UNomsa wayebukele udadewabo omdala, uMandisa, akha umgexo. Unina wamemeza esekhishini, “Mandisa, ngicela ungiyele esitolo.
Nalu uhla lwezinto ozozithenga.” UMandisa walufunda uhla lokwakuzothengwa, “Isinkwa, imajarini, ibhotela lamantongomane, ujamu wamabhilikosi,
ufulawa, amaqanda, ushukela, ubisi, itiye nosawoti. Ngizodinga izikhwama ezimbili zokufaka konke lokhu.” UNomsa wagxumagxuma.
“Ngingahamba nawe? Ngicela ukuhamba nawe bandla?” Kwakunemali ayeyibekile. Wayezifela ngamaswidi amakhulu angamagaqa asawolintshi ayedayisa esitolo.
“Sikhona kodwa isidingo?” washo ebubula ngokunengwa uMandisa. Wayeneminyaka eyishumi nambili kanti uNomsa yena wayeneminyaka eyisithupha futhi
kwesinye isikhathi wayedinwa ngudadewabo omncane owayelokhu elandela emva kwakhe. “Kuzodingeka ukuba ungisize-ke ukuphatha izimpahla.”
“Nakanjani, nakanjani!” kwethembisa uNomsa. “Ngicela uphinde ufunde uhla futhi, ngifuna ukuzwa ukuthi yini okufuneka siyithenge.”
“Isinkwa, imajarini, ibhotela lamantongomane, ujamu wamabhilikosi, ufulawa, amaqanda, ushukela, ubisi, itiye nosawoti,”
kufunda uMandisa ngenkathi uNomsa ebala izimpahla ngeminwe yakhe. Izinto eziyishumi, eyodwa ngomunwe ngamunye.
UNomsa wayengakakwazi ukufunda, kodwa wayebukhali ekukhumbuleni izinto.
Izelamani zamantombazane zaphumela emgwaqweni. Umoya wawuvunguza! Wabhakuzisa izingubo zawo wakhukhula nodoti emgwaqweni
wayodlula ezinyaweni zawo. Lapho bedlula esaloni lezinwele egalaji likaNkk Ngubane babona uFezeka noPhumla belukwa izinwele.
UNkk Ngubane wayekhaliphe kabi ekwelukeni izinwele. UFezeka noPhumla kwakungabangani bakaMandisa abakhulu.
“Hawu, naze nabahle!” uMandisa washo lapho engena esaloni ukuze abone kahle leso sitayela esisha sezinwele. Sasisihle kakhulu.
“Ugqoke ihembe elisha,” kwasho uMandisa kuFezeka. Wagoba wathinta indwangu yakhona eyihlikihla phakathi kweminwe yakhe.
“Uyitholephi-ke lena?” UNomsa wabubula ngokucasuka. Wayefuna ukufika esitolo masishane.
Kodwa ukuphela kwento eyayibusa ingqondo kaMandisa kulezi zinsuku kwakuyizingubo zokugqoka nezinwele nezicathulo.
“Ngiyawuthanda umgexo wakho omusha, Phumla!” kwasho uMandisa egoba ukuze athinte umgexo omusha womngani wakhe.
Kusenjalo, maye! Umoya wahlwitha uhla lukaMandisa esandleni sakhe! Lwaphephuka lwayoshona ngaleya kobonda,
naluya phezu kophahla lwakwamakhelwane. Kwaphela kanjalo, lwanyamalala unomphelo! Hambiyane, lahlekiyane kanjalo nje!
“Ngaze ngasenkingeni,” kwasho uMandisa ebeka isandla emlonyeni wakhe. “Kuzodingeka ngiphindele ekhaya ngicele uMama enze uhla olusha,
kodwa uzothukuthela kabi!”
“Asikho isidingo salokho! Ngiyakhumbula ukuthi bekunani ohlwini,” kwasho uNomsa egxumagxuma. “Ngikhumbula konke.”
Waphakamisa izandla zakhe wabala izinto eminweni yakhe eyishumi. Umunwe ngamunye wawungokuthile okwakusohlwini lokwakuzothengwa.
“Isinkwa, imajarini, ibhotela lamantongomane, ujamu wamabhilikosi, ufulawa, amaqanda, ushukela, ubisi, itiye nosawoti!” kusho yena.
UMandisa wabukeka emangele. “Wenze kahle, Sisi! Ngaze ngajabula ukuthi uhambe nami. Asiphuthume esitolo masishane siyozithenga lezi zinto.
Kungenjalo uMama uzothukuthela.” Uma befika eMambhele Cash Store, uMandisa wacela zonke izinto ezazikhunjulwa uNomsa eminweni
yakhe eyishumi wazifaka ezikhwameni zokuthenga. UNomsa wayelokhu egqolozele ibhodlela elikhulu lamaswidi asawolintshi nelinye
lama-jelly babies eduze kwesisefo semali. Wakhipha imali yakhe wayinika uMandisa. Wakhomba amaswidi ayewafuna uMandisa wamthengela.
UMandisa wathenga nama-lollipop abomvu futhi. “Ngikupha lokhu ngoba ungisindise enkingeni,” kusho uMandisa.
“Ngiyazi ukuthi uthanda ama-lollipop abomvu.” Lowo nalowo wathwala isikhwama sokuthenga kwayiwa ekhaya, uNomsa elokhu encela i-lollipop yakhe.
Ekhaya, bakhipha izimpahla ababezithengile bazibeka etafuleni lasekhishini uMandisa wabe esebuza kunina wathi,
“Mama, ngingawenza ama-pancake esidlo sakusihlwa namhlanje?” Wayazi ukuthi uNomsa wayezithandela ama-pancake.
“Yebo,” kwasho unina. “Nginomsebenzi wesikole omningi okufanele ngiwumake namhlanje ntambama. Kungangisiza kakhulu ukuthi nenze isidlo sakusihlwa.”
Bendawonye uNomsa noMandisa baxuba ufulawa, amaqanda, ubisi, ushukela nosawoti omncane benza ama-pancake. Bayibeka inhlama yahlala isikhathi
esingangehora. Base benza ama-pancake, ngama-pancake, namanye futhi ama-pancake. Ekhishini kwakunuka kamnandi kanjani!
Uthe lapho uBaba efika ekhaya, waqonda ngqo ekhishini. “Ikhala lami lithi sizodla ama-pancake ngesidlo sakusihlwa!
Futhi ngiyabona ukuthi amadodakazi ami yiwona angabapheki. Nizofakani phakathi kuwona?” ebuza.
“Kuneminsi esale izolo. Singasebenzisa yona,” kwasho uMandisa. “Kukhona nojamu wamabhilikosi.
Ujamu wamabhilikosi ngiwukhonze ngaphezu kwakho konke!” kwasho uNomsa egxumagxuma. “Nami futhi,” kwasho uBaba ehleka.
Lapho uMama engena ekhishini, washaya izandla. “Nenze kahle, madodakazi ami!” kusho yena. Ama-pancakes ehla esiphundu. “Ngiyazikhumbula izithako
zeresiphi,” kwasho uNomsa. Waphakamisa izandla zakhe wazibala eminweni yakhe emihlanu, “Ufulawa, amaqanda, ubisi, ushukela nosawoti!”
Uyise wahleka wabe esemmbambatha ehlombe. “Hawu ndodakazi yami encane ekhaliphile!” kusho yena. “Mhlawumbe nami kufanele
ngisebenzise iminwe yami ukukhumbula izinto!”
