Sasisoloko sijonge enkalweni,sinethemba lokuba angathi gqi nanini na. Mna nomfowethu uAndile sikhule ngaphandle kukamama wethu. Uthando lwakhe asilwazi.
Ngalo lonke ixesha xa sibuza ngomama, utata wawuye umbone ukuba ubuso abutyhilekanga kwaphela. Nathi ke sakhetha ukuba zinkukhu ezisikwe imilomo.
Utata wayebamba amatorhwana pha na phaya ukuze sifane nabanye abantwana esikolweni. Inene utata ebengumama notata kuthi kuba asizange saswela nto ngelixa esadla amazimba. Izinto zatshintsha mhla walandulelayo eli.
“Amahle, yizapha e-ofisini yam ngoku kuneendaba ekufuneka ndikuxelele zona,” wakutsho oku ubuso buzele ziinyembezi utitshalakazi wam. Zaqengqeleka nakum iinyembezii ukubona utitshalakazi wam elolwahlobo, kwabe kukho into endixelelayo ukuba ikho into engahambi kakuhle. Ngoku ndilandela emva kwakhe ingqondo yam yayithatha ibeka ndingazi ukuba kuqhubeka ntoni.
Ndathi xa ndifika e-ofisini ndabona uAndile ehleli phantsi, nam ndafika ndahlala apha ecaleni kwakhe.
“Utata wenu aka…akasekho. Ulandulele eli limagada hlabayo, ubandakanyeke kwingozi yemoto. Ndiyaxolisa ukunixelela iindaba ezibuhlungu kangaka kodwa uThixo uza kubanani,” watsho njalo utitshalakazi.
Zange ndikholelwe kangangokuba zange ndikhale. Kwakufuneka ndomelele ukuze ubhuti wam akwazi ukudlula kulentlungu njengoko sasisele sishiyeke sobabini njengoko sasingalwazi usapho lukamama.
Ndathi xa ndifika ekhaya kuyinkungu nelanga yabantu, ndasitsho esofelweyo kwangona ndikholelwayo ukuba ngenene utata asoze ndiphinde ndimbone. UAndile wayengonwabanga kwaphela, wabangumntwana ngoku ongafuni sikolo, othanda ukuhlala yedwa nothanda ukuphakamisa amakhwapha. Wangcwatywa ke utata.
Ubomi baya bubanzima usuku nosuku njengoko sasisele siphila ngokuphiwa ukutya ngabamelwane okanye sitye esikolweni. Kwaye kwafuneka ukuba ndisishiye isikolo,ndiyekufuna amatorhwana kuba nasesikolweni ndandingasakwazi ukujongana nezifundo zam njengakuqala.
“UAndile ubethe omnye umntwana kwakhona kwaye umlimazile kwelityeli“, yatsho inqununu. Zange ndothuke kwamna kuba uAndile wayesele eyinjubaqa nje etshayayo neqhekezayo kuba wayezibandakanye neqela elingalunganga.Ndinyanzelekile ukuba ndimdedele agoduke njengoko usitsho umthetho. Uyatshaya kwaye uhlukumeza nabanye abafundi.
Zange abenandaba xa ndimxelela ezindaba. Wasuka wandishiya apho wahamba. Ndafumana umsebenzi emakhitshini owawundibhatala iR600 ngenyanga, sasizama ukuthenga igrosa ngalemadlana.
Ngenye imini izulu lalizolile, uAndile wayelungiselela ukuphuma nabahlobo bakhe, “Kazi iyaphi leyondlela?” ndabuza.
“Khululeka wena mntasekhaya, namhlanje yimini enkulu ndiza kwenza isiqinisekiso sokuba asiphindi silambe,” watsho ezithembile. Ndavele ndeva apha kum ukuba oluhambo aluzuphela kamnandi. Ndamcela ukuba angahambi kodwa isicelo sam safa namthanyana.
“Kukho amasela abanjwe eqhekeza kwivenkile kaNobuntu ngale njikalanga, amagama abo ngoSfundo, Lizwe kunye noAndi…” ndaphantse ndafa ngumothuko.
Ndathi ndisahleli nje ndizicingela kwabakhona into ethi makendivule iTrunk katata. Ngethamsanqa ndafumana isibhilivana seleta esifundeka ngoluhlobo, “Ndim utata wenu, ndibhala le leta ngeenjoko zokunazisa okokuba umama wenu usaphila, igama lakhe nguNonzwakazi Mpilo uhlala eThembisa eGoli. Isizathu sokuba anishiye kungenxa yokuba wayengavani nomakhulu wenu. Wathi xa efuna ukuhamba nani akavuma umakhulu wenu njengoko wayengaphilanga kakuhle. Akazange aphinde abuye kunanamhlanje kuba ndazama ukumfumana kodwa ndabuya nembande yedikhova!” ndakhe ndaphumla okomzuzwana, ndimanzi xo.
“Oko nazalwa ke ndibeka amasentana inyanga nenyanga ndisenzela mhla ndiswelekayo nikwazi ukuqhubeka nezifundo zenu. Nize niyijonge apho kuhlala khona izinto zam ezibalulekileyo. Utata wenu uyanithanda.”
Ndagqogqa ndabhequzisa ndijonga le mali. Ndayifumana ndaze ndagqiba kwelokuba ndiza kuthatha ingxenye yayo ndiye kukhupha uAndile. Wayonwabe kakhulu xa ndimbhatalela imali yebheyili. Ndamxelela ngako konke okwenzekileyo ngelixa enge…
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