Ngentsasa elandelayo ndanginedinga nogqirha ndafika esikolweni ndafumana iphiriyodi yokugqibela ephambi kwebhreyikhi. Ngethamsanqa lam yayiyiklasi kaNksk. Groenewald. Ndandiyiki nangona ndandiphakuzela kancinci ngento enokuba ivakele apha esikolweni. Kodwa uNksk. Karl wayengakuthi, njengeko esesikrobisile, bakhona abanye ootitshala azakuthetha nabo babe ngakuthi.
Yayisele iqalile iklasi ukungena kwam. UNksk. Groenewald wayesanda kwenza irejista kwaye ekhangela umsebenzi wasekhaya.
“Uxolo Ma’am, ndicela uxolo ndifike emva kwexesha, kodwa bendinedinga nogqirha.” Ndatsho, ndimnika isliphu sam esipinki.
“Owu ewe, inqununu ebetshilo ukuba uzakufika emva kwexesha,” watsho ethatha iphepha elisayina. “Hlala phantsi sibone umsebenzi wakho wasekhaya.”
Intoni? Zange andixwaxwe. Ndabuyela kwidesika yam ndimangalisiwe kancinci. Ndandilindele ukuba andishawute andikhuphe. Kodwa wayebonakala ekwisimo esihle. Ikhona into eyayingahambi kakuhle. Ikhona into abayaziyo endingayaziyo mna.
Mhlawumbi uvile ngentlanganiso yethu kwaye wayesazi ukuba sizakugxothwa. Ewe inokuba yilo nto, ndazicingela. Wayevuya ukuba uzakwehlukana namenzi woqhushululu oneenwele ezidlakadlaka.
Iklasi yayonelisekile. Okokuqala ndabona uNksk. Groenewald ehleka kwaye encumile.
“Sineziphumo ze-Maths quizz zomjikelo wokuqala,” wabhengeza. “Ibimincisa kakhulu kodwa ngaba-3 kuphela abanokukhuphisana nezinye iiklasi.”
Ndandisazi ukuba ndiyiphumelele. Ndazama ukufihla uncumo ebusweni bam. Kodwa lwacinywa ngokukhawuleza xa igama lam lalingabizwa. Ndothuka ndabanda.
“Banganceda abathathu abaqhube kakuhle baze apha?”
Ndandingakholelwa; omnye wabo yayinguDanielle, omnye wamantombazana aqaqadekileyo. Angandogqitha njani? Wonke umntu wayesazi ukuba iyamsokolisa iMathematika.
Ngebhreyikhi sadina kwibala lesoka, u-Alice, uLona, uJasmine nam.
“Ingaba ikhona into engaqhelekanga eniyiqwalaseleyo namhlanje?” Ndabuza. “UNkskz. Groenewald ebengenguye lowa unomsindo.”
“Ewe, ikhona into eyenzekayo, kodwa andiyazi ukuba yintoni.” Watsho u-Alice njengokuba wayehlala phantsi.
“Kwelo, isenokuba inento yokwenza nokufowuna kwabazali bethu becela ukuba kubekho intlanganiso,” watsho uJasmin.
“Ewe, umama wam uthe uzakufowuna namhlanje,” nditshilo ndikhumbula isimo ebekuso uNksk. Groenewald. “Ngubani ongenileyo kwi-Maths Olympiad eklasini yakho?”
“Ungade ubuze? Ibingomnye yeentandane. Andiyazi ukuba ukhethelwe ntoni kuba sonke siyayazi akukho mntu ofanele ukufumana amanqaku angcono kunoLetitia.”
“Hehake, ithetha ntoni loo nto?”
“Hebethuna abantwana, uvela phi ndiye?” Waqala u-Alice. “ULetitia ukhokele iqela kwaye akhomntu unokumenza abekwicala elibi, ngoko nokuba athini amanqaku awafumanayo, kufuneka uqiniseke ukuba ulandela emva kwakhe ukuba ufuna ukuhlala kwiqela.”
Ndahlunguzelisa intloko ndingakholelwa. Esi sikolo sibolile qha ke.
“Ingaba oku kuthetha ukuba le nto ye-Olympiad mandiyiyeke idlule, nangona ndisazi ukuba kufanele ndibe kwisi-3 esiphambili?”
“Okwangoku, ewe. Kodwa mxelele umama wakho ngayo ubone ukuba akanokufuna mntu ozakukhangela amanqaku na xa esiza.” Wacebisa njalo uJasmin. “Ungacela uNksk. Karl.”
Yayilicebo elihle. Lalisodlula elokuzama ndithubeleze zizijongele ngokwam ngokwenza njalo ndibanike isizathu sokundigxotha.
“Ngoku kuzakwenzeka ntoni ukuba inqununu akenze xesha lokubona abazali bethu, okanye ukuba ubaxelela into engekhoyo?” Wabuza uLona, ethetha kanye le nto ndiyicingayo.
Xa kunjalo, kukho umntu endimaziyo osebenzela iphepha-ndaba,” wazinikela uJasmin. “Ndingababalisela ibali kwaye bangasilandela ngokwabo.”
“Amagama ethu wona? Kuza kwezeka ntoni ukuba uGraham ufumanisa ukuba sithi aze asigxothe? Uza kubanesizathu esivakalayo.”
Ndakuqinisekisa ukuba amagama ethu awachazwa. Ngaphandle koko, umama wam uthe uxolele ukuya phezulu ukuba inqununu akayiyeki le nto ayenzayo. Ufowune kaninzi izolo… ndicinga ukuba le yinzolo ephambi kwesiphango.”
Ndandingakwazi ukuzinceda ngaphandle kokuba ndivumelane noJasmin. Ndandiyazi into enokwenziwa ngumama wam kwaye ngokuva kwam, bobabini babefana. Ngoko yayingekho yokufihla ezi zinto. Inyaniso izakuvela kungekudala. Kufuneka silinde.
“Ingaba bakhona apha kuni abafuna ukuza emcimbini wam?” Ndabuza, ndiqonda ukuba khange ndicinge ngawo ukusekela kwathi kwaqala uqhushululu noGroenewald.
“Umcimbi wantoni?” ULona wabuza kuqala.
Ngumcimbi wembeleko yam. Kumele nize, zininzi izinto ezizakutyiwa kuxhentswe kakhulu.” Ndatsho ndincumile, ndisazi ukuba aba kumele ngabahlobo abatsha ukuba ndiyabamema.
“Ingaba ngulo bakhangela ubuntombi bakho?” U-Alice wabuza evule amehlo.
“Hayi sibhanxa,” ndatsho ndihleka. “Kumcimbi wokufika kwixesha elithile. Sicheba ibhokhwe, sitye inyama ethile sixhentse.” Ndazama ukucacisa kodwa u-Alice bayengawuqondi.
“Bamazisa kwizinyanya ukuze zimthamsanqelise,” uLona wazama naye.
“Kuhle, mhlawumbi amathamsanqa akho angacoca le ngxaki siza kuyiqalisa,”
“Ewe, mhlawumbi. Ndakubuya nebreysilethi negama elitsha.” Kwakhona u-Alice akaqondi.
“Njengokuba ebetshilo uLona, kukwaziswa kwizinyanya, kuphela.”
“Ivakala imnandi,”u-Alice ekugqibeleni wabonakala elandela.
Kwakukuhle ukuba nento eza kundiphazamisa kule mpela-veki.
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Khawusichazele: Ingaba ucinga abantu bangazinyamezela kangakanani iinkcubeko zabanye?