Ukwehla ngesitalato iSisulu idreyini iphuphumela endleleni. Izinja ziyakhonkotha, zisokolisa indoda eya emsebenzini.
Kwisitalato iNtantala abantu bafolile, abanye banxibe iigawuni, bafolele amagwinya.
Ndiya esikolweni sam esitsha.
“Ngubani igama lakho kanene?” intombazana indibuzile yatsho xa kanye ndingena esikolweni. Ngokungathi bendikhe ndamxelela ngaphambili. Undiqale ezihlangwini wandenyuka.
“Nana, nguNana igama lam,” ndiphendule ndatsho.
Ungqiyame egeyithini yasikolo samabanga aphezulu, iMasiphumelele.
“Andiboni macici. Ikhona ingxaki?” Ubuzile. “Uyafika apha.”
“Awundazi.”
“Oh, ok. Khawutsho, ngamacici, uzikhethele ukuba ungawanxibi? Uyayazi, azenziwa izinto ezinjalo apha. Lamakhwenkwe awazukukujonga nokujonga.”
“Andikhathali ukuba amakhwenkwe awandijongi,” ndimxelele ndatsho. Ndikhumbule landoda inde ibikhe yavela ephupheni lam.
“Ufuna inkwenkwe ozokuthandana nayo anditsho, okanye awuyifuni?” indijonge ngokungathi ndishiywa zingqondo ngoku lentombazana.
“Vuyiseka, Vuyiseka!’ abahlobo bakhe bamkhwazile.
“Yizokubona abahlobo bam.” Utsho encumile. Ndingene emasangweni esikolo ndilandela emva kwakhe. Sifike kwiqaqobana lamantombazana.
“Bahlobo, nguNana lo. Akakholelwa emacicini.’
“Molweni.”
“Molo Nana – kufuneka uzifumanele amacici girl,” lo bathi nguYandiswa undixelele watsho.
“Ndizakukhe ndiyicinge loo ngcebiso Yandiswa.”
Singene ngaphakathi eholweni yesikolo yokuthandazela kuqala. Inqununu isixelele ukuba kulonyaka zininzi izinto ezizakwenzeka. Kuzakudlula iveki ibenye phambi kokuba kubekho umngenelo kanobuhle.
“Qash-qash Nana? Sizakubukela ucondoba kungekudala,” utshilo kum uVuyiseka.
“Andicingi njalo. Ukungenela oonobuhle ayizonto zam.”
“Kulapho uphazama khona Nana. Oonobuhle zizinto zamantombazana onke kaloku. Nqo, ngeveg!” utsho enqakrazisa iminwe phambi kwam.
“Ucinga ukuba kutheni kufuneka sikhule singenazisu zikhulu kwaye singatyebanga?”
“Mamelani, ndiyanicela, andizukungenela unobuhle mna.”
“Thula, vala lomlomo wena. Yintoni ingxaki yakho? Lomzimba awungowokugqunywa ngaphaya kweebhulukhwe ezivuzayo neejezi ezinkulu.”
“Ngumzimba wam.”
“Kufuneka uwubonise amakhwenkwe azokuleqeka emva kwakho!” bonke bayithule phezulu intsini.
Iyandigulisa ke le ithethwa apha. Andifuni ukungenela unobuhle. Ngoku kukhangeleka ngathi ndiyanyanzelwa.
Emva kwexesha lesidlo sasemini uMiss Ngele ubize igama lam njengomnye ongenele unobuhle. Owu, Thixo wam. Yenzeke njani lento?
“Kufuneka nonke nibeseholweni ukuphuma kwesikolo namhlanje. Fikani phaya ngentsimbi yesithathu, nifike ngexesha.” Ilizwi lakhe namagama awathethayo avakala kabuhlungu kum.
“Ungubani igama lakho?” ubuzile kum uMiss Ngele.
“Igama lam ndinguNana.”
“Kufuneka wenze into ngezonwele. Ucinga ungamngenela njani unobuhle ngamaqathalala eenwele ungagqobhozanga neendlebe?”
Ukuba ebesazi, ukuba andifakanga gama lam kulawo afuna ukungenela unobuhle. Ukhona obhale igama lam.
“Mam, ngokwenyani akhange ndingenele …” ndizame ukumxelela. Kodwa akafunanga ukundimamela.
“Andinaxesha lokuqhula kwakho wena,” yiloo nto yondwa ayithethileyo.
Izihlangu ezichophileyo neemphahla zefashoni ayizonto zam ezo. Andiyazi ukuba ndifuna ntoni kodwa ndiqinisekile ukuba andifuni ukubaseqongeni.
Onke amanye amantombazana ayagigitheka, ayacondoba eqongeni. Mna ndiyagevezela kwezizihlangu uMiss Ngele enze onke amantombazana azinxibe. Abanye bangxamele ukubonwa ngamakhwenkwe bebahle.
Ngamanye amaxesha ndikhe ndicinge ukuba kutheni amantombazana azinxibele amakhwenkwe: Kutheni ndohlukile? Kodwa iye indothuse impendulo.
Ndibaleke ndagoduka ndinyembezana emva kokulinganisela ukucondoba.
Ndizibuze ndizibuza ukuba inokuba ngubani ofake igama lam kulento. Inokuba ngomnye wabahlobo bam abatsha kodwa akekho nomnye oza kuvuma ukuba bayenzile loo nto. Andiyithandi ndisafika into abandenza yona abahlobo bam abatsha.