“Arha! Ngithokoza kangangani Thabo, ngokuyongithengela uburotho,” kutjho uMam Abbas. “Ithathe itjhentjhi.”

Kodwana uThabo bekazi bona uMam Abbas uyitlhoga yoke imali anayo. “Kulungile, Mam Abbas,” utjho amomotheka. “Umusa awubhadelwa.”

Ngelinye ilanga, umnikazi wepulasi uThabo asebenza kilo wafika ekhaya nomzukulwanakhe uSimphiwe. USimphiwe bekambethe kuhle begodu akhuluma isiNgisi kuhle.

“Thabo, iza uzokulotjhisa uSimphiwe,” kutjho umnikazi wepulasi. “USimphiwe uhlala edorobheni kodwana uzosivakatjhela amalangana. Ngiyathemba bona nizokuzwana benibe bangani.” UThabo bekathabele ukuhlangana nomntwana olingana naye. Bekanethemba lokuthi bazokuba bangani.

Kodwana ithabo lakaThabo laphenduka ukudana. Kwavele kwabonakala ukuthi uSimphiwe bekanemikhuba emimbi begodu azikhakhazisa. Bekangahloniphi muntu osebenza epulasini ngitjho nomalumakhe. “Abantwaba baphila isidala,” kutjho uSimphiwe, uhleka abantu abakhamba ngekarana yabodumbana ukuya nokubuya emsebenzini. “Kodwana bangakhetha ukuzokuhlala emmangweni onje vele?”

USimphiwe bekangafuni nokusiza ngemisebenzi yelanga eyenziwa epulasini. “Phela mina ngifundile. Nicabanga ukuthi ngiye esikolweni ngiyela ukuzokwenza imisebenzi engatjho litho? Akunanto engizoyenza mina!”  

Kunokobana asize, uSimphiwe waqeda amalangakhe azihlalele ngaphasi komuthi, angafuni ukusiza ngokwenza ukudla kwekuseni namkha kwemini bekungananto afuna ukuyenza. UThabo wadana khulu nakabona umsana olingana naye alivila kangaka begodu anganamusa. “Ngifunda esikolweni sakhona endaweni le. Sifundiswa ngokuqakatheka kokuba nomusa nokusebenza budisi. USimphiwe akhange azifunde izintwezi ezisisekelo,” kucabanga uThabo. “Uzabe asidlhadlha nakacabanga bona angaphumelela epilweni ngendlela le.”

Ngelinye ilanga, uSimphiwe wabulawa sizungu bewaqunta ukuthatha ikhambo atjhinge ehlathini ebelibhode ipulasi. Woke umuntu wamyelelisa ngokuthi lokho kuyingozi, ngombana bekunezinja zommango ezihlala ehlathini. Bezihlala zilambile begodu zingasi mnganomuntu! Kodwana uSimphiwe wavele wabahleka. “Nazini nina?” Watjho ngokudelela. “Ngihlakaniphile mina ngiyakghona ukuzitlhogomela.”

UThabo bekakhambe nomnikazi wepulasi bayokuthenga izinto ezitlhogekako. Nakabuyako abasebenzi bamtjela bona uSimphiwe uye ehlathini akhamba yedwa. UThabo wadobha isigodo msinyana nebhokisi lomlilo wagijima wayokufuna uSimphiwe.

“Akazi bona usengozini engangani,” uThabo ukhuluma yedwa njengombana akhamba ehlathini arhabile. “Abanye bathe ngilise umsana ohlaza lo wedorobheni afunde isifundo kodwana angifuni bona uSimphiwe ehlelwe yinto embi. Sele kurhwaqela begodu ihlatheli liyingozi, khulu khulu emsaneni onjengoSimphiwe othomako ukuphuma edorobheni.”

Besele kusikhathi eside uThabo azuma, nakazakuthuswa mumuntu orhuwelela kabuhlungu. Wagijima watjhinga ngehlangothini ekuzwakala kilo umuntu orhuwelelako, wabona uSimphiwe abhodwe mhlambi wezinja zommango. Izinja besele ziveze amazinyo zifuna ukumluma. Kwatlhogeka bona uThabo acabange msinyana. Watjhisa isigodo ebekasiphetheko waqotjha izinja ngaso.

Okwesikhatjhana izinja bezisafuna ukubahlasela kodwana ekugcineni zajika zakhamba.

USimphiwe bekadengezela ngebanga lokuthukwa. Watshinyeka ingogoriyana nakalinga ukubalekela izinja, bekahluza ezwa ubuhlungu. UThabo bekanamandla ngebanga lomsebenzi awenza epulasini, yeke waguga uSimphiwe bebayokufika epulasini.

USimphiwe walulama ngemva kwamalanga athileko, besele kunento ehlukileko ngaye. Besele athoma ukuba nomusa begodu angasazikhukhumezi njengekuthomeni. Bekathulile begodu athoma nokuhlonipha umalumakhe nazozoke iinsebenzi. Kwathi nakabona uThabo, wamthokoza ngokusindisa ipilwakhe bewamnikela umaliledininakhe ukutjengisa bona uyathokoza kodwana uThabo akhange avume ukwamukela isipho. Wavele wamomotheka wathi, “Umusa awubhadelwa,” waraga nokuhlwengisa ikarana yabodumbana.

Yenza indatjana le ibemnandi!

• Dweba isithombe esifanekisela ingcenye le yendatjana: Woke umuntu wamyelelisa ngokuthi lokho bekuyingozi, ngombana bekunezinja zommango ezihlala ehlathini. Bezihlala zilambile begodu zingasi mnganomuntu! Kodwana uSimphiwe wavele wabahleka.
• Funda indatjana godu. Yenza irhelo lobuntu uThabo ebekanabo bese wenze elinye irhelo elitjengisa ubuntu bakaSimphiwe. Thoma ngokuthi: UThabo u … uSimphiwe u …
• Fundela amarhelwakho womabili – irhelo elikhuluma ngoThabo nelikhuluma ngoSimphiwe – phezulu. Funda ngendlela ezokusiza umuntu azwisise bona amagama owatlolileko atjho ukuthini.