“Wawuthetha inyani xa wawusithi zikhona iindlela zokuzikhupha kule mo ndikuyo ezingafuni mali.” Ndixelela uPhetisi xa ndifike ekhaya ndamvusa xa ndiza kulala. “Bendisisibhanxa, bendikhangela izizathu zokuba ndingathabathi manyathelo…Ndaqalisa nini ukuba yeke-yeke ndibe buthathaka kangaka? Ewe, ezinye izinto ziya yidinga imali, umzekelo, ndifuna ukubuyela esikolweni, ke ngoku ndiza kuthini xa uTata noSandra bengafuni kundibhatalela?”

“Ngumba olungileyo lowo, utsho njalo xa ethetha utitshala wam,” utshilo uPhetisi, engawavuli amehlo akhe. “Besifunda ‘ngamalungelo abantwana esikolweni’. Ngaphaya koko, xa uneminyaka elishumi elinesibhozo usenokubafuna ukuba bakunike imali yakho le ubuyamkela, kwaye akukude oko.”

“Ndiza kuqala ngezinye izinto kuqala, ze ndibone ukuba ndithini na,” Ndithabatha isigqibo.

“Intle loo nto. Ilungile into yokuba ugqiba ukuba wenze into, ekugqibeleni.” Uyathula imizuzu embalwa. “Uyayazi into yokuba ndandidla ngokukumonela kanjani na ngento yokuba umama wam enika wena kuphela ingqalelo. Kodwa kwezi ntsuku andibaweli nakancane ukuba nguwe, sis, nditsho kuba mna okoko ndaba ngokhulilekileyo kodwa wena awunayo loo nkululeko.”

“Ndiziva ngathi ndibukhobokarha,” ndiyakungqinela.

Kwaye ngalo lonke ixesha xa ndisela la pilisi kaSandra obu bukhoboka bebuvakala bukhaphu-khaphu.

Xa ndingayifuni elandelayo, unomsindo. Sisekhaya, uGuaone uze entlanganisweni, imalunga nengoma entsha nezinto ezintsha zokunxiba.

“Sukuba sisibhanxa, Bitsy-D. Uyayazi indlela oba nomsindo ngayo ngalo lonke ixesha xa sithetha ngeempahla zakho nangeengoma zakho kula malanga. Asifuni ke ngoko ukuba ugxobha-gxobhe le ngxoxo ngoko kucaphuka kwakho.”

“Andizi kuya apho ekucaphukeni,” nditshilo, ndithule kodwa ndiqatha.

Akukho nobangela woko, ngoku sele ndinecebo.

“Yithabathe uyisele,” uyanyanzela.

“Myeke, Sandra,” inkxaso kaGaone iyandimangalisa. “Ukhangeleka epholile kwaye ekwazi ukuzibamba. Ndicinga ukuba ufikelela ekuqondeni ukuba yonke into esiyenzayo iza kunceda kwayena—andithi, sana lwam?”

“Ewe,” nditshilo, kodwa akaliva ilizwi lam eliphoxayo.

Ndigcina ubuso bam bujonge nqo kubo. Andikwazi ukuba ndibenze bafunde ukuba ndiphezu kwento kwaphambi kwexesha,

ULefa uza kuthi ndiyenza nzima le nto, kodwa ndifuna ukuba iinkcukacha zecebo lam zibekho phambi kokuba ndiqhankqalazele inguqu.

Andihleki, kwiintsuku ezimbini emva koku, ndizimela emini ndisiya kwenza enye yeenkcukacha zecebo lam. Ndinovalo kakhulu.

Akukho kwandlela yokuba ndingaphinda ndizimele ebusuku ngoLwesihlanu endingasebenzi ngaye. Andifuni mntu oza kufunisela ukuba ndingaba ndiphezu kwantoni na, ngoko ke andinakuya eGood Fortune.

Endaweni yoko, ndiye kuphola ngaphandle kwesikolo ebendifunda kuso xa siphuma isikolo, abaninzi behamba ngeenyawo kodwa abanye bekhwela iiteksi ezihutayo.

Ndinxibe ijini endala nebhlawuzi enkulu iimpahla endazisindisa kuSandra owayelahla iimpahla zam. Angaphambana enokundibona ndinxibe ezi zinto esidlangalaleni ngolu hlobo—kodwa ke, akunani uza kuphambana kuba uza kundibona kakade.

Ndilindile, ndinethemba lokuba ndiza kubona abahlobo bam, ndikwanethemba lokuba basabambe isiko elidala lethu lesikolo  lokuhamba kunye ukuphuma kwesikolo. Hayi bo, nabo, uKgadi, noWatson noYonayona kwelinye icala.

Intliziyo yam ibetha kabuhlungu. Kunini ndibakhumbula, kodwa ndiya kuthini ukuba abafuni nto yakwenza nam?

Khawusixelele: Ucinga ukuba uDintletse nabahlobo bakhe baza kubuyelana baxolelane, kwaye ingaba kufuneka acele uxolo?