Iholo yokuFundela yoku-1, iCandelo lobuNzululwazi ngokuSingqongileyo, eWits
“Lifikile ixesha lokungenisa izihloko zomsebenzi omiselweyo ngeli xesha lonyaka,” wabhengeza ngelo umfundisi-ntsapho, efaka iintanyongo zakhe zokufunda. Kwavakala isanxwe sexhala nemivuyo kwiholo yokufundela ngokungathi lihlokondiba leenyosi.
UThabo wawavala amehlo akhe wabopha iminwe.
“Nangona ndenze kangangoko ukuninika isihloko enisifunileyo, akwenzekanga oku ixesha elininzi,” watsho umfundisi-ntsapho, ze emva koko wathinta isikhohlela. Waphakamisa intloko wajonga ngqo kuThabo.
Intliziyo kaThabo yayibetha ngamandla. “AMD, AMD,” wambombozela ephefumla, kakhulu nje ukuba umhlobo wakhe uXola amve.
“Ndoda, ingqondo yakho inamathele kule nto,” watsho uXola.
“Yintoni i-AMD phofu?” Wabuza uRefiloe.
“Ukufunxwa kweNgqondo nguMhlwa.”
“Kutheni usifuna kangaka esi sihloko?”
“Ewe, ingathi ngumcimbi wokufa nokuphila kuwe,” wamqhula ngelo uXola.
“Nguwo…”
“Ufunda kakhulu ngokugqithisileyo?” Waqhula ngelo uRefiloe.
“Hayi maan, bendiyiphila le nto.”
UThabo wayesenamaphupha amabi nangoku. Wayesambona u-Anti wakhe ekhukhweni lokufa, ezama ukulwela ubomi de kwasekugqibeleni, xa wayedlakazwe ngumhlaza umzimba wakhe wonke.
“Umhlaza uhlasela naphi na, nanini na,” wamxelela umama wakhe uThabo. Kodwa uThabo wayeqinisekile, wayesazi, ukuba lo mhlaza wawubangelwa ngamanzi abawatyayo ekhaya. Wayedla ngokuzibukela izilwanyana zisela kumadama amadala asemigodini ze zife emva koko. Wayedla ngokuzibukela izityalo zibuna xa zikhulayo apho kukho amanzi avela kwiindawo ezikufuphi nemigodi emidala. Wayedla ngokuyibona imibhobho enomhlwa, edlekileyo ehambisa amanzi asemigodini, i-oli idada phezu kwamanzi, neentlanzi zidada ngemiqolo, zimhlophe qhwa imizimba yonke zidunjelwe zizisu.
“U-Aanti wam ubulewe yi-AMD,” uThabo wachazela uXola noRefiloe. “Ilali yethu ikufuphi nomgodi. Iishafti ezindala, ezishiyiweyo zithi zigcwale amanzi ne-pyrite evele ngaphandle ematyeni emigodi ithi ichaphazeleke ngamanzi, ze iwangcolise nge-asidi enesalfa neentsimbi ezininzi ezifana ne-nickel, ikopolo, nelothe. Abantwana badlala emanzini angcolileyo kufuphi nemigodi emidala. Kananjalo la manzi athi angene emilanjeni nakwiintlambo – apho siwakha khona amanzi okupheka nokuhlamba ngoko ke abantu abadala nabo basemngciphekweni we-AMD. . . .
“Uxolo, Ndoda … bendingazi,” watsho uXola.
“Nantso ke ingxaki. Abantu abanalwazi kwaphela ukuba imbi kangakanani le meko, okanye ingabachaphazela kakubi kangakanani impilo zabo. Ngoko ke akukho nto yenziweyo ngayo.”
“Hlalani phantsi nizole, nonke!” wagqabhuka ngelo umfundisi-ntsapho. Wayekhwankqisekile enomdla ngayo yonke le ngxokozelo yayisenzeka apha eholweni ubuso bakhe bajika babomvu.
“Izihloko zezi…”
Nangoku iholo yayixokozela ziingxoxo.
“Izihloko zezi!” wangxola ngelo umfundisi-ntsapho, ze emva koko wanqumama de wonke umntu wayeka ukuthetha.
“Michelle Ambrose: ‘Impembelelo yezinto eziNgcolisa uMoya ekuHlaleni’. Thabo Akani: ‘Impembelelo yeMisele yeMigodi ene-Asidi kwiMpilo yoLuntu’. Janine Miller: I–”
“Ewe!” wafutha uThabo. “Ndiyifumene!”
“Unethamsanqa, Ndoda,” wasebeza ngelo uXola. “Ndinqwenela ndisifumane esi sihloko ndisifunayo.”
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Wangena umyalezo we-SMS ngexesha uThabo noXola behamba besiya kuphumla ekupheleni kwezifundo.
UThabo wayechulumancile, echazela uXola ukuba ukufumana i-AMD njengesihloko kuthetha ukuba angabuyela ekhaya aye kwenza uphando. Kwakuthetha ukuba angabonana nosapho lwakhe: umama notata wakhe, udadewabo uThabisa nomtakwabo omncinane uSipho. Wayesele engxame kakhulu.
Kodwa ngexesha uXola evula ucango lwendawo ahlala kuyo uThabo, wakhala umnxeba.
USipho usesibhedlele. Nceda utsale umnxeba.
“Nxx!”
“Yintoni?”
“Ngumntakwethu. Usesibhedlele. Kufanele ndihambe,” waphendula ngelo uThabo ebaleka, esihla ngamanqwanqwa ezitsiba ngambini esiya kwigumbi lakhe lokuhlala.
“Kwenzeka ntoni?” watsho uThabo ngelizwi elingcangcazelayo xa ade wakwazi ukufumana udadewabo athethe naye.
“Bafumene ithumba elinomhlaza emlenzeni kaSipho; uhlobo olufanayo lomhlaza noluya wayenalo u-Anti Essie. Iyaphinda kwakhona Thabo.”
“Ndiyabuya apho ekhaya,” watsho uThabo. “Ndiza kukhwela ibhasi elandelayo. Uphi uMama?”
“Usesibhedlele uhleli naye. Bayamtyanda namhlanje. Ngethemba lokuba baza kukwazi ukukhupha elo thumba ze lo mhlaza unganwenweli kwezinye iindawo. Ukuba uyanwenwa…” ilizwi likaThabisa laya liphela; wayeva ukuba uyalila.
UThabo waphosa iimpahla ezithile zakhe kwingxowa yakhe yemidlalo wakhwela iteksi ukuya esikhululweni ukuya kukwela ibhasi egodukayo.
Kwakuthi rheshe imifanekiso engqondweni yakhe ngexesha ibhasi ihamba kwindlela enkulu; wawungesuki umfanekiso ka-Anti wakhe emehlweni akhe egula ze wabhubha. Ingcinga yokubona umntakwabo enjalo naye yamenza wangcangcazela nangona imozulu yayishushu.
Hayi, asokuze ngoku. Le nto ayizi kwenzeka kwakhona ngoku! Hayi kuSipho, hayi nakomnye umntu, wazicingela njalo uThabo.
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Khawusichazele: Ingaba uThabo ikho ngenene into angayenza ukuphelisa ukugula kwabantu ngenxa yamanzi angcolisekileyo?