Ngemva kwelantshi uMihlali wabeka embhedeni uyinifomu yakhe yesikole wabe esekhipha isikhindi nehembe likakotini elihlanzekile. Waya ngasephaseji ukuze azibuke kahle esibukweni eside.
Imilenze yakhe ensundu yayishelela, imide futhi iyimicondo. Amehlo akhe ayemgqolozele wase emomotheka ngamahlonyana okwesikhashana nje. Izinwele zakhe zazikanyelwe kahle emuva kusuka esiphongweni sakhe. Kancane isandla sakhe saya enkinobheni engaphezulu yehembe lakhe wabe esema kancane ngaphambi kokuthi ayiqaqe.
UMihlali wayazi ukuthi abafana ababedlala ithenisi letafula babezombuka. Babehlale njalo bembuka abafana. Vele abafana basehostela base beqalile ukuzisondeza kuye etafuleni lokudla ngesikhathi sekhefu.
Ekhaya epulazini uSamkelo wakwamakhelwane kudala emthanda. Wayehlale emtshela lokhu uMihlali, cishe nsuku zonke. Kodwa uMihlali wayehlale engavumi. Kanti kwakukhona nabanye futhi. Abafana babethanda ukuhlala eceleni kwakhe ebhasini yesikole, noma bazisondeze edeskini lakhe esikoleni. KuMihlali, kwakubonakala sengathi abafana bahlale befuna ukumthinta.
Ngezinye izikhathi, kuMihlali kwakusengathi, umhlaba wawugcwele izandla, ezintsha nezigugile, ezinoboya, nezishelelayo, ezinamandla, nezincane, ezikhuluphele nezicazile. Konke kuyizandla zabesilisa, zifuna ukumthinta, noma zidlalela ngezansi kwesikhethi sakhe, noma zingena ngaphansi kwesikhethi sakhe, noma zihamba okwenyoka, okhalweni lwakhe.
Vele kwase kukhona umfana ehostela uMihlali ayeseqale umqaphela. Futhi naye wayazi ukuthi lo mfana naye wayesemqaphele. Ehholo lokudlela wezwa nje ukuthi amehlo alo mfana athe njo kuye, kanti wayazi futhi ukuthi lo mfana wake wahamba ngemva kwakhe beya esikoleni, emlandela, elokhu egijimisa amehlo akhe kuzo zonke izitho zomzimba wakhe.
Lo mfana wathola uMihlali ngekhefu lesibili uMnu Casa engambizanga. UMnu Casa wayehlezi ekilasini ukuze aphuze ugologo owawuhlala ediloweni letafula lakhe. Wayewukhiphe ngenkathi uMihlali ephuma egumbini lakhe ngekhefu lokuqala. UMihlali wayengazange abheke emuva, kodwa wayizwa ingilasi ikhala ngenkathi ishayisana namazinyo kaMnu Casa lapho esephuza, egwinyela phezulu.
Umfana wayemude enamandla futhi kukhona owake washo ukuthi wayengumdlali webhola lombhoxo ohamba phambili. UMihlali wayethathe ithini leCoke lo mfana ayemnikeze lona, ngenkathi engamtholi u-Angelique ukuze ayohlala naye, yilapho-ke lo mfana amthola khona.
UMihlali wayemcabanga ngeso lengqondo, engumdlali webhola lombhoxo onamandla, emi phakathi kwakhe noMnu Casa, omfushane nokhuluphele. UMnu Casa wayengase akuthole kunzima ukwedlula kulo mfana, kucabanga uMihlali, emomotheka kancane ngenxa yalokho akucabangayo. UMihlali waqaqa enye inkinobho yehembe lakhe, wabe esephuma egumbini lakhe lasehostela.
Njengoba ehla ezitezi nje kwakhala umakhalekhukhwini wakhe. KwakunguSenaso.
Uyazi ukuthini? ngiyeza lapho esikoleni sakho
Ngilangazelela kakhulu ukuba nawe futhi
UMihlali wama wanganyakaza. Hhayi, uSenaso. Hhayi, uSenaso othandekayo. “Ungesabi. Ngizokusiza nje kuphela.” Yilokho uMnu Casa ayekushilo. Futhi manje wayezofuna “ukusiza” ngisho noSenaso.
UMihlali wagijima wabuyela esitezi esingaphezulu, wangena egumbini lakhe futhi walala embhedeni, phezu kwezingubo zakhe ayesanda kuzelula kahle.
Wezwa insimbi yesikhathi sokufunda ikhala kodwa akazange asukume. Walala khona lapho enganyakazi. Kwanyakaza izinyembezi zakhe kuphela, ziphethuka, zigobhoza, zisuka emehlweni ziye ezihlathini zakhe.
Kwavela u-Angelique. Wayethunywe nguthisha owayesebenza ngalolo suku ukuthi ayobheka uMihali. Kodwa uMihlali akazange asukume.
Ngemva kwesikhathi kwavela u-matron wehostela, intokazi enamehlo anomusa. Weza ngokuthula wahlala onqenqemeni lombhede kaMihlali. Wabeka isandla sakhe ehlombe likaMihlali wabe esembuza ngezwi eliphansi ukuthi kwakuyini inkinga.
UMihlali wabe esezikhipha izindaba.
Wazikhipha zonke. Wayeqala ngqa ukukhuluma kanje, wezwa sengathi yonke into yayiya ngokuphuma kuye.
Wezwa sengathi umndeni wakhe, indlu encane yezisebenzi, namaklabishi nobhontshisi kukaGogo konke kwakunyamalele. Konke kwakulahlekile.
UMihlali wazibona esukuma, njengoba ayezibone ekuseni esibukweni sephaseji. Wayemi egqoke izicathulo zakhe ezintsha sha nehembe lakhe elihlanzekile eli-ayiniwe, kodwa njengoba wayebuka isibuko nje, wazibona esesuka esibukwni lapho, elokhu eqheluka waze wanyamalela nya.
Emqondweni wakhe uMihlali wase ebona zonke izincwadi zakhe zesikole zindiza zipheshulwa umoya onamandla, zishona phezulu, phezulu, phezulu le esibhakabhakeni. Amakhasi ayephephuka eshona zonke izindawo, kuwo kukhona zonke izibalo zakhe nemisho yakhe emide ebhalwe kahle, namathikhi amakhulu abomvu esendiza ephuma emakhasini, njengezinyoni ezinkulu, ezinamandla, nezibomvu.
Mhlawumbe kuphelile ngami, kucabanga uMihlali, kodwa angisoze ngivumele lokho kwenzeke kuSenaso. Ngeke akwenze uMnu Casa. Hhayi lo onuka phu ugologo kanye nomunwe wakhe okhuluphele, ohlabayo nocijile. Ngeke kwenzeke kuSenaso. Kuphelile nango-Abram futhi, olokhu emlinde emithunzini ecashile. Ngeke kuphinde kwenzeke lokho.
Engqondweni yakhe uMihlali wabona uSenaso emi endaweni yakhe esibukweni, egqoke iyunifomu yakhe yesikole ehlanzekile.