandla waniketa Matty lihhabhula legolide. “Noma ngubani lotsandza emahhabhula kangaka, ufanelwe kuphiwa intfo lekhetsekile. Mina, tsatsa nali lihhabhula lelikhetsekile. Ngaso sonkhe sikhatsi litakujabulisa,” kusho logogo.

“Ngibonga kakhulu,” kusho Matty abonga. Lelihhabhula legolide belilikhulu futsi lilihle kakhulu kwendlula noma nguliphi lihhabhula lake walibona. Besekajake kufika ekhaya kuze alive kutsi linjani.

Njengoba lilanga lishona emagcumeni, Matty wabuyela epulazini lakhe. Ngekucophelela wahlela futsi wageza onkhe lamahhabhula akhe, ahlabela ngenjabulo njengoba asebenta. Abetawubhaka konkhe kudla lokumnandzi labekakucabanga, kodvwa wagcina lelihhabula leliyigolide lelikhetsekile kuze alidle.

Ngemuva kwekuba Matty sekahlele futsi wageza onkhe lamahhabhula, watsatsa lelihhabhula leliyigolide lelikhetsekile. “Nyalo sesikhatsi sekudla kwami lokukhetsekile,” kusho Matty. Kodvwa watsi nje sekataliluma, kwaphuma inhloko lencane embotjeni kulelihhabhula.

“Ungangidli!” kukhala sibungu.

Matty walilahla phansi lelihhabhula amangele. “Kwentekani emhlabeni?” akhamisa.

Lesibungu saphuma, sihlahle emehlo sicolisa. Satsi: “Ngiyacolisa ngekudla lihhabhula lakho, kodvwa belinambitseka!”

Matty bekangati kutsi kufanele atfukutsele noma cha. Logogo abemtjele kutsi lelihhabhula ngaso sonkhe sikhatsi litamletsela injabulo, kodvwa nyalo besekangasaciniseki ngaloko.

Ngemuva kwaloko Matty wabubula futsi watsi, “Sibungu lesincane, unenhlanhla ngijabulile lamuhla. Asengingcwabe lelihhabhula lakho ngemuva kwendlu yami kuze ulidle ngekuthula, ukudze netinyoni.”

Njengoba Matty afaka lelihhabhula emgodzini labekawugubhile, lesibungu satsi, “Usale kahle, Matty. Ngiyakwetsembisa kutsi ngitakubhadala ngenca yemusa wakho.” Matty wasivalelisa wabuyela emuva wayobhaka.

Ngakusasa ekuseni, njengoba imisebe yelilanga yekucala ibonakala esibhakabhakeni, emehlo aMatty avulekela ephungeni lelimnandzi langakaze sekalihogele. Wagijima waya ngephandle futsi imihlatsi yakhe yawa ngekumangala. Embhikwakhe bekunalesikhulu sihlahla semahhabhula, emagala aso abesindvwa ngemahhabhula lamahle langakaze sekawabone.

Matty wajayiva eceleni kwalesihlahla, luhleko lwakhe luhambisana nengoma yetinyoni. Watsatsa lamahhabhula, ngalinye ngalinye, amangele ngalesimangaliso lesenteke ebusuku.

Ngalobo busuku, Matty wabuyela kulesihlahla, wabeka limafini lalibhakile etimphandzeni taso. “Ngiyabona,” asho ahleba. “Logogo bekacinisile ngoba lesihlahla vele ngaso sonkhe sikhatsi singiletsela injabulo!”

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Ngusiphi sitselo lositsandzako? Dvweba sitfombe saso. Ngaphansi kwesitfombe sakho, bhala lomusho, “Sitselo sami lengisitsandzako yi …”. Ungacela lotsite akusite ubhale umusho wakho.
Bhala luhla lwato tonkhe tintfo longatenta usebentisa sitselo sakho lositsandzako. Kungaba yintfo loyibhakako noma loyiphekako, ijusi noma iphudingi lebandzako.
Cabanga ngeliphunga, kunambitseka, isheyiphi nembala welihhabhula noma lesinye nje sitselo. Cabanga ngemsindvo lesiwentako nawusiluma. Nyalo bhala inkhondlo ngalesitselo.