UBontle wayemanz’andonga! Wayenokufumana nawuphi umfana xa emfuna – kuqukwa noJabulani obukekayo, odumileyo.

Kodwa endaweni yoko, uBontle wazikhethela uChester. Abahlobo bakhe babekhwankqisekile.

“Sihlobo sam, uphambene kusini? UChester mbi kanjani ingakumbi kwezo ndondo zakhe zingqingqisholo. Yaye ubhityile. Yaye usoloko enamaqhakuva! Kutheni uzidibanisa nengqondi yekhompyutha?”

Kodwa uBontle wayeyazi into awayeyenza. “Iingqondi zilikamva, mantombazana. Khawufane ucinge: ngobani osozigidi-gidi? U-Bill Gates nenkqubo yakhe yekhompyutha u-Microsoft; uMark Zuckerberg owasungula uFacebook. Ewe?”

Kodwa, uBontle wayeqiqa. Walinda de uChester wafumana isidanga sakhe kwizifundo zobuChwepheshe kwezoLwazi phambi kokuba amtshate. Emva koko walinda amathuba amahle afika.

Kodwa akazange ade afike.

“Yenza, Chester! Ungafumana nawuphi umsebenzi owufunayo. Ufumane umvuzo onamanani amahlanu!”

UChester wamjonga ngeendondo zakhe, ngamehlo anothando, ayengezelayo. “Sthandwa sam, andizukwazi ukuchitha ixesha ndisemsebenzini. Ndifuna ukusebenza ‘kuyilo lwam olukhulu’.”

UBontle wayediniwe kukuva ‘ngoyilo lwakhe olukhulu’. Zaphela iinyanga ezilshumi alukasebenzi olu yilo, nokuba kwakuyintoni na. UChester wazama ukufumana inkxaso-mali kwiinkampani ezizimeleyo, kwi-ofisi yoMphathiswa wezoKhuselo noKhuseleko, kwi-FBI eMelika.

“Aniboni, manene? Iya kuchaneka kakhulu kunegrafu enamacala amaninzi. Iya kuqinisekisa inyaniso.”

Bamhleka bonke. “Uyilo lwakho alusokuze lusebenze, mhlobo wam,” watsho umabhalana osebenza kwi-ofisi yoMphathiswa. “Akunakwenzeka oko. Yintsomi esulungekileyo yobunzululwazi.”

Kodwa uChester akazange avume ukunikezela. Ngenxa yoko kwanyanzeleka ukuba ibe nguBontle obeka into yokutya etafileni. Wafumana umsebenzi wobukhonzikazi kwabatyayo kwindawo ethengisa iHamburger efumana umvuzo ongengako.

Ngenye imini, uJabulani waya kule ndawo ithengisa iHamburger. Wayemhle njengesiqhelo.

“Bontle, kutheni ungamlahli la myeni wakho uyingqondi? Ndiza kukukhathalela mna. Ndinayo indlu encinane, imoto.”

UBontle wayefuna ukulila kukungabi nathemba nokuphoxeka.

Esakuphuma emsebenzini, wabuyela kwindawo egumbi linye babeyiqeshile yena noChester. Kwakukuphela kwento babenokukwazi ukuyihlawulela leyo. Yayigxalathelaniswe ziikhompyutha, oomatshini beekhompyutha noomatshini bokushicilela abangamasekeni. Apha phantsi kwakugcwele amaphepha anezibalo ezigxijiweyo.

UChester wadibana naye emnyango. “Ndibe nosuku oluthembisayo namhlanje, sithandwa sam,” watsho, ejonga kuye ngokwesiqhelo ngalo mehlo akhe anothando, ayengezelayo.

UBontle wamtyhala wagqitha. “Andikhathali. Ndisaya kulala.” Wanxiba ilokhwe yakhe yokulala elisekeni wacima izibane.

Elele apho ebumnyameni, wathatha isigqibo. “Ngomso! Into yokuqala ngomso, ndiyayishiya le ngqondi imbi, ibhityileyo, inamaqhakuva, ingento yanto. Jabulani, ndim lo ndiyeza! Wacinga njalo.

Kodwa kusasa, kwatshintsha yonke into. Kwangena umnxeba ofuna uChester.

“Ewe, Mnumzana! Iye yasebenza izolo. Ewe, izigidi ezintathu zeerandi zamkelekile ngeli xesha lokulinga. Abe-FBI bathembise izigidi ezintlanu. Ewe, iidola zaseMelika.”

UBontle wamanga umyeni wakhe okrelekrele, omangalisayo. Ayeza kuqala amathuba obumnandi! “Ndibonise ukuba ‘uyilo lwakho olukhulu’ lusebenza njani,” watsho.

“Ndiyenze phezolo ebusuku, bendifuna ukukubonisa. Kodwa ubukwisimo esibi kakhulu, sithandwa sam.”

UChester wacofa iqhosha. Kwaphuma isiqwengana sephepha sitsiba kumatshini wokushicilela.

***

Wachaza uChester: “Jonga, ngumatshini osebenza ngombane nangamanani ofunda ingqondo.”

Wakhupha isiqwenga sephepha kulo matshini wokushicilela ze waqalisa ukulifunda: “Ngomso! Into yokuqala ngomso, ndiyayishiya le ngqondi imbi, ibhityileyo, inamaqhakuva, ingento yanto. Jabulani, ndim lo ndiyeza!”

Ngenxa yoko wathi xa ephinda emjonga uChester, akwabikho nto inothando okanye ingamehlo ayengezelayo kwaphela.

Isiphelo