Selusemome usuku lwemiphumela yokhetho, uthisha uMbatha uyaqinisekisa ukuthi konke kuhambe kahle futhi akangabazi ukuthi uZenani ozophuma phambili. Lokho kusho ukuthi bazosebenzisana eduze. UZenani no Mbatha bangene ehhovisi njengenhlalayenza bezoshiya izincwadi bese beyahlukana. uThisha uMbatha avale umnyango akhiphe ukhiye awufake ephaketheni, amubambe ngendluzula amucindezele edongeni. UZenani azame ukumemeza.

“Thula! Thula ungasho lutho. Thula njengoba ubuthulile ungangitsheli ukuthi wena uyathandana nalesimaku esinguManqoba! Akugcini lapho, niyalala futhi, kungakho nifike nobabili namuhla angithi? Okusho ngiyisiwula mina uma ngikulinda ukhule, ngikuhlonipa uma uthi wena awukakulungeli ukungena ebudlelwaneni nami? Kanti wena uthi nje, kulele kunye lapha kimi ukuba kubili ngabe kuyavusana. Ngempela ifa leziwula lidliwa yizihlakaniphi ngoba phela nakhu uManqoba esengidlele izithelo zami. Akusenani sengiyothatha lokhu okusele,” kusho uMbatha.

Embambe ngesankahlu, emubeka ngesikhulu isihluku etafuleni, emkhumula inyunifomu engasakhathalelanga okudabukayo. Azwe sengathi kukhona omgwaza ngomkhonto, akazi nokuthi athini kulesimo. Usemanzi nte izinyembezi uZenani akakwazi nokudlubulundela. Izwi alisaphumi ukwesaba. Usevele wazizwa entekenteke nje. Emuva kwesikhathi esizwakale sengathi iminyaka yokushawa kanzima nobuhlungu obungapholi, ube esemxosha ehhovisi lakhe.

“Vuka ugqoke! Uzilungise, kungabikho muntu ozosola lutho, kungenjalo, ngiyawazi umuzi wakini nabangani bakho ngokunjalo,ngiyobaqeda nya. Angazi ukuthi ukhalelani ngoba awuyiqali lento; kanti lowamfana onguManqoba uzozisola ngokungihambela phambili. Hamba, ungayithi vu lento! Ngisakhumbula nje, nakhu ozokudinga, amaphilisi ka gogo afanele ukuthi aseyaphela manje kanti ayikwazi ukuphila ngaphandle kwawo intombi endala.” Kusho uMbatha emfumbathisa inkulungwane yamaRandi.

Uhambo oluya ekhaya belulude kakhulu. Edlala ephindelela izehlakalo zasehhovisi ezibuza eziphendula. Bekungathi unethwe yimvula yehlazo, ezizwa ngathi wonke umuntu uyakubona lokhu okumehlele. Wafika ekhaya wathela amanzi amaningi, wageza kungathi uzama ukuphala ingulube. Makhathaleni, kukhale ucinga lwakhe kufona uMbatha. Aluzibe.

“Ngilokhu ngicabanga about our first time, bengingalindele ukuthi kungangithokozisa kanje! Impela uyintombi ziphelele, uphelele kawunasici.” Kusho umnyalezo ovela kuMbatha.

Umshaye ngamandla ke lomyalezo. Kungenzeka ukuthi mhlawumbe uyena nje oyithatha ngamawala lento. Umnumzane Mbatha wenza isiqiniseko sokuthi balala bedlile, ugogo uzothola umuntu ozomnakekela uma uZenani esesikoleni futhi ke nemali yokuhamba nabafundi kuyiwa emdlalweni wokufunda unayo, pho sibi kangakanani lesisenzo?

“Angikubonanga uma kuphuma isikole, ngiyacela ucabangisise inkulumo yethu yasekuseni. Ngiyakuthanda mageba.” Umyalezo ovela ku Manqoba.\

Afunde lomyalezo ezwe usizi olukhulu lumehlela. Phela abusekho lobu bumsulwa abeziqhenya ngabo, kunjalo nje akakwazi ukubikela omunye umuntu ngoba kungaphuma nesidumbu. Kuvele kwakhala ucingo olumvusayo esathi uzama nje ukuthola ubuthongo. Aqhubeke alale. Akakwazi ukuphuma enje, wonke umuntu uzomubona phela ukuthi kukhona okushaya amanzi. Amehlo ayagobhoza izinyembezi wena owabona ulwandle lungenisa.

“girl, ukuphi? Seliyaqala I class.” i – whatsapp ka lethu.
“u late? Akufani nawe ke yazi. Gijima seliyangena i class.” i- whatsapp ka Thuli.

UManqoba abheke ucingo lwakhe naye abone ukuthi umyalezo wakhe izolo kawuphenduliwe. Kulula ukubona uma engekho esikoleni uZenani, uyintandokazi yawo wonke umuntu. Bonke othisha bayabuza ukuthi kwenzekeni ngaye wangabibikho esikoleni, kodwa akekho onempendulo.

“Ningakhohlwa ke class, uhambo lokuyofunda eThekwini ngenyanga ezayo. Seningaqala nikhokhe ku Mrs Sibiya. Kuhanjwa ngo R200 njengoba sasikhulumile nabazali benu,” kumemezela U Miss Dlamini.

UThuli no Lethu bahlele ukuyobona uZenani kubo uma bephuma esikoleni. Bahlangane noManqoba esangweni. uZenani aphume eyobavulela isango elivalwa ngocingo, abangani bakhe yize bephuma emakhaya anconywana bayamhlonipha kakhulu umngani wabo.

“Guys, please go.Akufanele sibonakale sisonke. Ngiyanicela. Akuphephile. Kakhulukazi wena Manqoba, ngicela uhambe ungaphinde uzongibheka la ekhaya,” kuchaza uZenani.

Badideke bonke kodwa bafise ukwazi ukuthi kungani, ubani lo osongela umngani wabo?
“Ukhona okusongelayo? Okwenza ungakwazi ukuphuma uye esikoleni? Yini indaba vele bowungekho esikoleni namuhla?”

“Akukuningi engingakusho njengamanje kodwa ukuthi nje angisalubeki esikoleni. Bengigcina ngci izolo,” kuphendula uZenanai.

Babhekane bonke. Asikhihle uZenani. UManqoba uselokhu ebheke phansi engazi uzomududuza athini umngani wabo.

“Kukhona esingakwenza? Maybe singathinta uthisha uMbatha no Mem Sibiya yibona abakwaziyo ukubhekelela abafundi,” kusho uLethu ezama ukuphuma nesu.

“UMbatha!? uMbatha, Lethu? Ngempela?” kubuza uZenani ebhoka ngentukuthelo.

“Uma unalo isu eliphusile ngiyacela uliveze ngoba siyathanda ukukusiza kodwa nawe awuphumeli obala ukuthi kwenzekeni.” Kuphendula uLethu.

“UMbatha yiyo inkinga yami. Ungishaye wangilimaza kabi engishayela ukuthi mina ngithandana noManqoba. Wangisola ngakho konke, ukuthi yena uyasinakekela lapha ekhaya kodwa mina engikwaziyo ukuhamba ngilala, ngiphisa ngezithelo zakhe azitshale wazinisela eyedwa,” kusho uZenani.

“Uthini, Zen? Ucabanga ukuthi wena usuyalala? Futhi usho ukuthini ukuthi wena uyizithelo zakhe?” kumangala uLethu.

Ahayize kakhulu uZenani azame ukubaleka aphindele endlini.

“Cha! ngisazama ukuzwisisa la, usho ukuthini uMbatha uma ethi wena uyizithelo zakhe?!” kuqhuba uLethu.

“Ngiyazi mina ukuthi usho ukuthini. Umbuzo ukuthi usekwenzile noma usazokwenza? Zeni, khuluma iqiniso. Kukhona yini akwenze kona uMbatha?” Kusho uThuli.

Uyawakhumbula lamazwi kubaba wakhe eseyingane.

“Cha,akenzanga lutho,” kusho uZenani esula izinyembezi ezilokhu zigobhoze njalo.

“Nina khululekani, ngizobuyela esikoleni. Ngeke nje ngiphuthwe isimemezelo esikhulu. Phela kulonyaka ngizoba u-school president nje ngizwa egazini. Go home now. Ngiyabonga ukufika nizongibheka,” kuqhubeka uZenani.

Bavalelise yize bebona ukuthi impela kukhulu akwenzile noma akushilo uMbatha okwenza uZenani amesabe ngalolu hlobo.