This story is available in English, Afrikaans, IsiZulu, Sepedi, and Sesotho.
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ULwesihlanu yayisoloko ilusuku olubalulekileyo “lweeMbasa eziziiNkwenkwezi”.
Ukuza kuthi ga ngoku, uThoko wayesele efumene inkwenkwezi etyheli yezibalo, ebomvu yokubhala kakuhle nomsebenzi ococekileyo kunye nezuba “yezandla ezicocekileyo”. Iinkwenkwezi eziluhlaza zezokuncedisa uNksk McKensie, ngokumphathisa ingxowa yakhe enkulu ukusuka emotweni ukuya eklasini. Inkwenkwezi egolide yeyokufunda. Iinkwenkwezi ezigolide yayizezona zona!
Iinkwenkwezi zazisoloko zinikezelwa phambi kokuba kukhale intsimbi yokuphuma kwesikolo xa kanye wonke ubani engxamele ukuphuma aye kuhlangana nomama, utata, umakhulu okanye umakazi ebaleni lokudlala. Wonke ubani waya kuhlangana nomzali wakhe, ngaphandle kukaThoko, owayehlala kufutshane nesikolo wayehamba ngeenyawo ukugoduka. UThoko wayehlala nomama wakhe emva kwevenkile yokuthunga impahla kaMakhulu wakhe.
Enye into eyayibangela ukuba uLwesihlanu abelusuku olumnandi kakhulu kuThoko kukuba wayefumana imali yokuthenga izimuncumuncu endleleni egodukayo. Lo ke uLwesihlanu yayinguLwesihlanu wethamsanqa elikhulu kuba uThoko wafikisana noNksk McKensie kwindawo yokumisa iimoto waza wamncedisa wamphathisa ingxowa yakhe enkulu wayisa eklasini. Mhlawumbi wayeza kuphumelela inkwenkwezi eluhlaza. Kodwa ngokuqinisekileyo, inkwenkwezi egolide yayingcono kakhulu.
Kutsha nje, uThoko wenza iinzame ezithe chatha zokufunda kakuhle – xa efunda ubonakalisa iimvakalelo, uyanqumama emva kwekoma kwaye uyema kwisingxi ukuze aphefumle. Oyena mlesi wayefunda kakuhle kakhulu yayinguBrendan, abanye abantwana ababembiza ngokuthi “nguMehlwayabawa” kuba wayefunda iincwadi ezininzi kakhulu.
UThoko wancedisa uNksk McKensie wahambisa amaphepha okusebenzela. La maphepha okusebenzela ngoLwesihlanu ayemalunga nexesha – kwaye lalicotha kakhulu namhlanje kuThoko. Ukuba nje wayenakho ukuhambisa iintsiba zewotshi esephepheni zikhawuleze zifike zime kwiXesha leeMbasa eziziiNkwenkwezi! Ngexesha lomculo, wayengakwazi ukulinda ukuba kude kufikwe kumgca wokugqibela weculo elitsha. Ukulinda iiMbasa eziziiNkwenkwezi kwakubuhlungu kakhulu.
Kwakuhleliwe nje ngephiriyodi yokugqibela esikolweni, kungenziwa nto. Ngoko ke uThoko wagqiba kwelokuba afunde. Lo gama wayefunda, walibala kwaphela ngexesha – kwaqala iyincwadi yanye, kwaza kwalandela enye nenye ngokunjalo. Ngethuba esongeza ngalo izihloko zeencwadi kuluhlu lweencwadi azifundileyo, uNksk McKensie wayesele ekulungele ukubhengeza abaphumelele iinkwenkwezi.
UShane, uRhapelang, uCorne kunye noTaitum bonke bafumana iinkwenkwezi ezityheli. UGift, uGaswin, uAydon, uChleo noKay-Lee bona bafumana iinkwenkwezi ezibomvu. URoche, uShaunique kunye noMiscka bafumana iinkwenkwezi eziluhlaza. UDana Rose, owakwaziyo ukuhlamba ubumenyemenye obuluhlaza eminweni yakhe ngexesha lesidlo sasemini, wafumana inkwenkwezi ezuba. Kusenjalo, uThoko weva igama lakhe libizwa.
“UThoko kunye noBrendan,” wabhengeza uNksk McKensie, ejonge kuluhlu lweencwadi ezifundiweyo. UBrendan wayefunde iincwadi ezintlanu waze yena uThoko wafunda ezintandathu! UThoko wayengathi anganyibilika luvuyo njengokuba uNksk McKensie wayebeka inkwenkwezi egolide kwibunzi lakhe.
“Khelekenkce, khelekhenkce!” yakhala intsimbi yesikolo waze uThoko wagqotsa ukuphuma emasangweni esikolo. Wayengxamele ukubonisa uMama noMakhulu inkwenkwezi yakhe egolide. Xa wayefika kwindawo uNksk Ismail awayethengisa kuyo amaqebengwana, ubuso bakhe babushushu kukubaleka. Intombazanana kaNksk Ismail, uSharifa, wayezenza unovenkile. Wanika uThoko iqebengwane walifaka kwingxowana yephepha emncumele. “Enkosi,” watsho uThoko wagqotsa engxamile.
“Mama! Makhulu!” wakhwaza, engena kumnyango ongaphambili, “Jongani ndifumene ntoni?”
UMakhulu waphakamisa amehlo kumthungo wakhe waza uMama wakroba ekoneni.
“Molo, Thoko!” babulisa. “Bekunjani esikolweni?”
“Jongani!” watsho uThoko. UMama noMakhulu bajonga lo gama uThoko abolathisa kwibunzi lakhe.
“Sijonge ntoni, Thoko?” wabuza uMakhulu.
“Inkwenkwezi yam egolide!” watsho uThoko ephelelwe ngumonde.
“Inkwenkwezi egolide etheni?” wabuza uMama..
“Le,” watsho uThoko, efuna ngomnwe kwibunzi lakhe. Kodwa awakuvayo yayilulusu lwakhe olumpuluswa! Inkwenkwezi egolide yayingekho! UThoko wasuka wakhala njengokuba ecacisa indlela ayifumene ngayo inkwenkwezi egolide yokufunda.
“Uzigqibele phi usenayo?” wabuza uMama.
“Esikolweni,” waphendula uThoko.
“Uye wenza ntoni ukuphuma kwesikolo?” wabuza uMakhulu. UThoko wachaza indlela yakhe ukusuka esikolweni, elila njalo.
“Eshi, yinkwenkwezi yephepha nje kuphela,” watsho uMama. Kodwa yayingelophepha nje. Yayiyinkwenkwezi egolide ekhetheke kakhulu.
“Sula iinyembezi sihambe siye kuyikhangela inkwenkwezi yakho egolide,” watsho uMakhulu.
UMakhulu wanceda uThoko ukulanda umkhondo, waphinda indlela ebeyihambile, bajika ekoneni baza bahamba ngendlela ebuyela esikolweni. Xa befika kwindawo yokuthengisa amaqebengwana kaNksk Ismail bayifumana inkwenkwezi kaThoko – ithe nca kwibunzi lentombazanana yakhe! Esakuba elivile ibali likaThoko elilusizi wathi, “Sharifa sithandwa sam, laa nkwenkwezi uyicholeyo yekaThoko.” Kodwa uSharifa omncinane wayeyithanda le nkwenkwezi igolide kaThoko. Xa uNksk Ismail wayezama ukuyisusa, wakhala kakhulu baze abantu abadlulayo bacinga ukuba uyabulawa.
UMakhulu wajonga kuThoko. “USharifa mncinane kakhulu ukuqonda ukuba yintoni ebubulungisa nengebubo. Kodwa wena umdala ngokwaneleyo kwaye uyakwazi ukucinga. Myeke ayigcine inkwenkwezi egolide yakho,” watsho. UThoko wacinga umzuzwana. Iikona zenkwenkwezi egolide zaziphethukile zijonge phezulu, kwaye yayikhangeleka ngokungathi iza kuphinda iwe kwakhona. “Kulungile,” watsho uThoko. “USharifa angayigcina.” Kodwa wayesebuhlungu ngaphakathi. Iinkwenkwezi ezigolide akulula ukuziphumelela.
Ngexesha lokulala, uMakhulu waphathela uThoko isipho esikhethekileyo athe wamenzela sona – inkwenkwezi egolide emenyezelayo ethungelwe kwisihombiso sasentloko. “Le yeyokuba ngoyena mlesi ofunde iincwadi ezininzi,” watsho uMakhulu. Emva koko waphuza uThoko ebunzi wamsebezela esithi, “Oku kokokuba yintwazana enovelwano necingela abanye.” UThoko wabamba ibunzi lakhe waza wacinga kancinane phambi kokuba abiwe bubuthongo. “Iinkwenkwezi ezigolide ziba neekona eziphethukayo kwaye ziyawa. Ukuphuzwa kona kuhlala naphakade!”
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‘A gold star and a kiss for Thoko’ was a story especially written for World Read Aloud Day 2013 by one of South Africa’s best-known children’s authors and illustrators, Niki Daly. For more children’s stories, literacy tips and information, visit the Nal’ibali Reading-for-Enjoyment Campaign at www.nalibali.org or www.nalibali.mobi.
