Kusemakhaya endaweni yaKwa-Nzimakwe, uZenani kanye nabangani bakhe bazimisele kakhulu ngokuvulwa kwezikole kulezinsuku ezilandelayo kangangokuba nomfaniswano wesikole usucijele usuku olukhulu. UZenani ukhathazekile ngoba impesheni ka Gogo ayikwazi ukuthenga konke akudingayo njengezinye izingane; uma sebethenge ukudla okuzobaqhuba isikhashana kanye nemishanguzo kagogo njengoba esenezifo zabantu abadala zikashukela nje kusuke sekuphelele. UZenani uyintokazi enhle, ehlakaniphile futhi eziqhenyayo ngobuyona engavumeli isimo sasekhaya simenze azenyeze; kepha uphokophele phambili. Usezongena ibanga likamatikuletsheni kulonyaka, okusho ukuthi nokho izikolo zizoqala maduze ngaphambi kokuba izikole zivulwe ezweni lonke futhi usezimisele ukuphinde abaququde emakhanda bonke njengoba enzile kuleminyaka edlulile.
“Kodwa mntantomntanami, usho ukuthi lesikhethi sisafanelwe ukuthi ungafunda ngaso?” kubuza ugogo ngokukhathazeka.
“Hawu gogo, sisalungile; ngicabanga ukuthi nje kufanele ngisithunge kancane nje ngehlise umphetho,” kuphendula uZenani.
Ayamukele ugogo impendulo noma ebona nje ukuthi asilungile kodwa ke akukho okungenziwa.
“Kungenzeka yini mhlawumbe lomfana wakoMbatha usilibele kulenyanga, uyazi bengithandaza ukuthi engathi angafika, akuve enenhliziyo enhle,” kusho ugogo.
Ayizwe ishona phansi inhliziyo uZenani ngoba phela uzizwa ngathi bayamxhaphaza uthisha wakhe kanti yena ubenza umusa nje kuphela ukuthi axhase uZenani ngomfaniswano ngoba eyingane ezimisele futhi ehlakaniphile.
“Akakasho lutho ku-whatsapp, gogo. Wagcina ngokusifisela unyaka omusha, omuhle wathembisa ukuthi uzofika azosibona maduze nje ngaphambi kokuba zivulwe izikole. Ngiyasaba kodwa ukumbuza ukuthi uyeza yini; kungenzeka useshintshe umqondo noma imali isiphelile ngoba phela sibuya emaholidini ka new year,”kuphendula uZenenani.
Aqhubeke nokubasa umlilo apheke iphalishi, intandokazi ka gogo ngoba phela intombendala ungayiphikela ukuthi yayinothotho lamazinyo ebusheni bayo njengoba kungasekho nelokubika nje. Alungisele ukuyokha amanzi kungaze kulale ukuhlwa, aphuthwe izinhlelo zantambama zikamabonakude. Uthe esayophuma ngesango, wadibana namalambu emoto ebukeka izongena lapha esangweni.
“Iyaphi intandokazi yami lishonile ilanga?” kubuza uThish’uMbatha evele kancane ngewindi.
“Bengisayokha amanzi, sir. Ngizobuya ngigeze ugogo bese sidla ukudla kwakusihlwa,” kuphendula uZenani.
“Ngiyathemba ubupheke idili ke ngoba nami ngizodla lapha namuhla,” kusho uMbatha ebhuqa nje, elungisa ukupaka kahle imoto.
Pho isifundiswa esihlala emzini yomntakabani singazodla imbuya lapha kwandlwana, ngobani nje? Angene abingelele isalukazi,uZenani esalungisa inkomishi yetiye, akhale ngokuphuthuma uShandu kaNdaba alandule; ngoba uhambo lude ebuya eMgungundlovu ekhaya ebuyela emakotishini othisha besikole eBhekisizwe Secondary School.
“Zenani, ndodakazi, kukhona enginiphathele kona. Vula i-boot ubheke, nangu ukhiye,” kusho uMbhatha.
Uzenani wasondelawathatha ukhiye elibangise emotweni.
“Oh my God, sir!!!!” kubabaza uZenani emotweni, ebona ubuningi bempahla ese-bootini. “Brand new uniform? Ngizofika ngiconsa ngoMsombuluko. Hawu wema!! Ngisayoxoxela abangani bami,” kubabaza uZenaniephuma ephethe ucingo.
“Hawu kodwa mntanami, uzongimisela ngenhliziyo, kuningi phela lokhu,” kusho ugogo eziphulula izinyembezi ebonakala nje ukuthi uswele amandla okugiya abathele ngodaka.
Abonge uMbatha, abize uZenani amfumbathise amakhulu amabili amarandi esevalelisa.
“Ungakhohlwa ke ukuthi konke esizimisela ngakho kuyaphumelela. Ngonyaka ozayo uzoya enyuvesi, nami ngizobe sengithole umklomelo wami. Nisale kahle,” kusho uMbhatha maqede angene emotweni ayishaye izule.
Wasala edidekile uZenani ukuthi ngabe mklomelo muni lo.
Ngehora lesikhombisa kukhala insimbi ebizela bonke abafundi ehholo lesikole ukuze kuzoqala umthandazo kanye nezimemezelo. Abafundi baka grade 12 bayafana nje nojahidada njengoba bebonana beqhwebula bekhuluma ngezamaholidi bezibuza ukuthi kazi ubani ozothola isikhundla sokuba uSchool President kanye nesekela lakhe njengoba zibambene phezulu phakathi kukaZenani no Thandiswa ofunda izifundo ze History ne Geography. Bekufana nokuthi uthishomkhulu uyahhema nje ngoba abafundi bajahe kungenwe emakilasini khona bezoqhubeka nokukhuluma ezabo izindaba.
“Niziphathe kahle, bafundi, nizimisele. Nisebenze ngokuzikhandla, sekungumzuliswano wokugcina lo, makube ngomuhle impela. Seningakhululeka,”kusho uthishomkhulu.
Bashaye izandla, babheke emakilasini abo. Isifundo sokuqala kube yi-Life Orientation.
Angene umem Sibiya aqale isifundo.
“Namhlanje sizofunda nge Body Autonomy, ukuziphathela amandla konkwenzayo noma okwenziwa emzimbeni wakho, ubani owazi lokho engikhuluma ngakho la?” kubuza umem Sibiya.
Ziphakame izandla ezimbalwa. UZenani, uThuli noLethu bangene sebecela uxolo kumem.
“Sorry Mem, besiphelezele uZenani ukuyobhalisela ukhetho luka School President. Siyaxolisa ngokuphazamisa,” kuncenga abangani bakaZenani.
Bangene bahlale phansi siqhubeke isifundo.
Kukhale insimbi yokuqala kwesinye isifundo.
“Good Morning Class”
“Good Morning Mr Mbatha”
“Namuhla sizozikhumbuza nge-algebra, nisakhumbula nje silwane sini leso? kusho uMr Mbatha.
Bahleke kakhulu abafundi kwazise insizwa yakwaMbatha le inamahlaya futhi inogazi, okungajwayelekile kothisha abafundisa izibalo.
“Ngicela sivule izincwadi kwikhasi leshumi nesishiyagalolunye. Wena Zenani uzobheka noThuli, ngoba ngisebenzisa eyakho la,” kusho umnumzane uMbatha ngokuzithemba.
Kumethuse lokhu uZenani ngoba phela izincwadi kazinamagama; kusengusuku lokuqala, futhi zifika naye. Ibisalokhu imnakashele njalo inkulumo yakhe yomklomelo azowuzuza ngokuhlwanyela kwakhe kuZenani nogogo wakhe. Abavumele ikhefu elincane; acele uZenani amphathele amanzi ngenkomishi.
“Ngiyabonga ntandokazi yami” kusho uMbatha ebonga inkomishi yamanzi.
“Kazi bathini ozakwenu njengoba ukufanela kangaka umfaniswano, kufanele ngabe abafana bayabhuza zinambuzane lapha emuva kwakho njengoba sekungunyaka wokugcina lo. Angingabazi noka president umfaniswano uzoveza lesosinqa nesakhiwo somnyovu, abafana bayofisa ucu lwakho,” kuthathisa uthish’uMbatha.
Athuke uMbatha esebona abafundi sebebuya bezoqhubeka nesifundo.
“MaZulu, ngiyacela ungiqoqele izincwadi zami, ungilinde ehhovisi lami ngize ngibuye kukhona engifisa sikuxoxe,” kuqhubeka uMbatha.
Akekho obengasola ukuthi kukhona okushintshile kumnumzane Mbatha ngoba bonke othisha bamkhonzile uZenani futhi unesadla sobuholi kanye nobulungiswa. Enze njalo uZenani, acele abangani bakhe bamphathele isikhwama ngesikhathi sendlamini esalinde uthish’uMbatha nengxoxo abahlele ukuba nayo. Angene uMbatha ephethe ukudla okwanele abantu ababili, bahlale phansi badle.
“Awusho ke nkosazane, zithini izinhlelo zakho zakulonyaka ozayo? Ngiyethemba uyazi ukuthi sikhona ukukulekelela uze ufike lapho ufisa khona, ngisho naphezu kwesibhakabhaka. Wena nje ngithembise ukuthi awuvumeli muntu ongakusebenzelanga kanzima ukuthi afike esibayeni sikayihlo,” kuqhubeka uMbatha.
“Kodwa sir, isukaphi yonke lenkulumo? Uyazi mina ukuthi angifuni lutho oluzongiphazamisa. Abafana bayaphazamisa. Buka nje uThuli? Usaxakekile ukuthi ingane uzoyenzenjani ngonyaka ozayo njengoba ehlela ukuya enyuvesi. Mina ke angikufisi lokho, sengiyokubona emshadweni,” kuphendula uZezani.
“Kungani kwangathi impendulo yami ayikwanelisi nje, sir?” uZenani edideka.
“Awuseyona ingane Zen. Nawe uyabona ukuthiusukhulile. Akukho engingakusho ongakwazi. Nokho umzimba wakho uyasho ukuthi nokho intokazi isivuthiwe manje,” esho ngokungesabi uMbatha.
“Futhi angingabazi ukuthi kangiyena owokuqala ukukutshela lokhu. Zen Zen, usukhulile manje. Kalisekho icala ukuthi ngivune isithelo kulesi sihlahla engisinakekele siyisithombo esingenampilo,” kuqhubeka uMbatha.
Nokho ebusweni usenokujiya, nezwi lakhe selijulile kunokujwayelekile.
Seliyaphela ikhefu, asukume kuqala uZenani ezama ukubaleka inkulumo angasazi ukuthi uzowawaza athini uma eyiphendula. Aphume avale umnyango. Ubefisa nokubuyisa akudle ngayizolo, ngenxa yenhliziyo ecinekile. Uhamba nje sekungathi unesiyezi, ujuluke uyaconsa intukuthelo nokwesaba nokudideka kuhlangene.
“Zeni!?” kumemeza uThuli.
“Kwenzenjani? Yini indaba uhlale isikhathi eside kangaka? Utheni uMbatha? Zen!” kubuza uThuli.
Ahambe kungathi akezwa lutho eqonde endlini yangasese.
Babukane emehlweni, balandele ngemuva oThuli no Lethu.
“Mngan’wami kwenzenjani? Uyagula yini?” kubuza uLethu ngokukhathazeka.
“Angiguli! Ukuthi nje kuyashisa, ngikhathele,” kuphendula uZenani.
“Uyazazi nawe ukuthi awukwazi ukuqamba amanga. Pho ukhalelani uma kungelutho? Utheni kuwena u sir? Usho phela uma kukhona akwenzile ngimdabule uthayi ngebhodlela mina!” kusho uLethu ngokuthukuthela.
“Ave uyisidlamlilo ke wena; madlabantu!” kuhleka uZenani.
“Nakhu kukhala insimbi, kodwa nje uma udinga ngiyokusiza ngesiqhwaga ,ubongivusa nasentathakusa,”kusho uLethu.
Bahambisane bahleke babheke ekilasini.
Uyafundisa uthisha weSayensi nje uZenani uyathatha uyabeka ukuthi kambe ukhuluma ngani uMbatha uma ethi usekhulile, futhi nabafana bayafuna ukushaya isinqa, kanti azomvumela kumele kube umuntu okusebenzelile lokho. Kuyini khona ukusebenza kanzima? Akezwanga nokuthi isifundo siphele nini futhi bekuthiwani, ukhululwe nje yinsimbi yokuphuma kwesikole. Aphume baleke abashiye ngemuva abangani bakhe. Nabo basale bebekaza ukuthi kungani abashiye; kodwa kungenzeka ukuthi uphuthuma ugogo wakhe, baqoqe bagoduke.