Nokuzola
Namhlanje yimini yokukhethwa kweenkokheli zabafundi apha esikolweni. Ukukhwela kwam eqongeni, uBusisiwe nezihlobo zakhe bayakhwaza begeza. ULubabalo uphakathi kwabo. Ungxola kakhulu. Utswina ngokungathi uyintombazana yena kuqala.
Ndiyangcangcazela ngelixesha ndibambe intetho yam. Ndiphefumlele phezulu kabini, kathathu. Ndithetshe ubhuti Ncedile ngaphandle. Ume emnyango eholweni ngelixesha ndiqalayo ukuthetha.
“Ndingumntwana kaThixo kuqala. Izinto enindenza zona bafundi azilunganga, zindixhelile ngaphakathi. Ebezakuthini omnye wenu ukuba ebesezihlangwini zam, ebezakuyithanda indlela aphethwe ngayo? I-manifesto yam ayithethi ngokuba ndakunenzela ntoni ukuba ninokundonyula. Kodwa ukuba ndingalifumana ithuba lokuba ndonyulwe, ndinganicela ukuba nibuye umva, nizijonge, nijonge kunye nento enindenze yona. Nibone ukuba nindingcungcuthekise njani nandihlalisa kabuhlungu kanobomi esikolweni. Ezozenzo zingalunganga kwaphela – maziphele.”
Kuthe nkcwe eholweni ukugqiba kwam ukuthetha. Baqhwabe izandla abafundi emva koko. Iqalise yaphakama i-SRC ephumayo yaqhubeka iqhwaba izandla. Ndiyawava ukuba amehlo ahleli kum ngelixesha ndisiyokuhlala phantsi. Andisakhathalele nokuba andonyulwanga ngoku. Ndiyayazi ukuba abo bandicaphukelayo abazokundinyula. Kodwa ndenze into elungileyo. Ndiyazivuma ukuba ndiqine isibindi. Sibindi eso ndingasaziyo nokuba ndisifumene phi na. Ndithe xa ndiphakamisa intloko, ndabona ubhuti Ncedile esame emnyango. Encumile.
Inqununu ifunda amagama abo bazakumela abafundi kunyaka ozayo. Ndiyayazi ukuba igama lam alikho koluluhlu. Amantombazana eklasini yam achithe ixesha elininzi endiqinisekisa ukuba andizuku nyulwa. Iqhubekile inqununu ifunda amagama abaphumeleleyo. Baxhume ngokuxhuma bebaleka, bevuya ukuyokukhwela eqongeni.
Inqununu ithathe ixesha elide icacisa ukuba yintoni umsebenzi womongameli we-SRC. Ulibizile igama likamongameli omtsha we-SRC esithi,‘nguNokuzola Judith Mamali’. Kowu, loo ntombazana inokuba iyavuya. Andikayiboni kodwa iphakama. Wonke umntu ujonge kum ngoku. Intoni, ingaba nyani ubize igama lam? UPhelisa undisebezele endlebeni, “Ewe, ibiligama lakho elibiziweyo.”
Andiyikholelwa ke le. Andizivanga nokuziva ngelixesha ndisiya eqongeni. Iholo lisuke lahlokoma lonke. Abafundi bayakhwaza, “speech, speech, speech!”
Inqununu isebeze endlebeni yam ibuza, “ikhona into ofuna ukuyithetha ngokwangoku?”
Ndithathe umboko kuye esandleni. Kuqale ingoma eholweni
Thina sihamba noNokuzola thina
Nok’zola thina
Thina sihamba noNokuzola thina
Nok’zola thina
Lengoma iqhubekile okwethutyana. Kunyanzeleke ukuba kungenelele inqununu ibacele ukuba noko bandinike ithuba lokuba ndithethe.
“Ndiyabulela ngokundinyula. Ndiyavuya kakhulu kuba ndiza kusebenzisana nani nonke kunyaka wenu wokugqibela esikolweni. Manditsho, noko bendingayilindelanga le nto.”
“Yeyakho ntombazana, uyisebenzele,” ikhwaze yatsho iphuma yodwa kweloholo lithe cwaka limamele mna.
Ndibaleke ndaphuma eholweni ndisiya kubhuti Ncedile. Ndiwe kuye ndimanga.
“Kwenzeka ntoni Nokuzola? Kutheni ulandelwa sisikolo sonke?” ubuzile esenza ngathi akazinto.
“Ndonyuliwe! Ndonyulelwe ukuba ndibeyintloko ye-SRC kulonyaka uzayo.”
Iinyawo zam ndizive ziphakama. NguSiphelo, u-captain weqela lombhoxo apha esikolweni. Ngoku undibeke emagxeni.
Ndibona kakuhle, kamnandi ngoluhlobo andiphakamise ngalo uSiphelo.
Ndiqwalasele uLubabalo ngelixesha ndijonge phantsi. Undijonge ngamehlo angakholelwayo nakrokrayo. Ndibukele abafundi bebaleka besiya ngakuye. Wenze ngathi uyavuyisana naye, watsho enyusa iingalo ezidiniweyo.
ULubabalo ndimyeke ixesha elide ndingathethi naye. Andiyazi ukuba ucinga ntoni ngam.
Umsebenzi wethu wokuqala kwi-SRC entsha ngowokuba siphelise ukucinezelwa kwabafundi, ngabanye. Sivumelele kumagama athi; “Yeka intlonti, Yenza abahlobo.”
Siyenze yaminizi lemibhalo. Eminye yayo siyincamathisele kwiilockers zabafundi. Omnye omkhulu siwuncamathisele kwibhodi yezaziso yesikolo.
Amaqhakuva noko ayaphela ngoku ebusweni bam. Ndihleli ndicinga ukuba ngendiyintonina ngaphandle kobhuti Ncedile. Oyena mntu udlale indima enkulu ngutata. Ndiyokuze ndibabulele ngantoni na bethuna? Ngoku ubomi bam bubuyele ezandleni zam.
Ngoku andinaxhala ngeentsimbi zam. Andisazifihli phantsi kwehempe. Abafundi abaninzi bayabuza ukuba bangazifumana phi iintsimbi ezifana nezam. Bacinga ukuba yinto yefashoni. “Hayi kaloku, ndilithwasa. Ndizakubaligqirha,” ibayimpendulo yam leyo.
Xa sizilolonga kwibala lebhola yomnyazi, inetball ndinxiba isikipa esifutshane. Iintsimbi zam ziyavela. Akukhoxhala tu.
Isiphelo
