Ndafumana uJasmine ehleli nabanye abahlobo kwibala lesoka.
“Sivile ukuba wothuse uNksk G,” watsho omnye wabahlobo bakhe ehleka, “kwenzeke ntoni?”
Ndandifuna ukuthi la mama akothukanga; wayebhambene nje okanye efunyenwe yimonophozi. Kodwa ndandingakwazi ukuthetha nantoni na ezakundibangela ukuba ndifumane esinye isliphu. Yaye la mantombazana ndandingawazi, ndindingawathembi. Ndagibisela ubhaka wam phantsi ndahlala ecaleni kwawo.
“Kwenzeke lento inye nakum kunyaka ophelileyo. Ndasaspendwa kuba ndandinee-braids,”watsho uJasmin ejonge kum. “YayinguNksk. Davids, waza kum wathi i-braids ayizoz’amantambazana ‘afana nam’ kwaye ndimdanise kakhulu.
“Intoni? Ithetha ntoni loo nto?” Ndabuza ndingakholelwa.
“Uyayazi ukuba kufuneka iinwele zam ndizigcine zime nkqo.”
“Kodwa… akulunganga oko.”
“Unyanisile ayilunganga,” watsho uLona enye yamantombazana. “Imigaqo icacile, yolula iinwele zakho okanye uzichebe.”
“Kodwa ‘uBeatrice’ noBusi bane-weaves, iinwele zikaDanielle zinekhelszi kwaye ndiyafunga uLetitia une-extensions.” Ndatsho ndifudumala ngumsindo. “Ngoku kutheni kufuneka ndolule iinwele zam xa besenza into abayifunayo?”
“Kuba, sidenge, bakwiqela likaLetitia,” enye intombazana, u-Alice, yatsho ngokungathi nale ikwi-code of conduct yesikolo “ngaphezu koko kubonakala ingathi iinwele zabo zisajongeka ‘cocekileyo’ nokuba oko kuthetha ntoni na.”
“Phola, Alice, jonga uChwayita usemtsha, akayazi ukuba ezi zinto zisebenza njani apha,” wandihlangula uJasmin.
Zange ndizikholelwe iindlebe zam. Yenzeka njani le nto? Ingaqhubeka njani olu hlobo kunabikho mntu ukhalazayo?
“Kufuneka kwenziwe into, ayilunganga le nto,” ndatsho, ndithetha into endiyicingayo.
“Unyanisile, kodwa ngubani ozokumela iibhuli nenqununu? Asifuni kugxothwa.”
“Umzala wam uthi kwenze kwale nto inye nasesikolweni sakhe. Kwiveki ephelileyo, baqhankqalaza ngebhreyikhi kodwa inqununu yabagxotha. Kusuku olulandelayo, bonke basaspendwa.” Watsho uLona.
“Kodwa ayisoze ibesithi sedwa abantu abaphathwa ngale ndlela.” Ndatsho ndisiva ukuba ndiyoyisakala phambi kokuba ndenze nantoni na. “Kufanele kubekho amazwi amaninzi esikolweni.” Ndatsho ndijonga yonke indawo, ndicinga ngosizana olunguNomthandazo.
“Unyanisile, kufuneka sibenentlanganiso, ayikwazi kuqhubeka le kwaphela.” Watsho u-Alice.
“Kodwa njani? Siza kubhaqwa kwaye sisaspendwe.”
“Hayi ukuba basibeka kunye,” watsho uJasmin. Sonke samjonga ngokungathi uphambene. “Siza kubangela sifumane idithenshini kwaye sithetha ngayo ngoku. Utitshala uqhele ukuyiqala kodwa emva koko babuya kuphela emva kwesiqingatha seyure bakhangele ukuba nisekhona na.”
“Oko kungasebenza,” ndatsho, ndiziva ndonwabile ukuba ayizokuba ndim ndedwa. “Kodwa siqiniseka njani ukuba sonke siza kuba phaya? Baza kurhanela.”
“Kulungile, ayikho enye indlela kodwa kuza kufuneka babeke ‘abenzi boqhushululu’ kwidithenshini.”
Ndajonga apho kwakumi uLetitia neqela lakhe. ULetitia weza kuthi. Weza wasondela kakhulu kum.
“Ngoku, uziva ulikroti, mpukwana?” watsho enesigezo.
“Ufuna ntoni?” Watsho uJasmin sonke sahleka.
“Ndiyabona ufuna ukujoyina umhlobo wakho kwidithenshini, wazi kakuhle ukuba awuvumelekanga ukuthetha olo lwimi kwesi sikolo.”
“Mnxim, xa kunjalo ndibhale kwisliphu sakho serephu yeklasi yakho, Barbie, watsho uJasmin ezihlekisa.
Yabangutshe nje isi-4 sethu sasineziliphu zedithenshini. UJasmin wasinika la ndlela yokujonga ethi bendiyazi xa uLetitia neqela lakhe lalisimka liziva liphumelele. Badlalele nje ezandleni zethu. Ngoku into ekwakufuneka siyenze kukufumana abantu abaninzi babekwidithenshini.
***
Khawusichazele: Ucinga ukuba iplani yabo izokusebenza?