ULethu uhlela umcimbi omkhulu wokwemuliswa abazali bakhe. Lomcimbi uhlanganisa izintombi zasendaweni ezihlolwayo, namajongo namajongokazi ashaya ingoma kudabuke umhlaba. Impela indumezulu lena ngoba sekunesikhathi abazali bakaLethu bonga imali ukuthi lomcimbi ube yimpumelelo. uLethu ubethemba ukuthi uZenani uzomeseka njengegosa kanye nomholi wezintombi zesigodi. Phela uZenani ubengagcini ngobuhle kuphela, ubeyigagu enjalo nje. Azithole ephakathi kwetshe nembokodo kulesisimo ngoba akakwazi ukuhola intombi engaseyona, futhi akakwazi ukukhuluma iqiniso ngoba wesabela izimpilo zabangani bakhe nemindeni yabo. Nasesikoleni sebehlulekile ukuzama ukuthola izimpendulo zokuthi kwenzekeni kuZenani, sebaqoka ukwemukela ukuthi uyokhuluma ngesikhathi ayobe esekulungele ngaso.
Kumuphethe kabi ukuthi angeke asakwazi ukuphelezela umngani wakhe kuMhlonyane nomemulo; izinto ebesekukade bezilindile. Kodwa okungcono ukuthi avele nesu lokuthi uzobe engekho evakashele izihlobo ngempelasonto yemicimbi, wenzela ukubaleka ihlazo lokuthi ngabe intokazi ethenjwe kangaka isiphenduke isigqila sabafana ngokushesha okungaka.
NgoMsombuluko wokwethulwa kuka School President, wonke umuntu ubemagange kodwa seyaphela injabulo kulabo abasondelene no Zenani. Sekuningi okumehlele kulesikhathi esedlule kulokhu nje udinga ukuphumula. Uthishomkhulu anikele ku Mr Mbatha ukwethula usekela President no President. Bobabili laba bazothola izimbali baqonde ngqo bayoxhawula uthishomkhulu kanye namalunga esgungu sokuziphatha kothisha nabafundi.
“Usekela President wenu kuzoba u Miss Zandisile Dlamini!!” kwethula uMbatha.
Inkundla iqhume ngenjabulo. Agibele izitebhisi abingelele abafundi, axhawule othisha njengohlelo.
“UPresident wenu kulonyaka kuzoba ngu……. Miss Zenani Zulu!!” kwethula uMbatha ngenjabulo.
Besabukana nje emehlweni ukuthi ngabe ukhona yini ngoba bamugcine engemnandi neze emoyeni. Ihlokome ngenjabulo inkudla, athathe izimbali sakuzihlwitha ku Mr Mbatha, agibele izitebhisi abingelele abafundi bese eqala inkulumo yakhe.
“NGIDLULE KOKUNINGI KULESIKHATHI ESIDLULILE,
BEKUNZIMA KODWA NGOKWESEKWA ABANGANI KANYE NOTHISHA,
NGIPHUME NJENGEQHAWE. AYIKHO INKOMO EDLA YODWA, MASIBAVUMELE ABASIKHATHALELAYO UKUBA BASESEKE, BASIBAMBE NGESANDLA,
BASIMBATHISE LAPHO SIDINGA KHONA. KUYINTOKOZO KIMI UKUBA NGU PRESIDENT WENU, NGIYANITHEMBISA, NGIZONIPHATHA NGENHLONIPHO NOBUQOTHO.
NGIYABONGA.
YIMI OWENU,
ZENANI ZULU.”
Kuhlokome inkundla, kuhlukanwe, babheke emagumbini okufunda njalo njalo. uMbatha usele nombuzo wokuthi ngabe usesithathephi isibindi esingaka uZenani ngoba bekungathi akaphilile kahle uma ezwa ngabanye othisha. Pho, usevele waba ngumqemane kwamanini? Kusenjalo adlule ngasefasiteleni uZenani behamba noZandisile,azidlise satshanyana uMbatha kansondo ukuthi kuqhubeka kanjani empilweni kuZen, ubekuphi futhi uzomisa kanjani ngomsebenzi wesikole omphuthile ngesikhathi ebengekho.
“Yizinto ezincane lezo. Umsebenzi wamasonto amabili nje vo? Abangani bami kade bengisiza, anginankinga mina; kepha uwe onenkinga la. Inhliziyo enecala ayikutholi ukuphumula, sir,” kuchaza uZen egqoke ibhantshi lakhe lobuholi.
“Kuzomele sibize umhlangano nesigungu, sihlele uhambo lwabafundi kanye ne Cultural Day, ngicela ulihlelele ukuphuma kwesikole namuhla,” kusho uZen ngokuzethemba kwisekela lakhe.
Ngesikhathi sekhefu, bahlezi ngaphansi kwesihlahla nabangani bakhe. Baxoxa ngomemulo kaLethu bemkhombisa izithombe nama video ezintombi zidlala esigcawini, namajongo edlala ingoma; ubungafunga ukuthi umcimbi ka saziwayo omkhulu.
“Ngiyaxolisa mngani wami ukuthi ngingafiki emcimbini wakho, ugogo ubengazizwa kahle kanti usemdala angikwazi ukumshiya yedwa,” kuchaza uZenani.
“Wathi nje wena uyovakashela izihlobo. Ngathula nje noma ngikwazi ukuthi awunazo ezinye izihlobo, ngabona ukuthi awukakulungeli ukubona abantu emuva kwesigameko sikaMbatha. Akunankinga kodwa, ngiyasiqonda isimo sakho,” kusho uLethu ngothando.
“Ngizishaya njalo ngokungalikhulumi iqiniso. Kodwa kukhona okunye okwenzeka ehhovisi lika Mr Mbatha, wangisabisa ngokuthi uzoyeka ukusiza ekhaya,wase e….” zizehlele izinyembezi kuZenani esakhuluma.
“Wangidlwengula uMbatha. Yingakho bengisaba ukuza emcimbini wakho; beyingekho indlela yokubaleka ukuhlolwa manje ngabona kungcono ukuthi ngibaleke,” kuqhubeka uZenani.
Besashaqeke kanjalo oThuli noLethu kukhale insimbi. Kufanele ngabe kungena yona kanye lenswelaboya enguMbatha; kodwa ayibonwa nangokhalo. Kubakhulule lokhu oThuli nabangani bakhe ngoba nje bafisa ukumenza isilo sengubo lapho bezombamba khona. Kubonakale imoto yosizo lweziputhumayo, kulandela eyamaphoyisa kanye neyasemakhazeni zingena lapho esikoleni. Aphume uZenani nozakwabo abamele abafundi; bayobheka isimo. Bashaqeka uma bethola uManqoba egwazwe amahlandla amahlanu ngemuva kwezindlu zangasese zabafana. Akangabazi nakancane uZenani ukuthi yimisebenzi ka Mbatha le; ngesithembiso sokuthi uma engakhuluma uzobaqeda nya, abangani bakhe. Makhathaleni kungene umyalezo ocingweni lukaZenani.
“Ngicela sibonane uma uqeda lapho. Kuyaphuthuma.” Umyalezo ovela kuMbatha.
“kukhona engingakusiza ngakho,sir?” uZenani engena ephuthuma ehhovisi lika Mbatha.
“Actions have consequences wena siphukuphuku sengane! Buka manje, ungenze ngalimaza umuntu ongenacala yilobu hlongandlebe bakho. Angishongo ukuthi ungayithu vu indaba yami nawe?” kuphendula uMbatha ngolaka.
“Angikaze ngimtshele lutho, ngaphandle kokuthi ungishayile ke. Yilokho nje kuphela. Wena usungaze umbulale pho?” izinyembezi zizehlela kuZenani.
“Manje pho yini indaba ecabanga ukuthi angangimisela amasende engitshela ukuthi uyakuthanda? Ubeqamba amanga yini?” kubhoka uMbatha.
“Manje pho wena wabona ukuthi kungcono umbulale? Uyivaka ngempela wena! Uma ufuna umuntu ozoqondana naye- bhekana nami ngqo. Angikwesabi mina!”
“Usuyintombi yini wena? Usungabhekana nami ezinhlavini zamehlo? Ake sibone ukuthi uzongimela yini” kusho uMbatha emphinda ngaso sona lesiya. Kodwa manje esesho ngolaka oluphindiwe. Abhonge okwembube iqhosha ngobukhosi bayo.
Akhale uZenani agqoke, aphume kulelihhovisi.
Ebusuku uZenani akhethe ukugonyuluka kugogo wakhe ngakho konke okwenziwa uMbatha, kodwa kungamethusi ugogo lokhu akuzwayo.
“Ubuwazi yini gogo?” kubuza uZenani ngokwethuka.
“Ungithembise ukuthi uzosinakekela, uzokuthatha ngokuphelele uma uqede isikole. Ayisekho impilo lapha kimi, ngisalelwe yizinyanga noma amasonto ambalwa, wena ke uma ngifa mina uyoba umtshingo obethwa ngubani? Bengicabangela wena mina. Ungithembisile ukuthi angeke akuthinte manje usemncane. O mntanomntanami, ungiyengile usathane kanti ungihleka usulu, uthi we! Lala lulaza! Kodwa uma sibika loludaba emaphoyiseni, sizodlani thina?” kubuza ugogo.
“Okusho ukuthi ngizoba umhlatshelo wesidlo sakusihlwa ke mina. Wo! Kwangiyala ukuhlupheka! UMbatha ubulele umngani wami uManqoba futhi uzobulala nabanye uma esola ukuthi kukhona abakwaziyo,” kukhala uZenani.
“Ungithembisile ukuthi akasoze abathinta abangani bakho, uManqoba ufele ukungalaleli nokuba yisithikamezo endleleni yakhe, ubesaba ukuthi uzomunika ubuntombi bakhokanti yena ubezokulinda uze uqede isikole,” kuchaza ugogo.
“Akangilindanga ke gogo, akangilindanga,” kusho uZenani.
Waphuma washiya isalukazi kungathi sivukwe yiphika ngenxa yosizi.