U Dumi uzishayela kancane ebuya esikoleni. Ubhaka wakhe uyamsinda emahlombe, ugcwele izincwadi ezinomsebenzi wesikole omningi ekumele awenze. Ayikho into ayithanda njengokufika ekhaya azivalele egumbini lakhe enze umsebenzi wesikole. Uze aphume ngoba esebizwa umama wakhe embizela ukudla kwakusihlwa.

Uwuthanda ngempela umsebenzi wesikole futhi uwuthanda wonke. Uyazenzela nje kwi Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Technology. Kwi English, isiXhosa ne Afrikaans u Dumi wenza kahle impela. Isidabulane sesiqengqe u Dumi Totobela. Akanandaba nokuthi abanye abafundi bambiza nge geek, i nerd, i dweeb ngoba uyazi ukuthi yikho lokho okwamtholisa umfundaze.

Abazali bakhe bajabula kakhulu, baziqhenya ngaye ethola umfundaze. “Imfundo ibaluleke kakhulu,” kwasho ubaba wakhe. “Qhubeka nokuzikhandla, ndodana, uzozithola usemathubeni engingawatholanga mina. Impilo yakho izoba ngcono kakhulu.” Kuyamjabulisa ukuzwa abazali bakhe beziqhenya ngaye, kodwa ngezinye izinsuku ufisa ukuba akawutholanga lomfundaze. Lokhu kwenziwa ukuthi kusukela ngosuku lokuqala efika esikoleni kwakungekho ukukhululeka. Waba inkomo edla yodwa, ekuzwela ukuthi akangeni khaxa kulesisikole. Nebhantshi lesikole lalilikhulu kakhulu. “Uzokhulela kulona lelibhantshi,” kwasho umama wakhe emduduza. Ukukhula kwamthatha isikhathi, wazibhekisela ikhanda phansi wazikhandla ezifundweni zakhe, ibhantshi lilokhu limxege njalo.

Emuva kweminyaka emine lagcina limlingana ibhantshi. Ilokho kuphela ukwashintsha eminyakeni emine ngoba wayelokhu ezwa engakhululekile kulesisikole futhi abanye abafundi babesambiza nge dweeb, i nerd, i dweeb. Bambhansela nangelinye igama elithi Loser with a capital L’. Abafundi abamthandi ngoba yena enogqozi lokufunda, uphakamisa isandla abuze lapho engezwa khona, aphendule imibuzo ababuzwa yona.

Bakhona abafundi abambalwa abanogqozi lokufunda njengaye, njengayo intokazi engu Alexa Conradie, kodwa bona babengahlukumezwa njengo Dumi. Bengabizwa ngamagama okudelela. Pho akukho angakwenzwa ngoba abamdelela kakhulu, abamqamba amagama nsuku zonke, izidlakela ezidlalalela i first team ye rugby. Abahlukumezi bakhe ngu Luke Owens, Ntando Kulati, Alan Vermaak no Peter Woods – izidunyelwa ezizitshela ukuthi zingosomahlaya, wonke amahlaya abo afaka ukudelela uDumi.

Empeleni ilukhuni kakhulu indaba ka Dumi ngoba wayezizamela ukugqama entokazini engu Alexa. Wayefuna ukuyihlekisa ukuze basondelane nayo. Efuna ukuhlekisa abantu abambalwa ukuze bambuke njengomngani nomuntu ofana nabo othanda amahlaya angasile, bangambukeli kude bamqambe amagama ngoba eyi bookworm.

Kodwa futhi uma uyibuka ngelinye iso lendaba, u Dumi wabhacaza kakhulu ngoba ihlaya lakhe lalihlekisa ngothisha wabo, u Miss Majola. U Miss Majola uthisha ongcono kunabo bonke esikoleni, unesineke futhi uyabagqugquzela, ubafundisa ukuthi babe nezinqondo ezisabalele ezicabangayo. Njalo uma ecabanga u Miss Majola wayembona ethi: “That’s what literature is all about. To show us the world differently. Some words create beauty, others do the opposite.”

Akukho beauty ayayenziwe u Dumi ngehlaya lakhe. Wayezama ukuhlekisa abafundi ukuze amukeleke kubona kodwa akwenza kwakunesihluku phakathi. Futhi uyazi ukuthi emuva kwalesi sigameko, u Miss Majola ngeke aphinde ambuke njengomfundi ozimisele, ozikhandlayo, kodwa uzombuka njengabanye abafundi abangenalo ikusasa. Ilokho okwamphatha kabuhlungu kunakho konke.

U Dumi wafika ekhaya walaxa ujosaka ngasesicabheni segumbi lakhe kodwa wangangena njengokujwayelekile. Wagaxa ibhantshi ehukwini ephaseji waqonda ekhishini. Wafica ama ingredients ebekwe ngobunono phezu kwetafula: amazambane asazocwecwa, anyanisi no carrot osazoqotshwa, inyama incibilika iqhwa. Umama wakhe ubeka konke ngononina ngoba sincane isikhathi sokupheka uma ebuya emsebenzini wobuhlengikazi ntambama. Ufuna ukufika esepheka, angalindi inyama esazoncibilika. U Dumi wayecela njalo ukumsiza umzali wakhe ngokupheka, kodwa uMama wakhe anqabe.

“Into ongangisiza ngayo Dumi ukuthi ufunde uthole A’s in all your subjects khona uzoqhubeka nomfundaze”, kwakusho uMama wakhe ehleka.

Kodwa emuva kwanamhlanje uthi kwalowo mfundaze usazoqhubeka nokumfundisa nje?

Wagoqa imikhono wathatha izambane. Walicwecwa ngobunono nangokushesha, waliphonsa endishini enamanzi, wathatha elinye wacwecwa. Wakwenza lokhu ngoba engafuni ukucabanga ngale flop ayishayile. Wacabanga ukuthi for sure bonke abafundi sebeyibonile i flop ayenzile. Izinto ezingalungile zibhebhetheka njengomlilo wasendle, ukwazi kwabafundi kusho ukuthi u Principal uzokwazi, okusho ukuthi no Miss Majola uzokwazi.

“Hawu, Dumi!” izwi lika mama wakhe laphazamisa imicabango yakhe. “Konke sekucwecwiwe, wangiqobela, uyindodana engisizayo mfana wami”

Wabona ubuso buka Dumi wazibonela ukuthi kukhona okungahambi kahle.

“Kwenzenjani, ndodana?”

“Akukho lutho, Ma. Ngi right.”

Kwakhala i cellphone yakhe, wayikhipha ephaketheni. Wabona igama lika Alexa kwi screen.

“Dumi, ngathini kuwena nokubukana ne phone ngikhuluma nawe?”

“Ngiyaxolisa, ma, kodwa lokhu kubalulekile”

“We Dumi wena!”

Kodwa u Dumi wayengasekho ekhishini. Kwaba ukubona igama lika Alexa waphuthuma egumbini lakhe wangena ku Facebook.

1789 likes. 245 comments. Futhi konke lokhu kwenzeka esithombeni esi posted on his page. 255 shares. Njengoba ebuka nje abantu abangu 17 ‘liked’ i status sakhe.

Watatazela u Dumi eciphiza i tab eseceleni kwegama lakhe. “Delete. . .Come on, come on, come on.” Wafisa ukuba i internet connection yakubo ishesha njengeyasesikoleni. Kwathatha ungonaphakade ukuthi i tab ivuleke. Wagcina uvulekile u ‘delete’, wawuciphiza wasibona isithombe sinyamalala kwi timeline yakhe. Ukube uyibone early lento ngaphambi kwe SMS ka Alexa ethi:

Dumi- have u seen ur Facebook page?

OMG what r u going to do?

Wabuka i timeline ingasenalutho kodwa walokhu ecabanga ngo 255 shares. Wathwala izandla ekhanda ebona ukuthi ayikho indlela yokuyibamba le flop ayishayile.

“Dumi?”

Wavusa amehlo wabona ubaba wakhe emile esicabheni. “Ndodana, u Principal wenu ufuna ukusibona kusasa ekuseni. Imina, uwena, nomama wakho. Ungangitshela ukuthi kumayelana nani?”

Wambhoza ubuso ngezandla u Dumi. Kukhona okwamtshela ukuthi kusazoshuba kakhulu kunalokhu. Futhi wayekwazi kahle kamhlophe ukuthi konke kuyiphutha lakhe.

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Sitshele ukuthi ubona kanjani: Uboneni u Dumi kwi Facebook page yakhe?