Ikilasi ligcwala ngokushesha. Abafundi bayaphushana badlula u-Aimée ukuze bathole izitulo zabo. Ithemu yesibili. Bonke sebazi ngisho noma belele okumele kwenziwe. Bonke banezindawo zabo; bonke bayazana. Kumele ahambisane nabo, ngokushesha, noma ashiywe, asalele emuva. Waphumelela kwisivivinyo akasithunyelwa isikole, wabe esengena kwibanga leshumi nanye.

Leyo kwakungeyona ingxenye enzima. Nansi enzima: ulimi, ubuso obusha; abangani akangakabenzi okwamanje.

Uyama futhi uyabuka kuze kube yilapho ebona isitulo esingenamuntu ngemuva kwasekilasini. Siseduze noPrincess. Inhlanhla yakhe! Ukuhlala eduze kwentombazane okokuqala, engamthandi ngaphandle kwesizathu, okwesibili, ongamuthandi nakakhulu ngenxa yokuthi umfana obizwa ngokuthi uMandla umomotheke naye.

Usezohlala esitulweni esingemuntu ngenkathi othile wabangani bakaPrincess ehlala kuqala, ephusha u-Aimée, ezilahlela phansi, sengathi uphumelele kumdlalo othize womculo. Futhi uAimée ungumdlali okhishiwe.

U-Aimée uyama ngokuzinyeza, elokhu eqalaza. Kube sekuqhamuka uMandla emuva kwakhe. Kade engamboni ngasemuva kwekilasi.

“Hlala”, kusho uMandla, emnikeza isitulo sakhe. Ngokushesha nje wonke umuntu ubabhekile. UPrincess ugqolozele u-Aimée.

“Sithathe,” kusho uMandla.

“Angisifuni. Ngifuna ubuyise uhlamvu lwami lwemali,” kusho u-Aimée. Kodwa uMandla wenza sengathi akamuzwanga. Kube sekuba khona ukuhudulwa kwezitulo njengoba wonke umuntu esukumela uthisha ongenayo. Ubona uMandla enikeza u-Aimée isitulo sakhe.

“Mandla, ohloniphayo. Ingabe ukhona owaziyo ukuthi lisho ukuthini lelo gama?” Uthisha mude futhi uzacile uphethe inqwaba yezincwadi. Ubheka ikilasi elindele impendulo.

Kuthule cwaka.

“Hloniphayo – isiphawulo. Ukuba nesihe nokubonisa inhlonipho kwabanye abantu, ikakhulukazi abantu besifazane.” Ikilasi libhonga ngokuhleka okubhuqayo njengoba liphinda igama, bebheke uMandla. Kodwa uvele amomotheke nje.

“Thulani, kilasi. Yehlisani umoya,” kusho uthisha. U-Aimée uhlala phansi esitulweni akasiphiwe uMandla, kuyilapho yena ehamba eya ekilasini elilandelayo ukuyobheka esinye isitulo.

UPrincess ususa amehlo wakhe kumakhalekhukhwini wakhe. Kade ethumela umlayezo eqhuma ngentukuthelo.

“Princess, bonisa izincwadi zakho ilungu elisha lekilasi lethu,” kusho uthisha. Kodwa uPrincess uvele amubuke nje u-Aimée bese eyaqhubeka nokubheka umakhalekhukhwini wakhe. Kusobala ukuthi akazimisele ukwabelana nanoma yini yakhe, no-Aimée. Noma nini.

Uthisha utshela u-Aimée ukuthi asukume. Wonke amehlo amgqolozele futhi ufisa sengathi umhlaba ungavuleka angene. Andize, aphume ekilasini aye esibhakabhakeni esiluhlaza ngaphandle kwefasitela.

“Sinentombazane entsha ekilasini lethu.” Uthisha ubheka incwadi akayiphethe yamagama abafundi.

“Ayim…” Uyama. bese uyazama futhi. “Ay…i…” Amantombazane ayagigitheka. Uphinde abambeke futhi lapho ebiza igama lika Aimée. Kuvese kuqhethuke insini. U-Aimée ugqolozela udonga.

“Amy Mwamba,” aze alibize kahle uthisha. Sizovese sikubize nje ngokuthi u-Amy. Kulula kanjalo.” Esho emomotheka uthisha.

Usengahlala phansi manje u-Aimée. Usengakwazi nokuphefumula futhi.

Izifundo ziphela engazwanga lutho. Ngesikhathi sekhefu uchitha isikhathi efunana noNoki, kodwa akamutholi.

Ngaphambi kokuba isikole siphume uthisha ofundisa isiZulu utshela abafundi.

“Namhlanje ngifuna ukuthi nibhale izigaba ezimbalwa ezimayelana nani siqu. Futhi wena Themba, angilifuni nje iculo lerephu eliculwa uJay Z…”

“Kodwa uma kuyirephu yami, engokoqobo, ingabe kulungile Mam?” kusho umfana, ngendelelo.

Kukhala insimbi yesikole futhi bonke abafundi bayaphushana ukuze baphume emnyango. UMandla ungowokuqala ukuphuma. Seliphelile usuku manje kodwa usaliphethe uhlamvu lwemali luka-Aimée. Nakhona akubonakali sengathi uzolibuyisa maduze.

Manje u-Aimée usele ekilasini noPrincess kanye nabangani bakhe ababili. Kudala bemlindile. Njengoba eseyofika emnyango, bayasheshisa bese befika khona kuqala.

UPrincess uvimba indlela. Udonsa isandla sika-Aimée. “Dlalela kude noMandla,” kufutha uPrincess.

U-Aimée uvuma ngekhanda.

“Amy Mumba Wumba,” kuhleka uPrincess kanye nabangani bakhe. “Uyabona wena. Mumba Wumdwa, uMandla ungowami.”

“Ingabe uMandla uyakwazi yena lokho?” UNoki ubuza uPrincess. Ugijimele ukuzofuna u-Aimée, ukuze agibele naye itekisi eya ekhaya.

“Unomona,” kusho uPrincess. “Ngoba umubi futhi awusoze wamthola uMandla.”

“Akekho umuntu oyomthola uMandla,” kusho uNoki.

“Noma kunjalo,” kusho umngani kaPrincess, “ngisho noma kungenzeka ukuthi uMandla ayibheke le ‘wumba mumba’ ntombazane uzophelelwa isithakazelo. Uyomulahla njengezambane elishisayo. Nakanjani ngiqinisekile ukuthi uyizambane elibi. Uyamazi uMandla. Uzifunela wena qha, Princess.”

U-Aimée uyalwazi lolu hlobo lwamantombazane: labo abasho noma yini efuna ukuziwa abangani bakhe, ngisho noma kungelona iqiniso.

Kusenjalo kuza ngakubo uMandla neqembu labafana.

“Phuma kuPrincess nabangani bakhe,” uNoki utshela u-Aimée, ukhuluma kakhulu ukuze uPrincess noMandla bazwe. “Lawo mantombazane agcwele ubundindwa nje, futhi ngizwa kuthiwa buyathelelana.”

Ubese edonsa ingalo ka-Aimée. “Woza, asambe. Anginaso isikhathi salamantombazane.”

UMandla uyahleka, echazwa okwenziwa uNoki. Njengoba bedlula uMandla, u-Aimée uyezwa ukuthi umubhekile. UMandla ugijimela ukuya ku-Aimée noNoki, asebehamba nomngani kaNoki uChantelle, ubathola ngasesangweni lesikole.

“Uma ufuna uhlamvu lwakho lwemali, hlangana nami esihlahleni esilapha enzansi ngasocingweni, kusasa ngesikhathi sekhefu.” Umcimela ihlo.

U-Aimée uyachazeka.

Uhamba noNoki nomngani wakhe uChantelle baya ekhaya, ejabulile enhliziyweni. Usuku seluvese lwaba ngcono nakakhulu.

UChantelle ubuza u-Aimée ukuthi uhlala kuphi u-Aimée emtshela ngenkosikazi ebizwa ngokuthi UNks van Rheenen ongumnikazi wendawo, oqashisa abakaMwamba umjondolo ongemuva ebaleni lakhe.

“Ngiyamazi,” esho eginqa amehlo wakhe uChantelle. “Uyiqili. Kade ethandana nomalume wami. Wake wathengisela umama wami izitshalo, waphoqelela ukuthi uzozitshala yena. Lapho seziwa umama wazidonsa waqaphela ukuthi azinazo izimpande. Ngisho neyodwa impande. Kwakungamaqabunga nje kuphela. Ngiqinisekile ukuthi unibiza imali eninigi yokuqashisa.”

“Ngathi uyazi,” kusho u-Aimée.

“Ngizokulinda lapha ke kusasa ekuseni. Singagibela sonke itekisi, kusho uNoki lapho sebefikile esitaladini sika-Aimée. “Heyi wena, yazi ngicabanga ukuthi uMandla uyakuthanda,” kusho uNoki ebiza u-Aimée njengoba esehamba.

“Noki, ngenkathi uthi akekho umuntu oyoke athole uMandla, kade usho ukuthini?” U-Aimée umemeza uNoki.

Kodwa kudlula ibhasi, ebathela ngentuthu nokungcola. Amagama wakhe avese aphelela emoyeni.

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Sicela umbono wakho: Ingabe uMandla uzomnikeza u-Aimée uhlamvu lwakhe lwemali, futhi kungani eligcinile?