USipho wayengumfana ohloniphekile. Wayefunda ibanga leshumi eBuhlebuzovama High School, ephasa kahle esikoleni futhi othisha beziqhenya ngaye.

Lokhu kwenza abazali bakhe baziqhenye ngaye ngoba bethembile ukuthi nguye ozovusa umuzi wakubo. Abazali bamncenga ukuba akhethe kahle abangani ukuze engazitholi engena ezinkingeni. USipho wayengakabi naye umngani esikoleni ngoba wayenaka izincwadi zakhe kakhulu.

Kwathi ngelinye ilanga uSipho ephuma esikoleni, wahlangana nabafana abalingana naye. Laba bafana bazenza abangani bakhe uSipho, kanti bafuna ukwenza okubi ngaye. Babefuna ukuthi abenzele izinto ezingalungile.

Ngelinye ilanga, kunguMgqibelo, uSipho nabangani bakhe bahamba bazikhipha. Yilapho abamfundisa khona uSipho ukubhema ugwayi nokuphuza utshwala. USipho wavuma naye ngoba wayesaba ukuphoxa abangani bakhe ngoba esaba ukusala nomzwangedwa uma behamba. Abangani bakhe bamfundisa nokubuya ekhaya ebusuku. Bamtshela ukuthi abazali bakhe ngeke banake. Naye uSipho wenza njengoba besho abangani bakhe.

USipho wawujwayela lomkhutshana awufundiswa abangani bakhe wokuphuza utshwala aze abuye ebusuku sebelele abazali bakhe. Babona abazali bakhe ukuthi kukhona okushaya amanzi ngoSipho, okwenza ukuthi baqale ukunakisisa isikhathi abuya ngaso. Wayedla nezidakamizwa ezinhlobonhlobo, ezamenza ukuthi angaphili kahle emqondweni.

Wathuka umkhulu nogogo ngenhlamba, kanye nabanye abantu abadala. Waqala ukuntshontsha. Wagqekeza esitolo ngoba efuna imali yokuthenga izidakamizwa. Wangena enkingeni ngoba wabanjwa amaphoyisa, amvalela ejele. USipho uzohlala iminyaka eyishumi nanhlanu ejele ngenxa yobugebengu. Ezinye izingane ziyafunda kodwa yena isikole wasiyeka eneminyaka eyishumi nesishiyagalombili. Njengoba uSipho evalelwe ejele abangani bakhe abasekho, abasabonwa nangokhalo. Akekho noyedwa ofika ezomvakashela ejele.

Baphatheka kabi abazali bakhe ngoba uSipho elimoshile ikusasa lakhe emuva kokuba bemyalile ngokukhetha phakathi kwabangani ababi nabahle. Naye uSipho uyazisola. Ujabhile, uyasho ukuthi, “Ngifunde isifundo ngenxa yokungabalaleli abazali.” Ukhumbula wonke amazwi abazali kodwa akusekho ukubuyela emuva.

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Sitshele: Ufunde ni kulelibali?