“Awufisi ukubeka amagama ambalwa, Thabo, usixoxele ngokuthi ungowakuphi nangesikole obufunda kuso?” UThabo unikina ikhanda, amamatheke, abuke ideski lakhe, eshaywa amahloni. “Kulungile, Thabo, usazosejwayela.” UMrs Shandu ushaya izandla ekhombisa ukwamukela lo mfundi, neklasi lonke liyalandela lishaye izandla.
UPearl usondela kuBusi. Amhlebele ethi, “Konke kuhamba kahle? Kwenzenjani, wajuluka kangaka?”
“Anginalutho, inkinga nje ukuthi kushisa kakhulu la eklasini,” kuphendula uBusi, eziphephetha nge-notebook.
UPearl uphakamisa isandla acele ukuthi kuvulwe isicabha. Uyavuma uMrs Shandu kodwa abaxwayise ngokuthi sizovalwa uma umsindo wangaphandle uphazamisa ukufunda kwabo.
UBusi akezwa lutho olufundwayo, uyawubona umlomo kaMrs Shandu unyakaza kodwa akezwa lutho. Inhliziyo yakhe isishaya ngokujwayelekile, kodwa umzimba wona usashisa. Akaze ayizwe into enjena.Kodwa ne-break izoshaya nini axoxele uLolo noThuli ngalesi sigameko?
*****
“Okay, ngikhombise lo mfana obhakuzisa inhliziyo yakho,” kusho uThuli behamba emagcekeni esikole bebheka uThabo.
“Nawe uzozibonela, mngani wami,” kusho uBusi. “Mude, unebala elizothile futhi muhle kunabo bonke abafana lapha esikoleni.”
“UBusi usemathandweni. Usothandweni mngani,” kuncokola uLolo.
“Ayikho leyo nto,” kuphendula uBusi.
“Kunjalo, ubonakala ebusweni nje.”
“Nanguya! Uyena loya!” UBusi uzizwa ememeza ebakhombisa idlanzana labafana abame eduze kwenkundla yokudlala ibhola lezinyawo. Abaningi balaba bafana badlalela iqembu lebhola lezinyawo lesikole, bathandwa yiwo wonke amantombazane la esikoleni.
“Ngiyambona,” kusho uThuli ebukisisa uThabo. “Yena muhle ngempela, mngani wami.”
“Ngempela uyababa,” kuvuma uLolo.
UThuli uphendukela kuBusi, “Manje uzokwenzenjani ngoThabo?”
“Ngeke ngenze lutho,” kusho uBusi emziba umngani wakhe.
“Hhayi bo Busi. Kuyacaca ukuthi uyamthanda. Kumele kube khona okwenzayo ukuzisondeza kuye ngoba amanye amantombazane azomthatha,” kusho uThuli.
“Angizange ngithi ngiyamthanda.”
“Thuli, awuhlukane noBusi,” kungenela uLolo. “Hawu, ubefuna ukukukhombisa umfana omuhle abafunda naye eklasini.”
“Kulungile, engikushoyo ukuthi uma emthanda lo mfana kufanele amazise njengamanje ngoba ayashesha amantombazane la ngaphandle,” uThuli ugcizelela iphuzu lakhe.
Kukhala insimbi yokubuyela emaklasini. UBusi uhamba eyicabanga le nto ayitshelwe uThuli. Iqiniso ukuthi akazazi ukuthi uzizwa kanjani ngoThabo. Ngabe ukubhakuza kwenhliziyo ekuseni kukhomba ukuthi uthanda uThabo? Uzibuza angayitholi impendulo.
Isikhathi siyagijima, siphume isikole. UBusi uthatha isikhwama sezincwadi aphume ngokushesha, angabalindi abangani bakhe, agoduke. Ufuna ukucabangisisa ngalesi simo azithola ekusona. Empeleni akusho lutho ukuthi uyamthanda lo mfana noma cha. Uyazi ukuthi ngeke uThabo afune intombi eyisidudla njengaye uBusi.
Selokhu azalwa wayelokhu emkhulu kunezinye izingane alingana nazo ngeminyaka. Wayeyisidudla ezalwa, nase-primary school futhi, namanje njengoba eneminyaka engu-14 useyisidudla. Ukhule ebizwa ngawo wonke amagama achaza ukukhuluphala kwakhe: uFattie, uFatso noBiggie. Ngisho nomndeni wakubo umbiza ngoSdudla. Kodwa ukukhuluphala kwakhe akukaze kube inkinga kuyena ngoba uyazi ukuthi akekho umuntu ongenaso isici. Kwabona abangani bakhe banezici. Ngendlela uThuli azace ngayo ungathi umiyane, esikoleni ubizwa ngo-Anorexia. NoLolo unenkinga yamehlo okwenza agqoke izibuko zamehlo eziwugqinsi, okumenza abukeke sengathi uyisalukazi. Abantu bambiza ngo-Four-Eyes.
Noma kunjalo, uBusi ubona ukuthi uyazibhuqa ngokucabanga ukuthi uThabo angamthanda noma ekhuluphele. Ugcina ngokuzitshela ukuthi kumele akhohlwe indaba kaThabo, anake izifundo ngoba kumele aphumelele kahle ukuze athole iBlackberry ayethenjiswe ngunina.