Isikhathi sasehlobo uZulu no Zoleka yizingane ezihlala emkhukhwini basuka emakhaya. UZulu noZoleka bahlala eSoweto emijondolo yaseHositela. UZulu ungumfana omusha endaweni othanda ibhola lezinyawo kakhulu. Udlalela ibhola laselokishini kanti futhi nasesikoleni uyalidlala ibhola udlalela ithimu yesikole wakhethwa ngenxa yekhono lakhe. Bobabili baya kozilungiselela amakhono abo kumaqembu abazilolonga kuwo.
UZoleka uyintombazane efunda ibanga lesikhombisa esikoleni samabanga aphansi. Uyakuthanda ukudansa. EHositela kuneqembu labadansi, njalo kusihlwa bayaye bahlangane bazilolonge ihora elilodwa phakathi kwezinsuku kodwa ngezimpelasonto khona bazilolonga amahora amathathu. UZoleka mncane futhi ulula ngokwesakhiwo somzimba lokhu kumenza ehluke kunezingane azithole eqenjini ngendlela enhle.
UZoleka noZulu bahlala nabazali babo bobabili emjondolo. Lolu hlelo lokuhlalisana abantwana babengaluboni luyinkinga kodwa umama yena wayengakuthandi ngoba wayazi ukuthi bayakhula futhi nabo bazofisa ukuba babe nendawo yabo njengamakamelo lapho bezokhululeka khona uma begqoka noma bebhala imisebenzi yabo yesikole.
Umphathi weqembu likaZoleka unguthisha esikoleni samabanga aphansi lapho kufunda khona uZoleka. Kwesinye isikhathi uZoleka ubuye afundise izingane esikoleni uma kuzoba nemicimbi enjengeyokukhethwa konobuhle bezikole noma kuthweswa abafundi bebanga lika-R nelesikhombisa iziqu ngoba besuke sebeya kweliya ibanga.
UZoleka uhlushwa uSebenzile, ingane ehlala elokishini ayifice eqenjini. Engakafiki uZoleka uSebenzile bekunguyena umdansi owethenjiwe kakhulu eqenjini futhi edansa phambili ukusiza abanye abadansi noma belandele yena ukubeka indlela okumele benze ngayo. Ukufika kukaZoleka akubanga kuhle kuSebenzile ngoba iqembu livele lamthanda ngoba udansa ngendlela ehlukile kwabayijwayele, nomphathi weqembu wayithanda indlela kaZoleka.
Umdanso ofika noZoleka uzokwenza iqembu libe ngabadansi abahlukile kwabanye abaseJozi. Umphathi weqembu watshela uZoleka ukuthi, iqembu kwesinye isikhathi lidansa nosaziwayo noma libadansele libuye lidansele nezikhulu zikahulumeni okwenza ukuthi ngesinye isikhathi bavele kumabonakude. Kwakumjabulisa uZoleka ukuzwa ukuthi ngelinye ilanga uzovela kumabonakude. Kwakumenza ekhiphe wonke amakhono anawo uma edansa.
Endlini kwase kungalalwa ingakhulunyiwe indaba yokuthi kunamathuba amaningi okuthi naye uZoleka engagcina evela kumabonakude ngenxa yeqembu lakhe. “We! Zoleka uyazi nami ngingavela kumabonakude ngebhola nje, mhlawumbe ngivele kuqala kunawe nje, kwazi bani?” kukhuluma uZulu. “Ihhe! Asazi phela thina sidansela osaziwayo ngakho-ke sinamathuba amaningi kunawakho,” kuphendula uZoleka ngeqholo. Uzibona esengusaziwayo uma esevakasha emakhaya.
UZulu naye wayebhekene nenkinga ethi ayifane nekaZoleka. Ukufika kwakhe akubanga mnandi neze eqenjini lakhe kubanye abadlali ikakhulukazi kumvimbi weqembu. UZulu ungumdlali oqavile onamakhono amabili ebholeni, ikhono lokuvimba epalini nekhono lokuhlasela uma edlala phakathi enkundleni. Eqenjini lakhe wayengekho umuntu okwazi ukwenza lezi zimanga azenzayo yena. UZama kwakungumdlali ovimbayo othenjiwe enkundleni yebhola ikakhulu eqenjini lakhe lebhola.
USebenzile noZama bahlala elokishini bazitshela ukuthi bangcono kunezingane ezihlala ehositela. Ngokuthi nje abaqeqeshi babo bababeka phambili kanti bathembele kubo kakhulu sebezibona bengompetha abangasoze bahlulwa muntu kumaqembu abo, kanti cha bashaye phansi kwashunqa uthuli kuzofika abanye ompetha abazobedlula kakhulu, izingane ezibuya emakhaya ezihlala emikhukhwini.
Umqeqeshi kaZoleka wambuka wamethemba ukuthi cha lo wehlukile nje futhi uzombeka ezingeni alifunayo impela. Kuthe uma ekubona lokho uSebenzile wanikina ikhanda ukukhombisa ukuthi akakuthandi lokhu okwenzakalayo eqenjini kodwa wazibamba wazitshela ukuthi uzokwakha icebo lokuthi aphume kwiqembu lakhe noma engabe esathenjwa muntu uZoleka.
Izinkinga zikaZoleka zithi azifane nezibhekana noZulu eqenjini lakhe. Umqeqeshi wakhe umenze ukhipha weqembu wathi uzosizana noZama kodwa makuvimbe uZama, uZulu zodlala phakathi kanti makuvimbe uZulu, uZama uzohlala ebhentshini. Akwehlanga kahle kuZama lokhu wabona engathi ubukelwa phansi emva kwesikhathi eside kangaka esebenza ngokuzikhandla bambonga ngeze leze.
Okusho ukuthi izingane zaselokishini nazo zizibona zinenkinga efanayo. UZama uzizwa engathi isikhundla sakhe uzosithathelwa ngumfana omusha uZulu kanti ngapha emdansweni uZoleka naye ubona engathi lentombazane efikile uSebenzile uzomthathela isikhundla sokudansa phambili eqenjini, kazi iyozala nkomoni kulamaqembu ngabadlali abaqavile.
Ucabanga ukuthi laba bantwaba baseHostela ababuya emakhaya bazobathathela yini izikhundla abantwana baselokishini uZama noZoleka?