UPitso wayehlala ngemuva kweloli nezikhwama zomquba onukayo.
Yaze yayimbi le ndlela yokuphila! ecabanga ngendumalo. Futhi manje kumele ngichithe usuku ngimba engadini ethile. Ukuze ngizitholele imadlana yetoho.
Iloli lahamba lidlikiza lehla ngomgwaqo onguthelawayela. UPitso wayethemba ukuthi akekho umuntu owayezombona. Ikakhulukazi noyedwa oqhamuka eLesedi Secondary. Ngizobe ngizolahlekelwa yisithunzi phela! Zingathini nje zonke leziya zingane ezazifisa ukuba uye, ezazimesaba, ngesikhathi esafunda?
Yebo, nganginguMuntu ebantwini ngalezo zinsuku! Umfana onamandla kunabo bonke esikoleni! Kodwa ake ungibheke manje!
Iloli lama erobhothini elibomvu. Kanti khona lapho uPitso wabona into eyammangaza. Akazange ayikholwe into ayibonayo!
U-Otsile! U-Otsile Daman wayemi lapho esiqhingini esiphakathi nomgwaqo. Kodwa indlela ayebukeka ngayo u-Otsile! UPitso wamamatheka. Kulungile, mfowethu! Impilo kuhamba kuhambe ibe ngcono ngokuqhubeka kwesikhathi!
U-Otsile Daman wayehlala ezihambela nje waze wayoqeda amabanga aphezulu– engakalazi nokulazi uPitso ukuthi igama elithi “Manqoba” lichaza ukuthini. Ngesikhathi uPitso engaziphumeleli izivivinyo zakhe, u-Otsile unontandakubukwa wayethola o-A, enconywa ethola nemifundaze ekhokhela yonke into edingwa umfundi. Ngesikhathi othisha benikeza uPitso izincwadi ezimexwayiso ngokusebenza kwakhe egcinwa nasezikhathi ezithile angayi ekhefini, u-Otsile onesidina wayethola ukwaziswa nemiklomelo.
Nokuba umfana onamandla kunabo bonke esikoleni akuzange kwenze uPitso azizwe kangcono. Empeleni, naye wayeshaye u-Otsile izikhathi eziningana. U-Otsile uthole okumfanele, ngendlela ayesineka ngayo.
“Ngizokufundisa ukuthi ungedelele, Otsile Daman! Ngizokukhombisa ukuthi ngubani umakhonya eLesedi Secondary! Ngizokukhombisa ukuthi ubani uMuntu ebantwini la!” Kwakumemeza uPitso.
Kodwa nokumshaya akuzange kusize.
U-Otsile wayesukuma futhi, asule igazi ekhaleni, emlonyeni noma ehembeni lakhe lesikole. Bese eyasineka futhi: “Pitso, ungangiqhoqhobala ngendlela oyithandayo. Kodwa ngiyohlala ngingumanqoba. Ngiyilokho ohluleka ukuba yikho wena.”
“Ngiyini?” UPitso esemlinde ngequpha.
“Ngiyilokho ohluleka ukuba yikho, Pitso. Ngiyimbangi yakho enkulu. Kodwa ekugcineni uyohlala uhlulwa. Ngiyohlala ngingumqobi, noma kuthiwani.”
Uyajabula! Manje kwase kuwuPitso osineka elolini. Usephelile yinsini! Lapha emarobhothini, u-Otsile Daman wayengabukeki njengomnqobi. Lutho phela!
U-Otsile wayegqoke isikibha esigugile nebhulukwe elalingamlingani. Wayengagqokanga nezicathulo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, u-Otsile wayephethe uqwembe olubhalwe ukuthi: NGICELA NINGISIZE. NGILAMBILE FUTHI ANGISEBENZI.
Kulungile! Kulungile! Kulungile! UPitso wayefuna ukumemeza ngenxa yenjabulo. Ubani owayesehluliwe manje? Ubani manje ohluleka ukuba yilokhu engiyikho?
“We Otsile! Unjani?” Kumemeza uPitso. Wazizwa ejabulile laphaya phezulu eduze komquba.
Engakaphenduli u-Otsile, irobhothi lajika laba luhlaza lase lihamba iloli.
Ngakho uPitso akazange abone ukuthi kwasale kwenzekani.
Kanti lokho kwakukuhle.
UPitso wagcina esebenosuku olumnandi kunazo zonke empilweni yakhe yonke. Empeleni, kusukela ayeka isikole. Nokunuka komquba nokusebenza amahora amaningi emba ukuze athole imadlana engatheni nakho imbala akuzange kumonele usuku lwakhe.
“Kazi bekuwubani loya, obememeza elolini?” kusho u-Otsile. “Akusenani. Sekuqale isikhathi sokusebenza.” Wafaka uqwembe lwakhe phansi kwamakhwapha akhe.
Wawela umgwaqo waya kuToyota Corolla yakhe wase evula i-laptop yakhe. Isikrini sasifundeka kanje:
Abacela Eceleni koMgwaqo: Ihlazo leNingizimu Afrika
Ucwaningo Olwenziwe Ngomshoshaphansi.
Ebhalwe u-Otsile Daman
Okubhalelwe Ukushicilelwa kweZiqu ze-Masters: Wits University
Emamatheka njengenhlalayenza, u-Otsile waqala ukuthayipha.
Iyaphela Lapha