“Khanya, sikhathi sokulala” kutjho uMma.
“Awa, awa,” kuphendula uKhanya. “Angilali namhlanjesi Mma.”
Akhange kumthabise ukuzwa lokho uMma, “kubayini mntwanami? Kusebusuku begodu kusasa uya esikolweni.”
“Angifuni ukulala ngombana ngisaba amaphela,” kuphendula uKhanya.
“Awa, Khanya, awekho amaphela ekhayapha” kuphendula uMma.
“Akhona!” Kutjho Khanya. “Ngiwezwile. Begodu kungenzeka aphaphile angena efasidereni lami ebusuku.”
“Asikhambe siyowaqala ngekumbenakho,” kutjho uMma. “Ngemva kwalokho sizokuvala ifasidera lakho.”
UMma noKhanya bazuma amaphela. Baqala yoke indawo: ngaphasi kombhede, ngemva komyango, ngaphasi komada, ngaphakathi kwebhokisi lezinto zokudlala nemakhabetheni. Kuthe lokha uKhanya nasele anelisekile bona alikho nalinye iphela ekumbenakhe yokulala, uMma wamlayelisa ngokumcabuza wacima bewavala nomnyango.
Kodwana bobabili baqede isikhathi esinengi bazumana namaphela kangangobana bakhohlwa nokuvala ifasidere!
UKhanya waziphosela ngaphakathi kweduvedi yakhe, wabamba unompopanakhe wacabanga ngelanga lakhe lakusasa esikolweni. Besele azokulala ubuthongo nakezwa itjhada elingakajayeleki. KHRRRR! KHRRRR! Warhudula amehlo. Walala wangasikinyeka.
KHRRRR! KHRRRR! Kwamambala bekunetjhada elincani elizwakalako, elitswininizako elivela khona ngekumbenapha. Kodwana kuphi? Khuyini eyenza itjhadeli? Kghani liphela? UKhanya walula isandla sakhe kabuthaka wakhanyisa ilambha eliseqadi kombhedakhe.
Waqalaqala ngekumbeni. Huuu! Kwabancono, akakaboni litho ethusako. Kuthe asacabanga bona kungenzeka bekabhudanga kunetjhada, amakhetheni athoma ukusikinyeka netjhada lathoma ukukhula. KHRRRR! KHRRRR! UKhanya wathukwa kwaba makhaza emathunjini. Warhudulela ikhetheni lakhe amehlo, wabamba nomoya bona angaphefumuli.
Kusesenjalo, kwavela iphela elithusako elibrawuni linanaba ekhethenini lakhe elihle elitjheli leza, laphaphela phezu kombhedakhe. Maye mina! UKhanya wadosa iduvedakhe wagubuzela wathona ukuqhaqhazela.
Okwarara uKhanya khulu kukuthi msinyana wezwa iphela likhuluma. “NginguMnu Rocky Roach, kunjani?” Liyamlotjhisa.
UKhanya akhange aphendule. Wathula du! Wangasikinyeka alokhu azifihle ngaphasi kweduvedakhe.
“Awukafundiswa kuhle wena!” Kutjho iphela. “UMmakho akakakufundisi imikghwa emihle?”
“Nginemikghwa emihle,” kuphendula uKhanya ngephimbo eliphasi angaphasi kweduvedakhe. “Kodwana ngiyakusaba mina, ngaphandle kwalokho umma ungifundise bona ngingakhulumi nabantu engingabaziko.”
“Iye, kunjalo kufuze ungakhulumi nabantu ongabaziko,” kuvuma iphela. “Nakhu engizokwenza, ngizokukhamba ngiyozazisa kummakho ngemva kwalokho angekhe ngisaba mumuntu ongamaziko.”
UKhanya uphendula asazifihle ngaphasi kweduvedi, “akusimbono omuhle loyo, Mnu Roach.”
“Kubayini?” Kubuza iphela lirarekile ngombana belicabanga bona loyo mbono omuhle khulu!
“Ngombana uzokurhuwelela nakakubonako,” kuphendula uKhanya. “Begodu kungenzeka akubethe ngomthanyelo.”
“Njani manje!” Iphela lidosa umoya. “UMma orhuwelelako nomthanyelo kuzwakala kuthusa lokho.”
“Mnu Roach,” kutjho uKhanya. “Nangingaveza ihlokwami uyathembisa bona angekhe ungilume?”
“Ngizakuthi ngikulumelani?” Kubuza iphela lihleka.
UKhanya wasusa iduvedi ehlokwakhe waphendula wathi, “kanti akusingilokho amaphela akwenzako?”
“Akusikho nakancani!” Kuphendula iphela.
“Alo! Nenzani?” Kubuza uKhanya.
“Zinengi izinto esizenzako,” kuhlathulula iphela. “Into engiyithanda khulu kugida ngibethe iinyawo phasi. Ngigida kamnandi khulu ngombana ngineenyawo ezisithandathu.” Iphela lathoma ukugidela uKhanya phasi endaweni eyenziwe ngekhuni.
“Aaa,” kukhuza uKhanya. “Ugida kamnandi khulu. Ngifisa ngathana nami bengineenyawo ezisithandathu. Yini enye okghona ukuyenza?”
UMnu Rocky Roach wavula amaphiko, “ngikghona ukuphapha kodwana kufuze ngivume bona angikwazi kuhle.”
“Yazi, ngifisa ngathana nami nginamaphiko njengawe,” kuphendula uKhanya. “Khuyini okhunye okghona ukukwenza?”
“Nginamaphondo naka,” kuphendula iphela, lijikisela ihlokwalo ngapha nangapha.
“Ngewokwenzani?” kubuza uKhanya, osele ahlezi emaphethelweni wombhede.
“Angisiza bona ngiqunte ukuthi ngizokutjhingaphi,” kuhlathulula iphela.
“Yazi, ngifisa ngathana nami nginamaphondo,” kutjho uKhanya. “Kuhle kuhle, ngifisa ngathana ngiliphela!! Kodwana ngifisa ukuba liphela elinemibalabala – mhlamunye elihlaza okusipiridzana namabala atjheli.