Ngemuva kokushona kwentombazane eyadla i-cocaine ngokweqile i-Vice Chancellor wenyuvesi ithumela umyalezo mayelana nokuqwashisa ngezidakamizwa kubona bonke abafundi.
USphelele uyaqonda ukuthi ukudayisa kwakhe izidakamizwa kumphushela engozini – uma ebanjwa uzoxoshwa bese ebhadla ejele. Uyayeka ukudayisa futhi azame ukubona ukuthi akekho yini omsolayo ngokufa kwentombazane. Kuyisikhathi esikhathazayo impela kuye, kodwa ngemuva kokuchitha impelasonto engekho ekhampasini engezwa ukuthi amaphoyisa afikile ezomfuna ekamelweni lakhe, unquma ukubuyela esikoleni.
Uyacabanga njengoba esegumbini lakhe. Ubheka indlela yokuphuma ekudayiseni ukuze aqhubeke nezifundo zakhe. Ubala imali aseyenzile kulo nyaka abone ukuthi angakwazi ukuziphilisa unyaka efunda. Angakwazi ukukhokhela imali yokufunda nendawo yokuhlala.
“Kodwa kumele ngiyofunda kwenye inyuvesi. Angisazizwa ngiphephile lapha,” ukhuluma ehleba.
Kungqongqoze umuntu esicabheni.
“Vula umnyango, Sphelele. Ngiyazi ukuthi ukhona,” kusho uThabiso.
USphelele ufihla imali epotimendeni, bese evula isicabha. “Kunjani Thabiso?”
“Ngiyaphila. Unjani?”
“Ngiyaphila. Bengicabanga ukuthi ngizokubheka ukuthi uyeza yini emcimbini okhona ekhempasini.”
“Umcimbi wani lowo?”
“Zonke izinhlangano zabafundi zihlangene ngomkhankaso wokuqwashisa ngezidakamizwa nocansi olungavikelekile.”
“Cha, angiyi lapho,” kusho uSphelele.
“Ngilalele, Sphelele. Kufanele uhambe. Uyimbangela yokuduka kwabafundi abaningi baze bafe. Ucabanga ukuthi umzali uyakujabulela ukubona ingane ayithume enyuvesi ibuya kubo ngebhokisi?”
“Cha, Thabiso. Vele akunjalo.”
“Masihambe-ke. Mhlawumbe ungezwa okuthile kulowo mcimbi okuzokwenza ushintshe izindlela zakho.”
Athule isikhashana uSphelele. Ubuka uThabiso emuhlulela kabi azibuze ukuthi ngabe angamehlulela yini kanjena uma engayazi indaba yempilo yakhe.
“Kulungile, Thabiso, asihambe,” kusho uSphelele.
USphelele uthathwe ukushuba komcimbi. Iningi labafundi ligqoke izikibha ezimnyama njengophawu lokuzilela intombazane eyashona ngenxa yokusebenzisa ngokweqile i-cocaine. Inhliziyo yakhe ibuhlungu njengoba umfundi esegibele esiteji eyofakaza ngendlela izidakamizwa eziyinqamule ngayo impilo enhle futhi ethembisayo.
UDennis uyafona.
USphelele ubuka uThabiso bese ethi, “Kumele ngiluthathe lolu.”
Aqhele aye kude nesixuku, aphendule uDennis.
“Kungani ungakayithumeli imali, Sphelele?” kubuza uDennis.
“Ngingachaza, Baba.”
“Angifuni ncazelo! Ngifuna imali yami! Sekuphele amasonto amabili ungathumeli ngisho isenti!”
“Izinto azihambi kahle lapha! Ngiyaxineka nje impela! Abafundi bayayeka ngoba sebeyaluthwa yilento yakho ongiphoqa ukuthi ngiyidayise! Njengoba ngikhuluma nawe manje kukhona umfundi ushonile ngenxa yokuyisebenzisa ngokweqile!”
“Lokho akuhlangene nami. Ngabe yimi engithe kumele bayisebenzise ngokweqile yini? Yeka ukwenza izaba futhi ningithumelele imali!”
“Ngiyesaba ukuboshwa nokuxoshwa. Ngeke ngisadayisa.”
“Uyigwala elingenamsebenzi, Sphelele! Kungcono ungithumele imali yami kusasa noma ngizoza lapho. Uma ngifika ngizokwenza kuwe lokhu obuhlezi ungibona ngikwenza kwabanye abantu abangikweletayo! Angidlali nawe!”
Livele lidume ikhanda uma ekhumbula uDennis eshaya abantu ababulale uma eqoqa izikweletu zakhe futhi edubula abantu embonini yamatekisi. “Kulungile, Baba, ngizokuthumelela imali ekuseni.”
“Kuhle. Yilokho ebengifuna ukukuzwa. Nguye uSphelele engimaziyo lona.”
Sitshele umbono wakho: Ngabe ukhona umuntu omaziyo onenkinga yezidakamizwa? Ungamsiza kanjani?