Wavuka ekuseni uKhokhiwe isiboshiwe imithwalo yakhe eselindele indlela. Mhlawumbe ukube wayengomunye umuntu uKhokhiwe wayezozibulala, kodwa uKhokhiwe wayazi ukuthi oshayiwayo akalahlwa ngakho-ke makangazideli. Wayazi ukuthi asikho isikhathi sobunzima esingadluli, kuphela nje kudingeka isibindi nokubekezela.
Unina wayengekho eye kumkhuleko womama kaLwesine kanti uyise yena wayengamazi nokuthi uyephi, empeleni unina wayengazi ukuthi uzohamba mhlawumbe noyise wayengazitsheli ukuthi uzohamba ngempela. Wahamba ke uKhokhiwe waze wayofika estobhini nalapho afika khona kunolayini owawungemude nokho, nokwenza washeshe wagibela yashaya naye yachitha itekisi.
Nalapho afika ehla khona edolobheni kuBhoshofu wadweba njalo eqonde eSelgro senta nalapho ayezofike khona athathe amakhumbi ayezomusa enzansi eMasukwana nalapho ayezofike khona athathe itekisi elilibhekise eMtshezi oqhomfaneni elibangise ku-anti wakhe.
Nebala wafika kusekahle impela eMtshezi uKhokhiwe wafika bengalindele neze ukuthi angafika. Lapha ekhaya wayethandwa kakhulu uKhokhiwe, into eyayimubangela ugazi kakhulu inhlonipho yakhe kanye nokukhuthala kwakhe. Wayengesiyo neze ingane ekhonze ukuzula, uma umunika umsebenzi wawusho entshweni.
“Ngaze ngajabula Khokhiwe ngane yami ukukubona. Basaphila kodwa ekhaya, phela kade sabagcina bo?” kusho u-anti kaKhokhiwe uMaSkhakhane ekhombisa enkulu injabulo.
“Bayaphila bona anti, empeleni anti ngihamba ngodaba olubucayi kakhulu engingazi ukuthi uzolemukela kanjani.”
“Ngiphuthume wena bo! Kwenzenjani Khokhiwe?” aqale adonse umoya uKhokhiwe aphumule, kumcacele uMaSkhakhane ukuthi okusho ukuthi inzima lendaba eza nengane kamfowabo.
“Anti ungibona nje ngikhulelwe, kanti-ke nobaba ungixoshile ekhaya. Ngixoshwe nje mina ngiyintombi nto anti, bengisoma ngebhadi lami ngakhulelwa. Ubaba ke ubengasafuni kuzwa lutho nje uma kukhona umama okwazi ukuhlola lapha ngicela ungise kuye.”
Athi ukuthula uMaSkhakhane akhombise ukudabuka izinyembezi zigcwale amehlo.
“Kulungile ngane yami ungahlala lapha, kukhona uMaZwane uhlola emhlangeni, singaya kuye kusasa ekuseni kodwa angikuphoqi uma uthanda nje.”
“Ngiyabonga anti. INkosi ikubusise,”
Nebala ukusa kwaziwa yibo uKhokhiwe no anti wakhe beya kuMaZwane nebala kwafike kwagcwaliseka ukuthi uKhokhiwe ugcwele, uyintombi nto. Ukusoma lokhu phela umkhuba owawenziwa kakhulu ngesikhath sasendulo, nakuba uphephe ngokugcwele ezifeni ezithathelana ngocansi kodwa umuntu wesifazane angakhulelwa.
UKhokhiwe wabe esecela ku anti wakhe ukuthi angalinge ayithi vu kuyise noma kunina ukuthi ulapha uma befona bemubuza alandule. UKhokhiwe wayewushiye ekhaya umakhala ekhukhwini wakhe ngakho ke wayengenandlela yokuxhumeka.
Wahlala kahle yena uKhokhiwe no anti wakhe. Wayefike kuwuDisemba ka anti wakhe uKhokhiwe, kuyinyanga yesibili ekhulelwe. Kwashaya uFebhuwari zavulwa izikole, uMaSkhakhane wahamba wayokhuluma nothishanhloko waseBonokuhle high school, wamuchazela isimo nebala, wamukelwa esikoleni uKhokhiwe waqedela ibanga lakhe leshumi nambili.
Okwathi ngoJulayi wabeletha uKhokhiwe, ingane yakhe kwakuyingane yomfana iyinhle isimangaliso, wawungafunga ukuthi iqhamuka komunye umhlaba hayi lo esiphila kuwo obizwa nge planet earth indlela nje eyayiyinhle ngayo.
Wayeyigada ke lengane uMaSkhakhane ngenkathi ebuyele esikoleni uKhokhiwe. Lengane yayinogazi ngendlela exakile ibangwa yiwo wonke umuntu lapha ekhaya befuna ukuyiphatha kuze kuxatshanwe nje impela lokhu okuqinile kubangwa yona, kanti nabantu babengapheli lapha ekhaya bezoyibona.
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