Kukhala insimbi yokuphuma kwesikole uThando aphume egijimisa okwenhlamvu yesibhamu emasangweni esikole. Uphuthuma e-library lapho esebenza khona umsebenzi wokuba i- library assistant. Usebenza lapha uma kuphuma isikole nangempelasonto, imali ayiholayo incane, kodwa ngendlela akuthanda ngayo ukuba se-library angasebenza khona noma kuthiwa akaholi. Ngaphezu kokuba sendaweni yezincwadi uThando uthanda ukuba se-library ngoba iyona ndawo kuphela lapho enabangani, uThembi no Albert. Abujwayelekile neze lobu bungani ngoba uThando una-15, uThembi oyi-librarian una-55, u Albert i-library cleaner yena una-65.
“Musa ukugijima kangaka Thando! Uzolimala,” kusho uThembi ebona uThando engena ngesivinini e-library. “Bekunjani esikoleni namhlanje? Kufundekile, mfana wami?”
“Kufundekile, Mam’Thembi,” kusho uThando.
UThembi umumbhambhatha emahlombe, athi, “Kukhona ukudla engikwenzele kona. Uzokuthola ekhishini.”
“Ngiyabonga, Mam’ Thembi.”
UThando uphuthuma ekhishini elisegumbini elingemuva. Ulambe uyafa ngoba ugcine ukudla ngephalishi elingenawo ushukela ekuseni. Kuthi esafobela ezwe umsindo wokuhuduleka kwezinyawo ngaphandle kwasekhishini. Nakanjani uyazi ukuthi ngu-Albert i-library cleaner lo ohudula izinyawo. Uyazi futhi ukuthi nakanjani uzophenduka abone ubuso buka Albert obugugile, bumamatheka, ezwe izwi lakhe eliyisihosha lithi, “Unjani empilweni mfana omdala? Unjani ummeli odumile waseParadise Road namhlanje?”
UThembi umfumbathisa uThando u-fifty rand uma sebevala ntambama. UThando uzwa inhliziyo yakhe igcwala ukufudumala njengoba ephakathi kwabangani bakhe ababili. Uzwa injabulo emenza akukhohlwe ubunzima bempilo ayiphilayo e-No Paradise Road.
Inhliziyo ka Thando ithwele imfundumalo nenjabulo njengoba egoduka. Uyazi ukuthi uzofika ekhaya afice uZikhona ekhathele eyimvithi, ezela ebuka umabonakude, emuva kosuku olude esebenza umsebenzi wakhe wokuba i-maid yomndeni wakwa Hamilton eBergvliet. UNandi yena uzomthola ehlezi kulo omunye u-sofa eziqhafazela ifoni yakhe.
UThando uyamangala ngoba ufika bengekho bobabili odadewabo. Uyakhathazeka ngoba sekuqala ukuhwalala, nobugebengu buningi lapha e-No Paradise Road. Ufisa ukufonela uZikhona, kodwa i-airtime lutho. Kuthi esezwijwiba esethi uyoboleka i-airtime ka-R5 espaza, angene eshwibeka uZikhona.
“Nginomhlangano obaluleke kabi namhlanje,” kusho uZikhona.
UZikhona udalakaxa u-plastic awuphethe etafuleni, aphuthume egumbini lakhe noNandi. Ubuya ngokuphazima kweso, esegqoke kahle. Usengene kowokugcina umswenko, lo awukhipha ngezikhathi ezibalulekile kuphela. Ehlombe ugaxe into ayithanda kunazo zonke: isikhwama se-leather asikhokhela unyaka wonke.
“I-supper yona?” kubuza u-Thando.
“Kukhona inyama kulowo-plastic osetafuleni. Ngishilo nje ekuseni ukuthi kufanele nani ningisize manje, Thando.”
“Yazi ngikhathazekile ngoNandi,” kusho uThando. “Naye akekho, sekuhlwile engabuyile”
“UNandi ubeshilo ukuthi uzophuma esikoleni bafunde nabangani bakhe.”
“Leyo angiyikholwa, abafana kuphela into abayifundayo. Nobabili anikho kanti kufanele nipheke”
“Ini?” Kubuza uZikhona eshwaqa ebusweni. “Wena awunazo izandla, Thando?”
“Ngeke ngipheke nikhona. Ukupheka umsebenzi wenu.”
“Uyasazi isimo esiphila kuso. Asinabo abazali, siphila ngale madlana engiyiholayo. Thando, awunalo ilungelo lokukhuluma kanjalo. Kumele sisizane.”
UThando uyahlina.
“Hhayi ke namhlanje uzopheka, we Thando. Ngeke ngiphunyukelwe yileli thuba. Uma kuhamba kahle kulo mhlangano engiya kuwo impilo yami izophumelela. Nakunina impilo izoba ngcono. Nami ngizokwazi nokuthola imali yokufunda e-varsity part time.”
UThando ubuka uZikhona ephuma ngokushesha esangweni. Uzwa kukhona umunyu ogijima emzimbeni wakhe.
“Yeka ukuba nomona wena,” kusho uThando ekhuluma yedwa, “jabulela udadewenu. Wonke umuntu uyakudinga ukujabula.”
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Sitshele: Uthini `ngombono kaThando mayelana nemisebenzi ekufanele yenziwe abesifazane nabesilisa endlini?