This story has been specially created to celebrate World Read Aloud Day 2018 by reading-for-enjoyment campaign, Nal’ibali. Find this story in all SA official languages and find out more about the project here.
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“Ngizokufaka amagondelo amabili namhlanjesi, Baba,” kutjho uNeo lokha nakafaka amabhudzi wakhe webholo erarhwako.
“Ngizakusiza ngokungezelela ngamagondelo amathathu, Malume,” kutjho uPriya osanduku ka ekha bokaNeo nomfowabo omncani, uRahul. URahul bekaphethe ivuvuzela yakhe ekhanyako ebovu.
Uyise kaNeo wahleka. “Arha-ke, ngilindele ukukwakwazela kahlanu-ke nakunjalo!”
“Nami ngingakwakwazela Malume?” kubuza uRahul.
“Iye, msanami,” kutjho uyise kaNeo lokha nakasiza uMbali ukwembatha amanyathelwakhe. “Asikhambeni-ke kwanjesi!”
Boke bangena ngekoloyini. UNeo wahlala ngaphambili. Khewahlala kanengi lapha, ngaphambilini. Bekanesiqiniseko sokobana uyise nange angamvumela, lokha iinyawo zakhe nasele zizide ngokwaneleko, uzakukghona ukutjhayela ikoloyi. Kubonakala kulula. URahul noPriya bahlala ngemva baphahle uMbali. Bamkitakita naye wagigitheka.
Bathe bangakatjheji boke, kwabesele ba kile etatawini lebholo erarhwako. Ba ka ngesikhathi esifaneleko sokobana uPriya noNeo bahlangane nesiqhema sabo seMaqhawe Football Club bonyana bazifuthumeze. Bebazokubambana nesiqhema seDiamond Football Club namhlanjesi.
“Nikhumbule ukuqinisekisa bonyana nidarhise iDiamonds Football Club leyo, bekuthi ngemva komdlalo bafune ukutjhugulula igama labo bathi bayiCoal Football Club,” kutjho umbanduli wabo.
Kusenjalo kwabasikhathi sabadlali bonyana bagijimele ngetatawini. Usofengwana wabetha ifengwanakhe, umdlalo wase uyathoma.
Kwathoma kabuthaka, kodwana msinyana bangena emtjhovweni. Bekunetjhada elikhulu lokha imindeni yabantwana beenqhema ezimbili lezi nabakwakwazelako. Ibholo izakuba kwelinye ihlangothi isikhatjhana, kusesenjalo kubonakale ingathi iya kwelinye ihlangothi, omunye wabadlali uzakuthatha ibholo akhambe nayo! Umdlalo wakhamba ngelendlela bekwaphela isiquntu sokuthoma.
“Nginesizungu! Nithembise bonyana nizokufaka amagondelo,” uRahul utjho kuNeo noPriya lokha nabaphumela ngeqadi kwetatawu.
“Kunjalo. UMbali ufuna amagondelo, uMbali ufuna amagondelo,” kubuyelela uMbali. “UMbali uyayenda,” wangezelela ngokuzamula. UNeo banoPriya bamane bahleka nje base bayagijima babuyela emva esiqhemeni sabo.
Ifengwana yalila abadlali bagijimela etatawini ngokwesiquntu sesibili. Umdlalo waragela phambili ngendlela egade ukhamba ngayo esiquntwini sokuthoma … bekwasala umzuzu owodwa!
UNeo bekabambe ibholo. Waqala ngapha nangapha ukubona bonyana ingabe ukhona omunye weDiamond Football Club eduze kwakhe na. Awa, bekayedwa. Wagijimela phambili, atjhewa ibholo. Msinyazana umdlali weDiamond Football Club wavela. UNeo wamqala emehlweni lokha nekararha ibholo idlula phakathi kwemilenze yabanye abadlali. Ababukeli barhuwelela ngethabo.
Omunye wabadlali beDiamond Football Club wanqopha ngakuNeo ukuyomemuka ibholo. Ngokurhaba, uNeo wadlulisela ibholo kuPriya.
Omunye nomunye bekaminyile lokha uPriya nakathatha ibholo ayirarha ngamandla. LADUMA! Usomapali akhenge abe ayibone ibholo nayizako! UPriya bekafake igondelo.
Kungakadluli nomzuzwana. Lokha nakatjhugulukako athi ugidinga igondelo, usofengwana wabetha ifengwana yokugcina! IMaqhawe ithumbile!
UNeo bekathabe khulu bewagijimela kuPriya wamgugela phezulu!
Bobabili bagijimela esiqhemeni sabo nombanduli kangaphandle kwetatawu, base bayadebha boke. Ngemva kwalokho uPriya noNeo bagijimela kuyisekaNeo. URahul yena bekavuthelela ivuvuzela phezulu.
“Loyo bekumsebenzi ofanelwe yi-ayisikhrimu, Priya ninoNeo,” kutjho uyisekaNeo. “Iinkutani zethu ezimbili zingakuthabela lokho?”
“Iye! Siyayithanda i-ayisikhrimu,” kutjho uMbali abaphendulela. Bahleka boke.
UNeo waguga uMbali lokha nabayokuthenga i-ayisikhrimu. Namtjhana angakawafaki amagondelo amabili agade awafuna, kodwana usize umnganakhe omkhulu bona afake igondelo! UPriya yena bekathabile ngombana bekungekokuthoma afakela iMaqhawe igondelo. Itjhada levuvuzela kaRahul belingathi udlala umvumo omnandi.
