UMama waziphosa phantsi emgangathweni iingxowa zakhe waza wathi vovololo, wahlala esitulweni sasekhitshini. “Yhuu, indlela endidiniwe ngayo,” utsho ezisula ukubila ebunzi. “Kodwa ndinomsebenzi omninzi kakhulu ekufuneka ndiwenzile wokubhakela umsitho weti yosuku lokuzalwa lukaMfundisi uDumisani ecaweni ngale mva kwemini.”

“Ingaba uza kwenza iiphen-keyiki, Mama?” wabuza u-Unathi echulumancile. “Ndingakuncedisa.”

“Hayi, akunakulunga,” watsho uMama. “Lo ngumsitho weti yosuku lokuzalwa kukaMfundisi uDumisani okhethekileyo. Bonke abefundisi becawa yethu baza kube bekhona, kwakunye nomhlobo osenyongweni kaMfundisi uDumisani, uMfundisi uBuso. Ndivile ukuba uMfundisi uBuso uzithanda kakhulu izikonisi ezifakwe itshizi, ngoko ke ndithenge umxube wokubhaka ezo zikonisi. Yena uMfundisi uDumisani uthanda iibhiskiti zeswekile, ngoko ke ndithenge nomxube wokubhaka ezo bhiskiti.”

U-Unathi wakhangeleka edanile, “Ndicinga ukuba wenze neephen-keyiki, Mama. Wonke umntu uyazithanda. Kwaye ukuba uza kwenza zona, ndingakuncedisa.”

“Hayi, enkosi Unathi, watsho uMama. “Ndifuna ukuba wonke ubani abone indlela endingumbhaki onobuchule ngayo. Ndizabhaka izikonisi kunye neebhiskiti kwaye ndingxamile ngoku. Ndifuna ukukwenza ndodwa konke oku.” UMama waqalisa ukukhupha iipakethi zomxube wezikonisi kunye noweebhiskiti waze wakhupha ibhotolo kunye nezitya.

U-Unathi wambukela uMama lo gama avula enye ipakethi ze ayigalele esityeni. Wagalela izikweri ezincinane zebhotolo kuloo mxube waza wazicubha ngeminwe. “Ingaba ezo zizikonisi okanye ziibhiskiti, Mama?” kwabuza u-Unathi.

“Zizikonisi,” watsho uMama esongeza itshizi kulo mxube waze wazamisa konke, wadibanisa.

U-Unathi wajonga loo pakethi ingenanto isetafileni. Ngaphandle yayinomfanekiso weebhisikiti ezazikhangeleka zimnandi kakhulu.

“Mama, ingaba uqinisekile ukuba uvule ipakethi echanekileyo?” kwabuza u-Unathi.

UMama waphakamisa amehlo njengokuba wayegalela ubisi ejagini yokulinganisela. “Unathi, ndincede undixolele,” watsho ebucaphuka, “kodwa bendikuxelele ukuba ndingxamile. Nceda uhambe uye kudlala.”

“Kodwa Mama …” waqalisa ngokutsho u-Unathi.

“Hamba ngoku,”watsho uMama ngelingqwabalala.

U-Unathi wayengathi angalila. Wayezama nje ukunceda umama wakhe kuphela. Kwakukhangeleka ngathi uMama akangomntu unobubele xa azama ukuba nento yokuqhayisa kwabanye abantu.

U-Unathi wahamba waya kukhwela phezu komthi omkhulu osesitiyeni. Wabukela uMama ngaphaya kwefestile.

Wathi xa uMama agqiba ukurola nokusika intlama yokugqibela, wosula izandla zakhe ngelaphu waza wakroba efestileni. Wabona u-Unathi ekhwele kuloo mthi waza wamkhweba ukuba makehle kuwo, abuye. U-Unathi wavuya kakhulu. Mhlawumbi ngoku umama wayengasamqumbelanga kwaye wayeza kumvumela ukuba akhothe izitya.

UMama wancuma akungena ekhitshini u-Unathi. “Ndigqibile ngoku ukubhaka. Ndicela uxolo ngokukungxolisa, kodwa bekhukho izinto ezininzi ekufuneka ndizenzile. Ndikushiyele icephe lentlama yeebhiskiti ukuze uyingcamle,” watsho uMama.

U-Unathi wamncumela naye waza wafaka elo gaqa lentlama yeebhiskiti emlonyeni. Wawavala mba amehlo kuba elindele ukungcamla loo ncasa yobuswiti bentlama.

“Arha, yeki!” wakhalaza enyakamile u-Unathi, eyithifela esandleni sakhe loo ntlama. “Ezi bhiskiti zintle kwaye aziqhelekanga kodwa zimbi. Andizithandi konke.”

UMama wafinga iintshiya ngenxa yokothuka, “Uthetha ukuthini, Unathi? Ukrwada ke ngoku.

“Uxolo, Mama, kodwa nawe khawuyingcamle le nto,” watsho u-Unathi. “Ayimnandanga kwaphela.”

UMama wacuntsula isuntswana lentlama waza walifaka emlonyeni. Impumlo yakhe yashwabana kukucekisa. “Yho, ayimbi,” watsho. “Kodwa inokuba kwenzeke ntoni?” Ngesiquphe wavala amehlo akhe ngezandla. “Owu, nkosi yam!” wancwina ngesingqala. “Ndidibanise umxube wezikonisi kunye noweebhiskiti! Ndenze izikonisi eziswiti kakhulu kunye neebhiskiti zeswekile netshizi.”

UMama wahlala phantsi etafileni, waxhasa intloko yakhe ngezandla zakhe. “Ndiza kwenza njani ngoku? Andinawo ngoku omnye umxube wokubhaka izikonisi kunye noweebhiskiti, kwaye akusekho xesha lininzi liseleyo ngoku. Ndiza kumenzela ntoni ngoku uMfundisi uDumisani kwiti yakhe yosuku lwakhe lokuzalwa?”

U-Unathi wakhawuleza weza necebo elikrelekrele. “Kukho ixesha eloneleyo lokwenza iiphen-keyiki. Mama! Kwaye konke esikudingayo ngumgubo wengqolowa, amaqanda, i-oli kunye nobisi. Sisoloko sinazo zonke ezo zinto. KWAYE ndingakuncedisa!

UMama wamanga ngobubele u-Unathi. “Unyanisile. Akwaba bendikumamele kwasekuqaleni. Iiphen-keyiki ziza kulunga gingci kulo msitho.”

UMama kunye no-Unathi baqalisa ukusebenza kwangoko. Benza iiphenkeyiki ezininzi. U-Unathi watya zade zantlanu lo gama ancedisayo!

Umbhiyozo weti yosuku lokuzalwa ngaloo mva kwemini waba yeyona mpumelelo kwaye kwathi kanti bobabini abefundisi bayazithanda iiphen-keyiki!