Kwidolophu yaseMahikeng, kwakuhlala inkwenkwana egama linguKabelo. Akukho nto awayeyithanda ngaphezu kokupheka uKabelo. Wayepheka ukutya okumnandi okwakuthandwa ngumntu wonke kusapho lwakhe. UKabelo wayekwayincutshe nasekubhakeni. Wayebhaka iikeyiki nezonka. Kananjalo wayephekela nabantu abangenamakhaya isuphu, kwindawo awayehlala kuyo. 

Ngenye intsasa esikolweni, uNkosikazi Ramaila, ongutitshala kaKabelo, wacela wonke umntu eklasini ukuba axele ukuba xa egqibile esikolweni ngenye imini unqwenela ukwenza ntoni na. 

Yashukuma intombazana. “Ndinqwenela ukuba ngusomajukujuku ukuze ndiye emajukujukwini ngesiphekepheke,” yatsho le ntombazana. 

“Ndinqwenela ukuba ngugqirha,” yatsho enye inkwenkwe. 

UKabelo waphakama ke naye emva koko. “Mna ndinqwenela ukuziphilisa ngokupheka,” watsho. “Ndifuna ukuba yincutshe yompheki.” 

Kwabothusa bonke abantwana oku. Baqala ngokumjonga ntsho-o uKabelo bemangalisiwe, baze bonke bamwa ngentsini. 

“Kodwa ukupheka ngumsebenzi wamantombazana nje,” yahleka isitsho enye intombazana. 

UNkosikazi Ramaila wayalela wonke umntu ukuba athule, abambe ucwangco. “Ungayiyo nantoni na ofuna ukuba yiyo, Kabelo,” watsho ngobubele. “Ungayimameli le ntshwaqane bayithethayo.” Kodwa uKabelo wayesele ekhathazekile. 

Endleleni egodukayo evela esikolweni abanye abantwana baqhubeka ngokumqhwaya, bemchwikisha. 

Akufika ekhaya, uKabelo wabona utata wakhe ehlamba izitya lo gama umama wakhe elungisa isidlo sasemini. 

“Bekunjani esikolweni namhlanje?” kwabuza utata wakhe. 

“Ndihlekwe nguye wonke umntu xa bendibaxelela ukuba ndifuna ukuba yincutshe yompheki ukuze ndiziphilise ngokupheka,” wachaza njalo uKabelo. “Bebesithi asingomsebenzi wamakhwenkwe ukupheka, ngumsebenzi wamantombazana. Baphinda bathi amakhwenkwe enene adlala ibhola yombhoxo nesoka. Kodwa mna andizithandi ezo zinto!” 

Utata wakhe wamanga. “Ubusazi ukuba abanye babapheki ababalaseleyo ehlabathini ngamadoda?” 

UKabelo kwammangalisa oku waza wabuza wathi, “Ngenene?” 

“Ewe!” watsho utata wakhe ekhupha iselula yakhe epokothweni. “Jonga!” Ubonise uKabelo imifanekiso yabapheki abaninzi abangamadoda ehlabathini. Babuka imifanekiso yazo zonke iintlobo zokutya okuhle okuphekwe ngabapheki abangamadoda waze ke uKabelo waqala waziva ebhetele noko. 

“Ufanele ukungenela ukhuphiswano lokupheka, Kabelo,” watsho umama wakhe kuye. “Kukho olunye olubizwa ngokuba lukhuphiswano lweeNcutshe zabaPheki abaseLula kwaye luphuma rhoqo apha kumabonwakude.” 

Wangqina naye utata wakhe. “Ewe,” watsho, “upheka kakuhle kakhulu. Ungagqwesa koluya khuphiswano.” 

Kwenzeka ngolo hlobo ke ukuze uKabelo angenele ukhuphiswano lweeNcutshe zabaPheki abaseLula. 

Emva kweenyangana ezimbalwa, njengenxenye yokhuphiswano, uKabelo wavela kumabonwakude. Wazifumana ephakathi kwabanye abapheki abaselula njengaye. Abanye kubo yayingamakhwenkwe akuthandayo ukupheka – njengaye kanye! 

Ukhuphiswano olu lwalunzima ngenene! Abapheki abaselula bacelwa ukuba bapheke izidlo abangazange bakhe bazipheka ngaphambili. Kananjalo kwakufuneka ukuba basebenzise izithako abangazange beva ngazo ngaphambili. Ngabanyengabanye, bafa namthanyana kuba bavotelwa ngaphandle ziijaji zokhuphiswano. UKabelo wayebajongile, bekhala ngethuba behamba. Wayengafuni ukuba kwenzeke kuye oko. Wazikisa ingqondo nangakumbi kwinto ayenzayo ukuze angenzi nanye impazamo. 

Akuba engenile uKabelo kumjikelo wokugqibela wokhuphiswano, umama notata wakhe babaneqhayiya nangakumbi ngaye! Isikolo sonke sasimbukele kumabonwakude – nkqu namakhwenkwe namantombazana ayehlekisa ngaye kuqala. UKabelo wasenza isikolo sakhe ukuba sizingce ngaye. 

UKabelo waziva enexhala. Ukhuphiswano lwalusondela esiphelweni, kodwa kwakusele umntu omnye kuphela awayefanele ukumoyisa ukuze agqwese. Ingxaki yayikukuba, loo mpheki mncinane naye wayelichule kanye njengoKabelo lo! 

Waqalisa ke umjikelo wokugqibela. Ingulowo kubapheki abaselula ababini eneyure nje enye yokupheka isidlo sakhe. Kwathi xa kuphakathi kwimizuzu elishumi elinesihlanu yokuqala kulo mjikelo, quba, uKabelo wachitha isitya sonke esinomxube wokwenza ipayi enesongo senkukhu. Zange avunyelwe ukuba awubuthe loo mxube – loo nto yayiza kuthetha ukuba woyisiwe kukhuphiswano. Ngoko ke kwanyanzeleka ukuba aqale phantsi kwakhona. Ngoku kwakuza kuba nzima kakhulu kuye ukuba agqibe ngexesha. Wonke umntu owayebukele uKabelo wayenexhala, kodwa uKabelo wakwazi ukugqiba ukusipheka isidlo sakhe ngexesha elifanelekileyo. 

Emva koko iijaji kwafuneka ukuba zingcamle ukutya oko kwabo. Oku kwakuza kuthathelwa kuko isigqibo malunga nokuba ngubani na kanye ogqwesileyo! Zakungcamla ke ukutya kukaKabelo zaze zavumelana ngokuthi zicinga ukuba kumnandi kakhulu. Emva koko ke zangcamla ukutya komnye umpheki omncinane lo. Zathi zicinga ukuba nako oku kwakhe ukutya kumnandi kakhulu! Zasala ke nokuthi zithathe isigqibo sokugqibela, sokuba ngubani na kanye oya kuphumelela. Ababukeli babesazi ukuba ukukhetha ogqwesileyo kwesi sibini kuza kuba nzima. 

Kwaphela iyure yonke phambi kokuba iijaji zibuye nesigqibo sokugqibela. Ogqwesileyo yayingu … Kabelo! Abazali bakhe bavuya futhi baneqhayiya kakhulu yile Mpumelelo yakhe! Unyana wabo wayeyintshatsheli yonyaka kukhuphiswano lweeNcutshe zabaPheki abaseLula. UKabelo waphumelela indebe kunye nebhaso lemali. 

Ngemini elandelayo uKabelo waya nendebe yakhe esikolweni waze wonke umntu wavuyisana naye. UKabelo wayebabonise bonke abantu ukuba namakhwenkwe angabaziincutshe zabapheki nawo! 

“Ndiyavuya ungazange ubamamele abanye babantwana ababekuchwikisha, bekunxwala,” watsho uNkosikazi Ramaila. “Uyabona ke, ndakuxelela, ungaba yiyo nantoni na ofuna ukuba yiyo!”