UMnu Casa wambona ngokushesha ukuthi ungubani uMihlali. Futhi akamangalanga ngokumbona.
“Mihlali Soci,” kusho uMnu Casa kakhulu, kanti njengoba ebiza igama lakhe nje, uMihlali wayephoqelekile ukuthi aphendule.
“Ngikhona.”
UMihlali waphakamisa ikhanda eziqinisa ukuze amehlo akhe ahlangane nakaMnz Casa. UMnu Casa wayemomotheka.
“Siyakwamukela esikoleni samabanga aphezulu, ntokazi yami,” kusho uMnu Casa, elokhu emomotheka. “Siyakwamukela.”
Wayezoba nguthisha ophethe ikilasi likaMihlali. Okwakusho ukuthi uMihlali wayezombona njalo ekuseni.
“Nginguthisha eningakwazi ukuxoxa naye ngezinkinga zenu,” etshela ikilasi, esho ebabheka bonke. Lapho uMnu Casa edlulisa amehlo akhe kuMihlali kwakuba sengathi kwakunefu elimpunga elivimba ilanga.
Wanyakaza kancane etafuleni lakhe waqalaza eduze kwakhe. Amantombazane nabafana bekilasi lakhe babeshone phansi emadeskini abo njengezitshalo ezibunile ezomele amanzi. Lalikhipha umkhova etsheni, kodwa uMihlali wazizwa eqhaqhazela. Wahlanganisa izandla zakhe esifubeni sakhe wabe esezigona.
Ikilasi labafundi beBanga 8 ababekade benentshiseko lase lingasekho, kunalokho sekugcwele intukuthelo nesizungu. Ingane ngayinye yayibonakala ilangazalela ukuba ngaphandle, njengoba amehlo abo ayelokhu eqalaza emafasiteleni, behalela inkululeko eyayingaphandle, ngaleya kwezinsimbi ezivikele umnyango.
UMihlali wezwa uMnu Casa ekhuluma, ezwakala ekude, njengoba wayebatshela ukuthi uzobafundisa iMaths. Kwakuyisifundo asithandayo leso ngenkathi esesikoleni samabanga aphansi epulazini futhi wayephumelela kakhulu kuso. Kodwa manje ukusicabanga nje lesi sifundo kwamenza wesaba kakhulu.
Ekupheleni kwesifundo uMihlali wapakisha izincwadi esikhwameni sakhe, washo egijimela umnyango. Kodwa ngaphambi kokuba aphume, uMnu Casa wambizela edeskini lakhe. UMihlali wajika futhi wasondela ngakuthisha, eqhaqhazela, eqinise ibhande lesikhwama sakhe.
“Manje-ke Mihlali,” kusho uMnu Casa, ngaleso sikhathi uMihlali wayezwa ukuthi ikilasi liya ngokuphunguka, njengamanzi ehlela phansi kusinki, bemshiya yedwa noMnu Casa. “Ngicabanga ukuthi uzokwenza kahle kakhulu lapha. Ngabe bewazi ukuthi u-Abram nguye osize umninipulazi ukuthi athathe isinqumo sokuthi akuthumele lapha? Ngimsize ngakho konke ebengingakwenza. “Ngitshele isikole ukuthi sikuthathe,” kusho uMnz Casa, wabe esema okwesikhashana ukuze ahlekele phansi. “Bekufanele phela.”
UMihlali wezwa isandla sikaMnu Casa simthinta, futhi simbamba okwesikhashana.
“Mihlali, umninipulazi angase futhi athumele ngisho nomzala wakho uSenaso lapha,” kuqhubeka uMnu Casa. “Ngizokwenza konke okusemandleni ami ukuze ngimgqugquzele ukuthi enze kanjalo. Nawe ungangisiza ukuthi ngenze kanjalo.”
UMihlali wezwa uMnu Casa eqinisa isandla sakhe. UMihlali wasidonsa kancane esakhe isandla. UMnu Casa wahlina.
“Ungangisiza ukuthi ngimgqugquzele umninipulazi, Mihlali. Uthi ngeke kube kuhle lokho? Niyoba ndawonye phela. Wena noSenaso niyoba sesikoleni sinye, nobabili nibe nekusasa eliqhakazile.”
UMnu Casa wagobela phambili wabe esemomotheka. UMihlali wayekuzwa ukunuka komoya wakhe eduze nobuso bakhe. Ukunuka kogologo nogwayi.
“Ngimtshelile, umninipulazi, ukuthi ngizokusiza ujwayele indawo, Mihlali. Uyazi umninipulazi uyakukhathalela ngempela. Sonke siyakukhathalela.” UMihlali wavuma ngekhanda wabe eseqala ukuhamba kancane. Kodwa uMnz Casa wasibamba wasiqinisa kakhulu futhi isandla sakhe.
“Uyazi, Mihlali, lapha sonke siyasizana. Uyangisiza, nami bese ngikusiza, mina bese ngize ngisiza noSenaso, bese kuthi-ke umninipulazi enisiza nobabili. Ngaleyo ndlela sonke sigcina umninipulazi ejabulile. Ngalokho-ke umninipulazi uzoqhubeka nokukukhokhela ukuthi ukwazi ukufunda lapha. Mhlawumbe futhi akhokhele ngisho noSenaso.”
UMihlali wayebheke phansi ezicathulweni zakhe ezimnyama ezicwebezelayo. Kwakuyizo kuphela izicathulo zakhe ezintsha sha uMihlali ake aba nazo. Wasusa izinyawo zakhe, emungunya futhi eshudula ngezinyawo.
“Ngibheke Mihlali,” kusho uMnu Casa. “Intombazane enhle efana nawe kumele njalo ithole amamaki amahle, akunjalo? Ngingakwazi ukukusiza ukuba kwenzeke lokho.” UMnu Casa wabe esededela isandla sakhe, uMihlali wezwa ukukhululeka.
“Ubokuza ekilasini lami ngesikhathi sekhefu,” kusho uMnu Casa.
UMihlali wabheka eceleni ngasemnyango wabe esevuma ngekhanda. Isandla sikaMnu Casa sabe sesimbambile futhi. Wayengakwazi ukubheka uthisha emehlweni. Uthisha wabe esededela isandla, uMihlali waqala ukugijima. Waphuma egijima ekilasini esho ekhuphuka izitezi. Welula iphasiji wehla futhi ezinye izitezi. Kwakuyima ema, yilapho-ke abona khona ukuthi ulahlekile. Wayengazi ukuthi wayezolithola kanjani ikilasi okwakumele aye kulo.
Ngemva kokugijima ehla enyuka emihubheni elokhu efuna, ekugcineni walithola ikilasi. Uthisha wayemthukuthelele ngoba wayefike ngemva kwesikhathi.
“Uma ungakwazi ukuthola ikilasi, angiboni ukuthi uyoke uzithole izindawo ebalazweni lakho,” kusho uthisha, zonke izingane zahlekela phezulu zingaqedi, zijatshuliswa ukuthi uMihlali uyinto yokuhlekwa.
UMihlali wathola ideski lakhe, ikilasi leli labonakala sengathi linezimo ezingamanzi nje ezimzungezile, ngaphambi kokuthi akwazi ukuthi ahlale aqonde, futhi agwinye kabuhlungu.