“Owu hayi!” waphefumlela phezulu uMotlatsi noTshepo xa ikhayiti yabo emnyama nabomvu isiwa phezu kophahla lukaNksk Ntshona futhi izibhijela ecingweni lukamabonakude.

“Masikhawulezise! Kufuneka siyitsale ukuze ikhululeke!” wakhwaza uTshepo.

UMotlatsi wanqakula umtya waze watsala. Okwamothusayo kukusuka ucingo lukamabonakude obeseluludala lugobe lude luphantse ukufika kwiithayili zophahla lommelwane wabo.

“Uza kucaphuka kakhulu uTata!” wakhala uTshepo, egquma ubuso bakhe ngezandla zakhe. 

Ingqumbo yakhe ayinakuba siso nesiqingatha saleyo kaNksk Ntshona!” waphendula uMotlatsi. Waxhakamfula umntakwabo baze bazimela ngaphaya kwegaraji. “Khangela! Nanko!”

Ngokuqinisekileyo, uNksk Ntshona wayemi phandle ngasemnyango wekhitshi lakhe ebambelele esinqeni sakhe ngezandla zakhe. Amakhwenkwe ayembona ukuba unomsindo. Wajonga phezu kophahla waze walubona ucingo lukamabonakude ukuba lugobile. Amehlo wayewakhuphe onke. Wanikina intloko. Iintshiyi wayezifinge kangangokuba zatsho zadibana esiphakathini sobuso bakhe. Wangqisha phantsi ngonyawo. Imilebe yakhe eyiquthe yangumgca omnye.

“Utata wayesixelele ukuba sibokubhabhisa ikhayiti epakini kuphela futhi nathi samthembisa ukuba siya kwenza njalo!” uTshepo wasebezela umntakwabo. 

“Sisenkathazweni enkulu ngoku,” wamngqinela uMotlatsi. “Khange simmamele! Ucinga ukuba uza kwenza ntoni?” Wakhaba uthuli ngonyawo lwakhe. 

“Mhlawumbi uTata uza kuyithatha ikhayiti yethu,” waphendula uTshepo, “okanye akasayi kusinika imali yokuthenga iilekese kwakhona.” Wayemthe ntshoo emehlweni umntakwabo.

Udano lwalucace gca ebusweni bukaMotlatsi. “Yhoo! Singenza ntoni?”

“Saphule isithembiso sethu. Isithembiso sifanele ukuba ngunaphakade.” uTshepo wahlala phantsi ethwele izandla entloko. 

“Ngoku kuza kwenzeka ntoni?” wabuza uMotlatsi esitya iinzipho zakhe.

UTshepo wazonwaya intloko. “Utata akanakuphinda asibone sithembekile kwakhona.”

“Kuthetha ukuthini oko, Tshepo? Yintoni ukuthembeka?” wabuza uMotlatsi.

“Sshh! Ungakhwazi! Uza kusiva uNksk Ntshona! Ndicinga kuthetha ukuba akasayi kuphinda asikholelwe xa simxelela into,” wasebeza uTshepo.

“Utsho into efana nangokuya ndandimxelela ukuba ndizipasile izibalo zeMathematika esikolweni?” wabuza selebilile uMotlatsi.

“Hayi, wakholelwa ngoko kuba wayifunda ingxelo yakho yesikolo,” watsho uTshepo.

“Utsho mhlawumbi xa ndimxelela ukuba nditye iayisikhrim njengesidlo sam sasemini?” wabuza uMotlatsi, ezama ukuqonda.

UTshepo wanikina intloko yakhe. “Hayi noko,” watsho. “Kufuneka ibe yinto ebalulekileyo.”

“Njengaxa bendilahlekelwe ziirandi ezimbini ebendiphe zona?” wabuza uMotlatsi. “Ndamxelela ukuba ziphume epokothweni yam evuzayo.”

“Wayesazi ukuba yinyaniso leyo kuba ipokotho yakho yayinomngxuma,” wachaza uTshepo.

“Yintoni enye ke? Ingaba kuthetha ukuba uTata uya kusishiya angaze aphinde abuye? Okanye uza kusigxotha?” wabuza seleza kukhala uMotlatsi.

UTshepo wanikina intloko. “Akanakuyenza loo nto uTata! Utata uyasithanda! Into efunekayo nje kukuba xa ubuthembise umntu ukuba akusayi kukwenza okuthile, akufanelanga kukwenza oko – nanini. Kanti xa uthembise umntu ukuba uya kwenza okuthile, kufanele ukwenze ke ukuze uthembeke kuloo mntu. Njengaxa ubuthembise uSibongile ukuba uza kumnika ipeni yokubhala entsha waza wakwenza oko! Ngoku sshh!” 

UTshepo noMotlatsi bakroba ngasekoneni yegaraji. Bambona uNksk Ntshona ejonge iselifowuni yakhe. Wayeza kufowuna.

“Wayeza kufowunela uTata! Yho hayi! Singamnqanda njani?” watsho uMotlatsi. Wayeseza kubaleka xa uTshepo wayezifaka emngciphekweni. Waziveza, waya ngqo engozini!

“Molo, Nksk Ntshona,” watsho uTshepo esiya ngakwisibiyeli. “Ndicela uxolo ngokungazenzisiyo ngocingo lwakho lukamabonakude.”

UNksk Ntshona wamjonga enyusa esehlisa amehlo imilebe yakhe eyivale mba. Wayephefumla ngobungxamo. “Tshepo, uyazi ukuba ucingo olutsha luziindleko. Mhlawumbi kuza kufuneka ukuba ufune umsebenzi ukuze undithengele olutsha!” Ilizwi lakhe laliphezulu kangangokuba lalingathi yintsimbi ebethwayo.

“Utata wethu usinika imali yokuzithengela esikufunayo,” watsho uMotlatsi esondela ukuze eme ecaleni komntakwabo. “Siza kusebenzisa imali yethu ukukuthengela ucingo olutsha.” Wayenqwenela ukuba kuthi kanti zange ayithethe loo nto kodwa wayesazi ukuba ufanele ukutsho.

“Inene?” watsho uNksk Ntshona elinyusela phezulu ilizwi lakhe. “Niyifumana nini imali futhi yimalini?”

“Ingulowo kuthi ufumana iirandi ezintlanu ngeveki,” bathethela phantsi bobabini, bebhekela kancinane kuye.

“Ziirandi ezilishumi ezo ngeveki. Singayigcina imali yethu …” watsho uTshepo, ngelizwi elizekelelayo. Kungathatha ixesha elide ukuthenga ucingo olutsha ade uTata afumanise okwenzekileyo.

La makhwenkwe mabini azixakekisa ngokujongana eziva engenamandla okuzinceda ade alibala ngoNksk Ntshona. Athi xa ephinda emjonga, amangaliswa kukubona inkangeleko yobuso bukaNksk Ntshona ekhululekileyo nengathi yeyomntu osephupheni.

Amakhwenkwe ayebambe imiphefumlo.

“Bantwana, ndakhe ndaba nayo nam ikhayiti. Yayinombala ongwevu nopinki. Ndema egadini yendlu katatomkhulu wam eLesotho ndibambe umtya wayo. Yenyuka yaya phezulu esibhakabhakeni. Yayibukeka yonwabile. Ndayiyeka yahamba. Ndayibukela intingela phezulu nangakumbi ndade andayibona nakancinane.”

Wawancumela amakhwenkwe. “Kulungile, Tshepo noMotlatsi. Andisayi kumxelela utata wenu. Oluya cingo oludala belungasasebenzi kakuhle kakade. Besendifanele ukuthenga olutsha. Mandiye kuthatha ileli ukuze nikhwele nithathe ikhayiti yenu.”

Uthe xa ehamba bamva esithi, “Ngathi ndinaso nesiphungo esishushu setshokoleythi kunye nekeyiki ekhitshini nakuba nihlile elelini!”

Amakhwenkwe ajongana ancuma.

Sebenzisa ubugcisa bakho!

Ebalini, kukho inkcazelo yendlela obukhangeleka ngayo ubuso bukaNksk Ntshona xa enomsindo. Khuthaza abantwana bakho ukuzoba umfanekiso wendlela obukhangeleka ngayo ubuso babo okanye ubuso bomhlobo wabo xa benomsindo.