Ukukhala kwensimbi yokuphuma kwesikole kukhomba ukuqala kwamaholidi. Intokazi engu-Aphiwe, njengabo bonke abanye abafundi kulesi sifundo se-English, iqoqa izincwadi zayo izifake kubhaka. Ucingo lwakhe luyakhanya ngaphakathi kubhaka. I-SMS engenayo ivela kumama wakhe.
‘Phuthuma ekhaya. U-Aunty kumele agoduke ngokushesha to Matatiele. Upheke futhi, ngizobuya late.’
“Not just yet Grade 12s!” kusho uMrs. Dodds, uthisha we-English, njengoba bonke abafundi besukuma.
Bonke abafundi bahlala phansi.
“All right class! For your assignment during the holidays!”
Kuzwakale ukuhhumuzela kuqhamuka kubafundi.
“Yes, class, just because it’s the holidays doesn’t mean your brains should switch off,” kusho uMrs. Dodds. “This assignment is for extra credit. I will need a well-researched essay about your hero, or heroine.”
Ukuhhumuzela sekuqhamuka namazwi okukhononda manje. UMrs. Dodds uphakamisa amehlo kuleli phepha afunda kulo, abuke abafundi. Kuthi cwaka.
“Yes, two thousand words please,” kuqhubeka uMrs Dodds. “Marks will be allocated according to grammar, detail and style. And don’t copy Wikipedia or internet articles verbatim. I will find out and award a big fat zero percent to those who do. That’s it! School is out. Behave, people. I want you all back here in one piece for the start of next term.”
Abafundi baphuma behamba bexoxa bengamaqoqwana. U-Aphiwe akanaso isikhathi sokuhamba kancane, uphuma ngokushesha. Ufica abangani bakhe bemlindile esangweni lesikole.
“Hey, Aphi, let’s get bite to eat at the mall,” kusho uSkylar, edlalisa izinwele eziphuzi njengelanga.
“As we always do on the last day of term,” kusho uAyanda ejabulile.
“Sorry guys, I’ll have to catch up with you on social media,” kusho u-Aphiwe. “I’ve got to hurry home. Aunty has to leave for Matatiele. I’ve got to look after my gran and cook.”
Bobabili uSkylar no-Ayanda bakhombisa ukuzwelana nomngani wabo.
“Catch up on the phone then,” kusho u-Ayanda njengoba benikana ama-hugs.
Ibanga elisuka esikoleni kuya ekhaya lika-Aphiwe alilide kakhulu. Akupheli imizuzu eyishumi u-Aphiwe esuka esikoleni i-Kingsway High School, afike ekhaya. Ufica umama osebenza njengomsizi wasendlini uZandi esekhishini.
“Hey, Aunt Zandi. Ugogo ulele?”
“Yebo,” kusho uZandi.
U-Aphiwe akajwayele ukubona uZandi egqoke izingubo zakhe, ujwayele ukumbona egqoke i-uniform yokusebenza.
“Unjani ugogo namhlanje? Wabukeka umuhle Aunty Zandi uswenkile,” kusho u-Aphiwe.
UZandi uzimbhambhatha ingubo ayigqokile, azibukisise esibukweni esise-lounge, amamatheke.
“Ngiyabonga, Aphi,” ukumamatheka kukaZandi kuyashesha ukunyamalala. “Yena ugogo ubephelelwe amandla ekuseni kodwa kungcono ngoba ukwazile ukudla. Uselokhu elale emuva kokuphuza amaphilisi ekuseni.”
“Hawu bandla uGogo wami,” kusho u-Aphiwe. “Kodwa kungcono ngoba udlile.”
“Bekunjani esikoleni?” kubuza uZandi.
“Bekukahle. Inkinga sibe nayo sekukhala insimbi yokuphuma ngoba sinikwe umsebenzi okumele siwenze njengoba sizobe sisemaholidini. Ngabe uMa ushilo ukuthi kumele ngiphekeni?”
“Yebo. Ngikhiphe inkukhu.”
“Cool,” kusho u-Aphiwe.
Kukhala ucingo luka-Aphiwe.
Can you braid my hair next week Saturday? I’m in Cator Manor. How much do you charge?
Lo mlayezo uhambisana nesithombe sohlobo lomluko. U-Aphiwe ubuka lesi sithombe isikhashana abe esewuphendula lo mlayezo.
Yes, I charge R350 for this.
UZandi use-lounge nezikhwama zakhe, uselindele ukuvalelisa ku-Aphiwe.
“UMa ushilo ukuthi uyagoduka namhlanje,” kusho u-Aphiwe. “Kwenzakaleni ekhaya?”
“Ingane yami iyagula.”
“UMandla noma uCynthia? Kwenzekeni?”
“UMandla. Nami angazi kahle kahle ukuthi yini emphethe. Ubephethwe isisu ngesonto eledlule. Ngathumela imali ukuze bamthengele umuthi wesisu. Kwaba sengathi uyalulama kodwa manje umama wami ungitshele ukuthi usegula kakhulu, uphelelwa amandla. Ngifuna ukumhambisa esibhedlela eMatatiele khona bezomxilongisisa.”
“Shame bandla ngomfanyana onguMandla,” kudabuka u-Aphiwe.
“Hhayi, nami angingene indlela, ayaphuza ukugcwala amatekisi aseMatatiele.”
U-Aphiwe uyapheka, abheke nokuthi abangani bakhe benzani ku-social media eziphumulele ku-sofa. Kungena ucingo oluvela kulo muntu ofuna ukulukwa ngesikhathi eluka ugogo wakhe.
“Uhlala kuphi neCato Manor?” kubuza u-Aphiwe.
“Ngihlala ngaseMkhumbane Community Hall,” kuphendula lo sisi ocingweni.
“Kulungile, ngizocela ungithumelele i-location yalapho ku-Whatsapp.”
U-Aphiwe uqhubeka nokuluka uGogo emuva kokukhuluma ocingweni. UGogo uyamamatheka.
“Kukhona okwaziyo nge-Cato Manor, Aphi?” kubuza uGogo.
“Yebo, Gogo. Ngiyazi ukuthi uhulumeni wobandlululo wasusa abantu base-Cato Manor ngedluzula ngesikhathi se-aparthheid.”
“Cha, Aphi, kwabe sekuyisikhathi sokuphela kwe-Cato Manor leso,” kusho uGogo enikina ikhanda. “Mina ngikhuluma ngempilo yakhona nabantu bakhona kungakenzeki konke lokho.”
Kunenjabulo emehlweni kaGogo, nokumamatheka u-Aphiwe eyengakaze akubone nangesikhathi uGogo engakaphathwa isifo senhliziyo.
“Wawuhlala khona yini, Gogo?”
“Kunjalo, Aphi, ngazalelwa khona. Izinsuku ezazimnandi empilweni yami ngaziphila e-Cato Manor,” kusho uGogo.
“Ngicela ungixoxele ngazo lezo zinsuku, Gogo,” kusho u-Aphiwe.
Unenjabulo egcwele ubusweni njengoba uGogo eqethukisa ikhanda ecabanga ngezinsuku zobusha bakhe esahlala e-Cato Manor.
***
Sitshele: I-Apartheid yaphela eminyakeni engamashumi amabili edlule, kodwa namanje sisabhekene nezinkinga ezadalwa yiyo. Ungakwazi ukuchaza ukuthi yini i-apartheid?