UDavid
Mhla ndadibana noSibu, ndaba nolothuko yindlela awayekhangeleka ebuthathaka emzimbeni nangendlela avakalelwa kabuhlungu lula ngayo. Indlela aphole ngayo emoyeni yachasana mpela nendlela mna endimkhulu nendlela endindlongo-ndlongo ngayo ngenkangeleko. Kodwa ke njengoko ndicinga ukuba itsho intetho ukuba li-apile phakathi kwee-orenji. Yena nyhani wayehlukile, kodwa nangona kunjajo, ukusukela ngaloo mini endadibana naye ngayo, ndanqwenela ukuba ngumhlobo wakhe. Ekuqaleni, lo mnqweno wawubangelwa kukuba ndandimsizela, kodwa ngokuhamba kwethuba wabangelwa bubukrele-krele bakhe.
Ngexesha esasiqala ukuba ngabahlobo, andizange ndinanze kakhulu nakakuhle ngeziphiwo awayenazo. Kwiindawo ngeendawo esasisiya kuzo wayebonwa njengomrhorhozeli nje wam. Ubani angavela axakeke nje kukuba nam ndandimagxa aphezulu, ndiyithanda le ndlela abonwa ngayo. “Khawuye kusithengela amashwam-shwam kaloku, mjida!” wawuya kundiva ndimthuma ndisitsho, ndivuyela ukumbhekisa ngapha nangapha, ngelo xesha ke mna ndimile ndimbukele enjengesona sicaka esakhe sanyaniseka sikhonza ukumkani waso.
Kodwa, mandiyamkele into yokuba kungekudala sidibene ndathobeka xa ndandiqaphela ukuba ingqondo yakhe yayifunxa yonke into. Wayekhumbula ezona nkcukacha zincinci, kwaye yhoo indlela awayekwazi ngayo ukubala kwandivuthulela ngaphandle kundikhuph’emanzini. Ngoku ebefunda ukukhumbula ngentloko ixabiso le-‘PI’ (π) ukuya kufikelelela kwinombolo yedesimali ende isimanga, kwaye ebekwazi nokuphinda-phinda kwisithuba semizuzwana inani elinemivo emithathu ngelinye inani engasebenzisanga calculator (umz. 349 x 7 =).
“Hayi, hayi uyinja enkulu mjida! Khawundiphe ihlebo lakho, wenza kanjani? Hayi ke mna ke, mf’ ethu, kufuneka undifundisile”, ndandisitsho njalo kuye ndiqonda ukuba ndiyamkhunga nyhani kobo bukrele-krele bengqondo, suka yena amaya-mayaze ngokungathi yinto nje engenamsebenzi wonke umntu angayenza lula loo nto ndiyibuzayo.
Ngenye imini, sikwiklasi yekhompiyutha, ndandihebhuza, ndisehliwa bubuthongo, ndihleli esitulweni, ndanditshiswa nalilanga elalingen’ efestileni, ngeso sithuba wabe sel’ engena eklasini yethu uSibu. Sasikwiiklasi ezahlukeneyo, ndaza mna ndacing’ ukuba kukh’ into aze kuyiboleka kum.
“Ahh, Sibu, ubekwa yinton’ apha, mjida? Uze kum, yhoo yinja yam ke le? Awukwazanga nokulinda de kubethe ixesha lelantshi? Hayi, hayi nam mjida,” kuthe nco entliziyweni, ndatsho sele ndisiya ngakuye .
Utitshalakazi akazange ayithande mpela indlela endaziphatha ngayo ndakubona uSibu. “Hayi, marn, yhe wena, David. Hlala phantsi, ndiya kucela. Uyazi ukuba uya ndidika ngamany’ amaxesha. Uwathabatha phi amandla angaka? Awukwazi kuzinza, yhu. Uze kum uSibu, hayi kuwe.”
Utitshalakazi u-Oosthuizen waqhubekeka wathetha neklasi iphela, uSibu yena emile apha ngakuye eneentloni, eqolozele phantsi ebalekisela amehlo akhe engafuni ukuba adibane nawethu. Wayengathi yinjana ephinde yachamela imethi, sele ngoku idliwa sisazela kuba kaloku ibikhalinyelwe kaninzi ngumniniyo.
“Lo mfana okrele-krele omi apha uze kunifundisa ngendlela yokusebenzisa i-internet. Uze kunifundisa nendlela ikhompyutha eziilunga-lungisa ngayo (configuration), indlela elungisa ngayo izixhobo zayo (settings), uza kunibonisa kwano intranet nobunye ubuxhaka-xhaka nobuchwebeshe bekhomiyutha. Unobuchule kakhulu yena, kwaye ndiyayivuma into yokuba ubuqonda kwaye ubazi ngaphezu kwam ubuchwepheshe bekhompiyutha.” Wenjenjalo embonga, emncoma, ethe ntsho kuye loo ngqondo-ngqondo womfana owayemi ecaleni kwakhe.
“Ke, Ma’am, isikolo andithi siza kusibuyisela itshintshi kwimali ye-school fees?” Ndaphosa loo mbuzo, ndiwubuza okweqili. “Ewe kaloku kuba uSibu wenza umsebenzi wabantu abakhulu, abangaphezulu nakuwe.
Yagigitheka iklasi yonke ingakwazi kuzibamba, kodwa uTitshalakazi u-Oosthuizen wayenganelisekanga konke konke, wayechukumiseke kakubi.
“Owu, ukrwada David! Awukwazi khe uphumle, amehlo angabikho kuwe nomzuzwana lo, andithi? Uyakuthandwa ukuhoywa, yhini kangaka. Ke emva kwesi sifundo, uza kushiyeka ngasemva, uza kucoca le klasi ke wena. Uya ndonyanyisa, hayi marn!”
Wajika wajonga kwakhona ngakuSibu. “Iintambo zingakuwe, nazo ke Sibusiso, nyana wam. Ungamhoyi ke lo. Unomona ke yena nguwe.”
USibu, ngaloo mehlo akhe mane, waqalisa phofu eqala ebuntlonirha, wasikhokela wasiyalela ngelizwi eliphantsi elibubanjwa ukuba lingangxoli. Indlela i-internet esele iqhubele phambili ngayo yayiyinto entsha kumntu wonke jikelele. Ukuba nedilesi ye-email eyiyeyakho ngela xesha kwakunokubonisa ukuba ufanelwe kukuba wenzelwe itheko kwinight club kuba kaloku awubalulekanga nje nto kunayo uyindumasi kwaye kwakubonisa ukuba uhlonipheke ngolona hlobo. Ngoku nanku ngumhlobo wam nqo, sele eyingqwayi-ngqwayi yayo kwaye sele hlonitshwe ngabaninzi abakweli bakala lesixhenxe ngaloo nto. Andizi kuxoka, le nto yandenza ukuba ndibe kuthi mfixi ngumsindwana.
Ndaphinda kwakhona okwesibini ndambona ukuba ngumntu endinokukhuphisana naye lo, xa kwibakala lesibhozo kwakufunyanwa amabhaso okuba semanqwanqweni ezifundweni. Mna ndafumana ibhaso le-Life Orientation, kodwa uSibu yena wayetshayela umgangatho ebeth’ ebuyelela efumana amabhaso ngokungathi nguye yedwa kweli bakala. Wayefumene amabhaso amahlanu kwizifundo ezisithoba esasizenza.
Asikokufumana loo mabhaso kuphela okwakundenza umona. UBuhle inzwakazi entle, wayebunguzelela uSibu kanobom. Ndandingakhathalelanga nantoni na, ndandingahoyanga ukuba ndifunwa ngamantombazana amangaphi na, yayingathethi nto loo nto kum, ndandifuna uBuhle ngaphezu kwabo bonke. Kodwa lo ndandimfuna nanko eqongeni, ethe nca kuSibu. Ndandinqwelela ukuba ndingamjulela phaya emhlabeni uSibu, ndizibonakalise amandla am ukwenzela ukuba uBuhle akhethe mna. Okanye ke mhlawumbi, makuye kuthotywa iibhlukhwe ukuze abone ukuba uphoswa yintoni na kum le angazokuyifumana kuMnumzana Robot lo athe nca kuye
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Khawukhe usixelele: Wakha wangumhlobo nomntu owahluke mpela kuwe? Ucinga ukuba uDavid kukho nto anokuyifunda kuSibu?