Ekuseni uMihlali wakhipha kahle iyunifomu yakhe yesikole ekhabetheni lakhe. Iyunifomu yayihlanganisa isikheti esiluhlaza okotshani esihambisana nehembe elimhlophe, noma ibhulukwe elimpunga elihambisana nehembe elimhlophe owawungakhetha phakathi kwakho. Wacabanga ukuthi kungenzeka ukuba amabhulukwe ampunga abe awasebusika, kodwa amantombazane ayevunyelwe ukuwagqoka ngisho nasehlobo.
Wakhetha ibhulukwe elimpunga, nakuba ayezwa ukuthi ilanga lalizokhipha umkhovu etsheni. Wahambisa izandla zakhe kukotini ohlohlozelayo wehembe lakhe elisha, iminwe yakhe ilokhu ishayisana nezinkinobho. Wama kancane wabe esevala amehlo akhe.
Futhi, engqondweni yakhe, wezwa sengathi u-Abram wayekhona lapho egumbini kanye naye, isandla sakhe siphezu kwesakhe. Wakhumbula ngoLwesihlanu lumbe epulazini lapho u-Abram elethe umholo kanina. Ngalolo suku, umama kaMihlali kwakumele ngabe usemsebenzini ukuze ayothola imali evela enkosikazini yomninipulazi, kodwa ugogo kaMihlali wagula ngalobo busuku, kwadingeka ukuthi umama kaMihlali ahambe naye nge-ambulensi, phakathi nobusuku.
Ekuseni uMihlali wayesele yedwa futhi ekhathazekile. Njengoba unina nogogo wakhe babengekho nje, uMihlali kwakumele aphekele uyise ipapa ngaphambi kokuba ahambe. Wayengakwazi ngisho nokucabanga indlela impilo m eyayingase ibe yiyo epulazini uma kwakungenzeka uGogo angabuyi esibhedlela.
Wayazi ukuthi unina wayethembise ukuthi wayezohamba naye ukuze bayothenga iyunifomu yakhe ngalowo Mgqibelo, nokuthi unina kwakumele ahole ngalolo suku. Kodwa uMama wayexakwe ezinye izinto kangangokuthi wayengasenandaba.
UMihlali wayesanda kuthola ucingo oluphuma kunina lokuthi uGogo wayezophola futhi abuyele ekhaya ngalolo suku. Wayesanda kuqinisekisa uMihlali ukuthi umninipulazi wayesazomkhokhela, nokuthi kukhona othize owayezoletha imali, lapho uMihlali esebona ukuthi wayengaseyedwa.
Ngempela kwakunjalo, kwakungu-Abram owayelethe imali kuMihlali, evela kumninipulazi. Wayeze endlini engenamuntu, uyise kaMihlali ekude le emasimini.
Yayingekho into uMihlali ayengayenza ukuvimba u-Abram. Hhayi ngaleso sikhathi, noma esinye futhi. Kodwa leso kwakuyisikhathi sokuqala nesokugcina lapho amthola khona eyodwa.
Kwakungathi umholo ayewufumbethe esandleni sakhe esisodwa wawumnikeza isibindi. Noma umhlanyisa u-Abram. Njengoba umnyango wangaphambili nowasemuva wawuvulekile nje u-Abram wavula ngenkani imilenze kaMihlali khona lapho embhedeni omncane owawendlulwe kahle.
Akukho umuntu owangena, ngisho nomzala kaMihlali omncane uSenaso imbala. Phela uSenaso wayevamise ukuza ngqo ekhaya ngemva kokuphuma kwesikole. Kodwa ngalolo suku uSenaso wafika ngemva kwesikhathi, imali egoqiwe, uMihlali okwakumele athenge ngayo iyunifomu yakhe entsha yesikole, yayingaphezu komqamelo wakhe, enye yayo iwele phansi.
USenaso wayibona imali, wabona ngisho noMihlali enkonkoshele indwangu yokuhlobisa umbhede eshwabene, izinwele zakhe zihliphizekile, izinyembezi zigeleza ebusweni bakhe. USenaso akazange asho lutho. Wayekuqonda kahle lokho okwenzekile. USenaso wamzwela ubuhlungu umzala wakhe, kodwa futhi wayenomunye umuzwa. Umuzwa wokuthi kungcono ngoba akuzange kube nguyena futhi uSenaso kulokhu.
UMihlali wazibheka ngokuzizwela esibukweni esisemhubheni wehostela. Wonke amantombazane asehostela ayefingqe izikheti zawo eziluhlaza okotshani zaba mfushane kangangokuthi zazingambozi ngisho namaphenti azo. UMihlali walungisa izinwele zakhe ngesandla wahamba wayodla isidlo sasekuseni.
Bonke abafundi babexoxa ndawonye ngenkathi bedla. UMihlali wayekhumbule uSenaso kakhulu, ngaleso sikhathi elokhu ecabanga ngaye. Nakanjani uSenaso wayekulungele ukungena ebhasini yasepulazini eyayizomyisa esikoleni esiseduze. Babengomzala, futhi behlukene ngezinyanga ezimbili zokuzalwa. Babekhule sengathi bangosisi, noma omama babo kwakuyibo osisi.
Unina kaMihlali wayefana nomama kuSenaso ngenkathi unina ehambile eyosebenza edolobheni eminyakeni eyedlule, futhi akaphindanga wabuya. Bobabili babenoGogo oyedwa, ababemthanda kakhulu. USenaso wayehlala noGogo noyise kanye nonkosikazi wakhe omusha nabantwana babo. UMihlali noSenaso babehlale bengomakhelwane. USenaso naye ngokufanayo wayenza kahle njengoMihlali esikoleni.
“Mhlawumbe ngelinye ilanga umninipulazi uzokuxhasa nawe,” kusho uMihlali etshela uSenaso lapho esezohamba eya ehostela; bobabili base bekhala kakhulu ngenkathi bevalelisana.
Ngemva kwesidlo sasekuseni, uMihlali waphuma ehostela, walandela abanye abafundi ngesango elaliyela esikoleni. Ngokushesha nje wayesezungezwe abasha abangamakhulu, behleka, babuye bagijime bememeza.
Kwakhala insimbi uMihlali wabe esegijimela ehholo kanye nabanye abafundi. Othisha babehleli ngomugqa esiteji. UMihlali wababheka bonke.
Wayeseyeka ukugqolozela. Wagobela phambili esitulweni ayehlezi kuso. Wadonsa umoya kangangokuthi intombazane eyayiseduze kwakhe yambheka yabe isihlina. Akunakwenzeka, kucabanga uMihlali. Hhayi yena! Ufunani lapha?