Isikhathi Esizayo: Ngesinye isikhathi ekuqaleni konyaka ka-2014
EZIHAMBA PHAMBILI
Amasistimu esuphamakethe onakaliswe ngegciwane elibizwa ngokuthi ‘i-Dweebo’. Komile emakhabetheni njengoba igciwane lithinte amasistimu abahlinzeki. Sekuvele kukhona imibhikisho. Izingcweti ze-IT zisebenza imini nobusuku zizama ukubamba igciwane elibi kakhulu elake lahlasela amanethiwekhi amakhompuyutha emhlabeni wonke.
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Isikhathi samanje: Januwari 2013
U-Dwight ugqolozele isitatimende sakhe sasebhange. Ubheke uphawu lokususa. Luncane. Luyize nje. Umugqa omncane ovundlile ongedluli ngisho namamitha amabili. Kodwa yeka indlela othinta ngayo yonke ingxenye yokuphila kwakhe. Lumenza abe into yalutho engenalo ithemba lokuthandana no-Glenda.
U-Dwight uthatha ipeni. Udweba umugqa omncane oqonde thwi kulolu phawu lokwesusa. Kwenzakalani! Ngokuphazima kweso liba uphawu lokuhlanganisa. Ngokushesha nje usecebile. Empeleni, kunjalo kwisitatimende sakhe sasebhange asiphethe.
Ngaphandle komnyango wakhe, u-Dwight uzwa abesifazane ababili abakhulumayo njengoba bedlula ephasiji. Uyalazi izwi labo: uNksz. Matswe isidudla esibi ohlala Efulethini 106, noNksz. Marumo omubi ozacile ohlala e-109. Uyaqaphela ukuthi: bahleba ngo-Glenda.
“Kuyihlazo nechilo! Lowo wesifazane akumele ahlale phakathi kwabantu abahloniphekile! U-Glenda uvula umnyango wakhe cishe ehamba nqunu kuyilapho izingane zethu zidlala esitaladini! Evakashelwa yiwo wonke lama doda! Ingabe umndeni wakhe uyayazi indlela aziphatha ngayo?”
“Vele, amaphoyisa kumele ambophe. Lokho akwenzayo kuphambene nomthetho. Kuzomfundisa isifundo lokho. Ulokhu eqhoqhozela ngezicathulo zakhe eziphezulu sengathi ungothize odumile wase-Nollywood. Uyafana nje nabantu abathengisa umzimba ezitaladini. Akanazimiso!”
U-Dwight uthukuthele. Empeleni labafazi ababi bacabanga ukuthi bangobani, bezohleba ngo-Glenda? Banomona, yilokho nje!
U-Dwight uyazi ukuthi kunjani ukuhletshwa abantu. Ngenkathi esafunda, ezinye izingane zesikole zazihlale njalo zikhuluma ngaye. Zimugcona, futhi zimhleka.
“Dweebo! Dweebo!” zazicula kanjalo izingane ayefunda nazo. “Vele, u-Dwight i-Dweebo!” Ngenxa nje yokuthi wayenegama elingajwayelekile futhi wayegqoka izibuko zamehlo ehlale njalo azi izimpendulo zezivivinyo. Futhi wayehamba phambili kwiSifundo seZibalo Nesayensi ehlale njalo enza umsebenzi wakhe wasekhaya. Kunokugijima ezitaladini. Noma ahlanganyele kwimicimbi.
Ngezinye izikhathi nothisha imbala babehlanganyela ekuculeni.
Ngezikhathi zekhefu, u-Dwight wayevamise ukuzifihla endaweni yamakhompuyutha. Kwakubuhlungu kakhulu ukuba enkundleni yokudlala, ezungezwe abafundi abamugconayo. Wayechitha amahora amaningi enza izinhlelo zekhompuyutha, efunda ngamakhodi ahlukahlukene nezilimi zokubhala kuhlanganise namakhono esofthiwe.
Uthisha ofundisa ikhompuyutha yena akakaze ambize ngokuthi “Dweebo”. Kunalokho, wayembiza ngokuthi ungqondongqondo.
“Ungenza noma yini ukuphila okukunikeza kona, Dwight.”
Wayevamise ukusho njalo uMnz. Richards.
“Ufana nengcweti, indlela owenza ngayo izinhlelo. Ngelinye ilanga uyokwenza izinto ezikhexisayo. Woza. Ngikubonise indlela yokudlula okokuvimba kokuphepha kwekhompuyutha.”
Kodwa ngelinye ilanga indawo yamakhompuyutha yavalwa. UMnz. Richards waboshwa amaphoyisa ngenxa yokugqekeza amakhompuyutha nokukhwabanisa kobunikazi. Ngemva kwalokho u-Dwight wachitha isikhathi sakhe sekhefu ezifihle ehlathini ngemva kwesitolo sesikole.
“Oshokholethi!” Kusho u-Dwight ngokushesha khona lapho efulethini yakhe emnyama. Unalo uhlweza esikhwameni sakhe. Alukho luningi, kodwa lwanele.
“Yebo. Ngizothengela u-Glenda oshokholethi. Ngizobahambisa kuye. Ngizomtshela indlela engimthanda ngayo. Indlela engimkhonze ngayo. Uzobe ke esengingenisa endlini yakhe. Nakanjani!”
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Sicela umbono wakho: Uzizwa kanjani ngo-Dwight? Ingabe uyamzwela?