UDavid

KwiMatriki, emva kokuphumelela ngokungathandabuzekiyo nditywatyushe uSibu, ubumnandi bolo zuko bube lixeshana nje elincinane elingangeenyanga ezintlanu. Ndanyulwa njengomdlali opheleleyo kwiqela eliphezulu lebhola yombhoxo lee-Tukkies, kwaye ishedyuli yabo yokuzilolonga yayilibanga lonke ixesha lam. Zange kubekho ndlela yimbi, kwafuneka ndilahlekelwe bubuprezidanti bam ndinikele kuSibu, ndandingayonwabelanga mpela ke leyo into.

Ukuphela konyaka, uSibu wafumana inkxaso epheleleyo ngezezimali yokufunda (scholarship) Ezobugqirha. Ndandimvuyela umhlobo wam, kodwa kunjalo, impumelelo yakhe yandizalisa ngeentandabuzo.

Ukuba bendingenazo ezi zigalo zam, bendiza kwenzani? Ndinokuvela ndonzakale kuza kwenzeka ntoni ebomini bam? Ibhola yombhoxo luhlobo lwezemidlalo apho imizimba ithana nca, izinto ziyenzeka, kuyonzakalwa, andithi?

Laa mini yokukhutshwa kweziphumo zethu zeMatriki, awuu, icace gca engqondweni yam.

Ilanga lalisaphuma lizama ukukhwela phezu kweengcingo, lalingathi lizama ukungena esibhaka-bhakeni ngeli lixa isibhaka-bhaka sona sasisusa kwanto ekuso ukuze ilanga lingene kakuhle ukuze imini ibe ntle, Ndangxamisisa ndaya kudlula  uSibu ukuze siye kuthenga iphepha-ndaba elineziphumo ezo kwivenkile ekufutshane esegaraji.

“Sibu mfe’thu. Mjida! Vuka mf’ethu! Masihambe,” Ndamkhwaza ndisitsho.

Wavela ethe chu, eliyosi-yosi ephakathi kobuthongo nokuvuka, wayefana nomdlalo ohlekisayo weqonga laseHollywood xa ubonisa umdlalo wezithunzela.

Emva kokuzamla okungamandla okwade kwangathi kuza kophul’ imihlathi iwe, wosul’ amehlo ngobunono kwaza kancinci kwaphel’ ugxadazelo wasemandleni uSibu.

“Hahaha, uyabonakala ukuba wonwabile ke namhlanje, anditsho, Mnumzana T?” watsho.

“Masihambe marn, Einstein. Ndiqinisekile ndikubethile kwezinye izifundo. Uza kubona.”

Sisemile phambi kwegaraji, laphuma lona ilanga saza sakhawuleza sangena egaraji. Sakhawulezisa satshawuzisa amehlo ngokukhawuleza kwiphepha-ndaba elo.

“Yho, yho. Ndizibulele ezi mviwo. Jonga apha! Iyhoo!” Ndatsho, emva kokubona igama lam, nditsiba-tsiba luvuyo ndidanisa  ndisenza imakarina.

USibu naye wayezele imigcobo. “Nali elam igama, Dave, jonga!”

Ndathi ndakujonga, phantsi kwegama lakhe yayiziinkwenkwezi zodwa, wayephumelele emagqabini into yonke ngaphandle kweTechnical Drawing, ngeli lixa mna kwelam icala ndandipase emagqabini izifundo ezibini ezaziquka i-Drawing. Ndayigxinisisisa le nto kuye, ndimcitha kwanobom ndifuna abe nomsindo.

Kwakukho into entle ngeliya xesha sasihleka sibuya ekuthengeni iphepha, sigoduka. Kwakukho umoya omhle kuthi sobabini sizingca ngendlela omnye nomnye wethu aqhube ngayo. Le yayiyindlela esiziva ngayo ndlela leyo esingazange khe sayibonisa lubala komnye nomnye ngaphambili.  Kodwa unyaniseko lwalo mzuzu komnye nomnye lwawucace njengengoma eculwa ziintaka ngentsasa kaDisemba.

Iintsapho zethu zasenzela itheko lethu sobabini zalidibanisa. Ikamva lalibonakala liqaqambe ngokungathandabuzisiyo…

Kunyaka wethu wokuqala, kwiDyunivesithi yasePitoli, ubuhlobo bethu obudibene nentiyo bakhula nangakumbi.

Mna ke ndandisele ndinamanqaku avakalayo ecaleni kwegama lam kwindawo yokuhlala yabafundi abangamadoda eMarula, ngoko ke akhange ndifumane mpatho egadalala yokungenisw’ endlwini ngabafundi abadala. Kodwa yena shem uSibu wangcamla kanobom kuloo masiko okuphatha abafundi abafikayo. Qho xa abafundi abatsha abahlala ngaphakathi edyunivesithi babebalekiswa bejikeleza ikhampasi ngathi baziinkuku ezinqunyulwe iintloko, ndambona umhlobo wam engculeza kabuhlungu. Ke nam ndandiyenza intlekisa le nto xa sisobabini kwaye oku kwakumenza ukuba axakaniseke nangakumbi.

Ngenye imini ndathi ngcembe nabafundi abadala besiya kwiholo lase Taaibos apho uSibu wayehlala khona. Babeyalele abafundi abatsha ukuba babe semgceni ze phakathi bohlulwe ngumfindi omdala, bempumputhelisiwe, yaye izandla zabo zibotshelelwe ngasemva. Sasimile sibukele sihleka xa kusithiwa mabakhonkothe, bexhuma xhuma eholweni ngelo xesha benyanzeliswa ukuba basele umxube onxilisayo.

Kwathi xa kanye becinga ukuba bayayekwa, emva kokuzoba apha embindini weholo ngomgabho owawungenxa yaloo mithambo ababeyenza, zakhululwa iimpumputhela zabo kwakanye kuza kuqala omnye umngeni omtsha.

“David, uyiphethe mf’ ethu. Okanye nawe ubuza kuba phaya emquqwini phaya eMarula,” yatsho inkokhel yethu yaseMarula. Wajonga ngakum ngobuso obungenalusini:

“Asiyo impazamo into yokuba sibe silapha eTaaibos nawe. Besisazi ngale meko yokungeniswa ekhaya yiTaaibos yabafundi abatsha apha. Silapha nawe ukukuvavanya ukuba asenzanga mpazamo na ngokukhetha nokukuthemba njengomnye wethu. Yiza, landela uze, siye kweziya ntwana.”

Watsiba ephakama apho ebehleli khona ndaza ndamlandela ndinesingqukru apha emqaleni xa wayesiya ngakuSibu.

“Thabatha eli bhadi. Uya mbona umjida wakho? Ewe, ndiyazi ukuba niyavana kakhulu. Namhlanje uza kumbetha kakhulu kangangoko unako, loo nto iza kumbonisa ukuba ungaphezulu kunaye apha.”

USam omkhulu wandithi ntsho apha emehlweni, kwabe sendivuza ukubila ngamandla apha ebunzi.

Andizange ndikwazi nokubuza imibuzo kwinto ayithethayo. Ndayicinga ngolu hlobo lokuba, kukubetha nje, ndatsho xa ndizicingela ngaphakathi. Ukuba uSibu wakwazi ukunyamezela ekamama wakhe imivumba, hayi noko wayenako ukunyamezela embalwa yomjida wakhe. Ngaphandle koko, mna noSibu singaphinda sibuyelane kubuhlobo bethu emva kokuxolisa kanye okanye kabini, andithi mandizixolise?

Emva kweso sohlwayo esibi endamnika sona uSibu, endasenza ndizisola kakhulu, ndasebezela uBig Sam ukuba uSibu makangaphinde afakwe kwezinye izohlwayo ezibanga iintloni abo bafundi batsha bafakwa kuzo. Ndathi makacinge ukuba kufuneke abethwe ndim kangangoko ndinako.

Xa sasihamba ndikunye nabafundi abadala, ndandihleka nabo kwaze kwathi kunjalo amehlo am adibana nakaSibu. Ndadungudelisa – ndenza ngathi akukho nto yenzekileyo. Ndacinga ukuba, kodwa noko ndenze into engalunganga!

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Khawusixelele: Ingaba zithini iingcinga neembono zakho malunga nala masiko amanyungunyezi enziwa ngabafundi abafikayo abahlala ngaphakathi abangamadoda (amaxa amaninzi ziyekisiwe azikho mthwethweni kule mihla)?  Xa ucinga, ingaba uDavid, wayenakho ukukhetha ngolunye uhlobo?