Amehlo ka Dumi ayebheke phansi njengoba u Alexa ayekhuluma. Wayefisa ukuthi kungavuleka umgodi phansi umgwinye. “Stop now, Alexa,” kwasho u Dumi ngezwi elidabukisayo. Kodwa yaqhubeka nokukhuluma lentokazi.
“Ngabe ayikho yonke lenkinga, Miss, ukube u Luke akazange ayihlwithe i phone yami abone isithombe. Ngizamile ukumviba, no Dumi uzamile, kodwa u Luke ubone ukuthi yonke lento iyihlaya. It wasn’t Dumi who shared the picture, Miss. It was Luke.”
U Dumi wathwala izandla ekhanda ecabanga ukuthi u Luke nabangani bakhe bazomhlupha kangakani uma bezwa ukuthi ube impimpi wabaceba ku Principal.
“Ngizamile ukumthinta ngocingo u Luke izolo, Mr Allan. Kodwa ngendlela ayigwala ngayo uthe ngeke aziveze. Uthe abukho ubufakazi obuveza ukuthi uyena osifake ku Facebook isithombe, wathi unelungelo lokusifaka kuFacebook ngoba ‘it is his freedom of expression’. Ubani nje obecabanga ukuthi isidunyelwa esifana no Luke Owen sazi izindaba zamalungelo.” kusho u Alexa.
U Miss Majola wacwila esikhwameni wabuya ne phone. “U Vuyi lo ongithintayo. Ngicela ukuphumela ngaphandle ngikhulume naye”, kwasho u Miss Majola. Waphuma wavala isicabha.
“U Dumi ungitshelile ukuthi ubize an early meeting, ngabona ukuthi nami kumelele ngibe khona, Sir,” kusho u Alexa ku Mr. Allan. “It’s not fair that he takes the blame.”
“Ngibona ukuthi we have enough grounds to counteract Mr Gaba’s claims,” kwasho uMivuyo. “Luke Owen is right about freedom of expression, but more where Dumi is concerned than him. All sorts of things come into play when we look at the image Dumi created.”
U Dumi wabona umalume wakhe ekhuluma ngezomthetho wabona ukuthi uhlakaniphe kangakanani. Phela wayengakaze amuzwe ekhuluma ngezomthetho kodwa wabona ukuthi unolwazi oluningi, kwavela obala ukuthi yikhona okwenza abe ngummeli ovelele.
“Usayi minor, Dumi. Uneminyaka engaphansi kuka 18, lokho kubalulekile kakhulu kulendaba. Thina sibadala kunawe, ngokomthetho thina siyakwazi ukucabanga ngaphambi kokwenza izinto. Wena usayi work in progress. You are still discovering yourself, still needing the freedom to think, choose, decide. Umthetho uyakuvumela lokho. The Law gives you the time to grow up, to learn how to express yourself. That’s what it’s all about Dumi – learning and growing, growing and learning. Uyangizwa kodwa ukuthi ngikhuluma ngani?”
U Dumi wavuma ngekhanda wathi, “Kodwa I’m still responsible for lokhu engikwenzile.”
“Kunjalo, Dumi. No –one excuses izenzo ezihlekisa futhi ezihlukumeza omunye umuntu. Kodwa, njengoba ngishilo, kumele sibheke iminyaka yakho and all the social pressures you younsters have. Konke lokho kuyabhekwa uma sibuka isigameko esinjena.” kusho uMivuyo.
Wabuka u Dumi ngamehlo okuzwelana naye, “into eyenzekile lapha ukuthi wena ubufuna ukuzigqamisa ku Miss Conradie, lokho kujwayelekile. Kodwa isithombe sifike ezandleni zabantu ababone ukuthi kungahlekisa abantu abaningi if they share it on a social network, okwenze sasabalala. Bona benze into embi kodwa futhi they are also minors.”
“Inkinga enkulu,” kusho u Alexa, “ukuthi bona bayilenhlobo yama minors angasoze akhula.”
“Kungaba njalo, Miss Conradie. Uma bephinda bekwenza lokhu sekulaphoke bezobukiswa okwabantu abadala who have abused their freedom of expression. Ngiyaxolisa ukunaba kangaka, ukuthi uma sengiqalile ukukhuluma ngokusebenza komthetho kulukhuni ukuthi ngime.” Kwasho u Mivuyo emamatheka.
U Miss Majola wavula isicabha wangena. “Ngiyaxolisa ngokuthatha isikhathi eside kangaka. Bengisachazela u Vuyisile ukuthi kwenzakalani. Sekwehlile ukuthukuthela nakuyena. Nginezindaba ezimbi nezimnandi. Ezimnandi ukuthi he has decided not to sue.”
Kwabonakala kusuleka ukukhathazeka ebusweni kubazali ba Dumi.
“Izindaba ezimbi zona zithini?” kwabuza ubaba ka Dumi.
“Ezimbi zithi u Vuyisile ufuna ukubonana nawe Dumi,” kusho u Miss Majola.
“It’s not fair,” kwangenela u Alexa ngokucasuka. “Your boyfriend knows that Dumi didn’t share the picture all over Facebook and Twitter, Miss. Yini engafuni ukubonana no Luke nabangani bakhe okuyibona abadale lenkinga.”
“No, Alexa,” kwasho u Dumi. “Imina engiyiqalile yonke lento. I have to try to make up for it. Inkinga idalwe izandla zami. Iqiniso ukuthi bengi jealous ngoba u Alexa engitshela ukuthi uVuyisile is hot.” Wabheka ngaku Miss Majola wathi, “Ngiyaxolisa, Miss, kodwa kuyiqiniso. Ngiyazi ukuthi angisoze ngaba inhlobo yomuntu okuthiwa i hot. Amantombazane awasoze angibuka ngalendlela abuka ngayo u Vuyisile Gaba. Ukuthi nje besengikhathele ukubizwa nge loser.”
“Dumi,” u Alexa wamuphula ulimi, kodwa uDumi waphakamisa isandla wamthulisa.
“Ngicela ukuqeda inkulumo yami, please Alexa.”
“Okwenziwe u Luke Owen nabangani bakhe akukuhle neze. Kodwa ngesikhathi bekwenza, ngisho nangesikhathi bengibiza ngo Princess Dumi, bekukhombisa ukuthi bayangibona. Bengiwumuntu kubona, ngingeyona i loser ehlukumezwa yiwowonke umuntu. In a weird way it made me feel like one of the class, not an outsider.”
“Ikhona impela lokhu engikhuluma ngakho Dumi.” kwaphawula u Mivuyo. “Peer pressure, immaturity, wanting to fit in, these things often cause young people to behave rashly. Wena-”
U Mivuyo wazibamba esezokhuluma ngezomthetho futhi. “OK, OK. No more fine points of the law. Okunalokho asibheke ukuthi ungenzani ukuze uxolise ku Miss Majola no Mr Vuyisile Gaba.”
“Ngiyaxolisa kakhulu, Miss. I wanted him to look like a fool, and me to look cool.” Kwasho uDumi ehlengezela izinyembezi.
Wabheka ngaku Mr Allan wathi, “You’ll probably want to suspend me, Sir. And I’ll lose my scholarship. Akukho engingakwenza ngalokho, kodwa ngizokwenza konke engingakwenza ukwenza izinto zilunge.”
U Dumi waphenduka wabheka u Miss Majola wathi, “Ufuna ukungibona nini u Mr Gaba, Miss?”
Izwi lika Miss Majola lazwakala linokumzwela u Dumi. “Angazi, Dumi. Ngizokwazisa.”
“Ngifuna ukumphelezela u Dumi uma eseyobonana no Vuyisile,” kwasho u Alexa.
“Kodwa akulona iphutha lakho, Alexa,” kwasho u Dumi.
“Kahle wena Dumi. It’s one thing to be noble, but don’t go all martyr on me. We are in this together, OK?” kwasho u Alexa.
***
Sitshele ukuthi ubona kanjani: Kulungile ukuthi ilungelo le freedom of expression livikele abantu abenza into efana nale eyenziwa u Dumi?