Omunye uthisha, uNobuhle Chiya, umile esicabheni sekilasini likaSbongile esikoleni iKwaManzini Primary School, KwaNdengezi. Sekuphele imizuzu emihlanu uNobuhle emile esicabheni ebuka uSbongile okude ngemicabango.
“Qo qo qo! Ucabangani kangaka?” kubuza uNobuhle.
“Ini? Uthini?” kubuza uSbongile ngokwethuka njengoba kubuya ingqondo.
“Ngithi ucabangani? Kwenzenjani, wajula kangaka?”
“Ngicabanga izinkinga zakwami,” kusho uSbongile ebhalwe ukukhathazeka ebusweni.
“Kwenzenjani?”
“Angazi ngizoqala kuphi uma ngikuchazela. Mngani, iyaphela manje iminyaka emibili loya muzi unakekelwa imina ngedwa. Yonke into ephakathi ithengwe yimina. Imina engithenga ukudla, ugesi ngikhokele nama-rates. UBhekani eyakhe imali ayisisizi ngalutho. Uncede ahole athumele imali kumama wakhe nodadewabo.”
“Hhayi bo! Usho ukuthi emzini wakhe akathengi ngisho isaka lempuphu leli?” kusho uNobuhle eshaya izandla.
“Lutho, mngani. Angithi uthembe ukuthi mina ngiyasebenza angeke ngingathengi.”
“Yeyi amadoda azokumangaza.”
“Kunzima emshadweni,” kusho uSbongile ezamula.
“Kodwa uma sibuyela eqinisweni kuyacaca ukuthi inkinga idalwa abantu bakubo. Hhayi ngeke, bamcindezela kakhulu.”
“Kodwa naye njengendoda kufanele azi ukuthi ushadile futhi unomndeni. Kufanele afunde ukusho ukuthi cha imali akanayo. Kulungile eyokudla kumele ayikhiphe… kodwa le eyokwenza odadewabo izinzipho nezinwele?” kusho uSbongile eshintsha ebusweni.
“Kanti abanawo yini bona amadoda azobenzela lokho?” kusho uNobuhle eshaya izandla.
“Baqinisile uma bethi ukuhamba ukubona ntombi.”
“Nathi siyabadinga obhuti abanjalo.” Kubhuqa uNobuhle.
Bahleke bobabili. Kukhala insimbi yokubuyela kwezingane emakilasini.
“Ngizokubona uma kuphuma isikole. Uqine sisi, kuzolunga,” kusho uNobuhle.
“Ngiyabonga, mngani.”
“Ungithinte uma kukhona okudingayo, noma nje uma ufuna ukukhuluma.”
“Ngizokwenza kanjalo,” kusho uSbongile.
Kuba ukuhamba kukaNobuhle, lubuye futhi usizi kuSbongile. Udonsa umoya kakhulu, abuke phansi.
Bangena betheleka abafundi bakhe bakwa-Grade 3, bebuya ekhefini. Abanye bagcwele inhlabathi uyabona nje ukuthi umdlalo ubumkhulu emnyango. USbongile ujulile ngomqondo, akaboni ukuthi abafundi sebehleli phansi, balindele ukuba aqale afundise.
Emuva kokubona ukuthi ubheke phansi uthisha wabo omunye wabafundi, uLihle, usukuma asondele kuSbongile. ULihle uthinta uSbongile ehlombe.
“Thisha uyagula yini?” kubuza uLihle.
USbongile ubuka uLihle abone ukuthi ikhathazekile ingane. Uzizwa ethandwa uSbongile uma ebona lokhu, avele amamatheke.
“Cha, Lihle, angiguli. Ngicela ubuyele endaweni yakho. Ngicela nikhiphe amabhuku enu esiZulu sifunde!” kusho uSbongile ezama ukuziqinisa ukuze izinkinga zakhe zingamdidi ikhanda.
*****
Kusaphele amahora ambalwa eholile uBhekani kodwa imali isiyaphela. Phela bekufanele akhokhe nezikweletu azenzile enyangeni edlule ngoba kuyenzeka abantu bakubo bamcele imali phakathi nenyanga. Ubona kahle uBhekani ukuthi ayikho nhlobo imali yokuthenga o-sofa abasha. Eyezingubo zezingane izophuma, kodwa nayo incane.
Kukhala insimbi yokuphuma kwesikole. Uhlala ekilasini lakhe uBhekani njengoba abanye othisha bephuthuma beqonde ezimotweni zabo. Empeleni uyasaba ukubuyela ekhaya. Usaba ulaka lukaSbongile. Phela ekuseni ufunge wagomela ukuthi uzobathenga o-sofa kanye nezimpahla zokugqoka zezingane.
Kudlula uthisa ajwayelene naye, uZungu.
“Nkalakatha wahlala wathela igazi phansi nje uholile, kwenzenjani? Wahlala wanethezeka nje olayini bebade ezitolo?” kumemeza uZungu emile esicabheni.
“Ngijabulile. Ubani ongeke ajabule eholile? Inkinga ukuthi sengathi ngijikelwa isisu. Ngiyabona ngiqinise kakhulu kupelepele izolo,” usho eqamba aluhlaza cwe amanga.
“Ngiyabona. Ngisaya e-mall ngiyokhokhela izinto ezincane ngibambe nokuncane kwasendlini. Kodwa ngaphambili kokuthi ngenze lokho ngifuna ukwandisa umholo wami.”
Amagama athi ‘ukwandisa umholo wami’ agcwala ikhanda kuBhekani.
“Uzowandisa kanjani umholo wakho?”
“Worldbet, baba!” kusho uZungu.
“Usho ukugembula kanti?”
“Yebo mina sengiwine kabili kulonyaka. Nizongibona sengihamba ngesilahla maduze!”
“Uthule nendaba engaka? Yini ungakaze ungitshele ngeWorldbet?” kusho uBhekani umbona ukuthi iyamchaza lendaba.
“Wena ubonakala sengathi konke kuhamba kahle ingakho bengingacabangi ukuthi udinga amasenti,” kusho uZungu.
“Kukhona umuntu ongadela imali? Musa ukudlala ngami,” kusho uBhekani.
“Izobonana kusile nsizwa, ngisayozama inhlanhla. Hleze ucilo azishaye endukwini,” kusho uZungu.
UZungu uphuthuma emotweni yakhe. UBhekani ubala izidingo zakhe, eziqhathanisa nemali anayo ebhange. Ayanele nakancane imali anayo.
“Ngeke, nami ngizoyandisa lemali eWorldbet,” kusho uBhekani sakuhleba.
Sitshele umbono wakho: Ucabanga ukuthi kuyiqiniso yini ukuthi uZungu usewawina kakhulu kunokwehlulwa eWorldbet? Noma abantu abagembulayo bayazikhohlisa ngokukhumbula lapho bewina kuphela, hhayi lapho behlulwa?