Ngosuku olulandelayo, uJerome wafika kuqala kunabo bonke abafundi enyuvesi. Abasebenzi abakhuculula isikole babesamatasa besula amatafula ngesikhathi uJerome ethenga ukudla enkantini. Wahlala etafuleni elihlanzekile, wadla, efunda iphepha. Wazizwa ejabulile futhi enokuzethemba. Umama odayisa ukudla wancoma indlela azicuphe ngayo uJerome ngebhulukwe elisha. Wayezicuphe okwempela uJeromeeshefile, egeze izinwele wazibopha igoda, isikibha seANC esinesiphika sifakwe ngaphakathi ebhulukweni, izicathulo zakhe zohlobo lwe Doc Martin zicwebezela.
UJerome wayenokuzimisela okusha. Isikhwama sakhe sasisho ukuqhuma izinto zokukhankasa ayeziphethe,amapheshana eANC amaningi, amabhuku kanye nezigqoko zenhlangano zohlobo lwamaberet ayezilande emahhovisi enhlangano eSalt River. Ngendlela ayezimisele ngayo wayephethe isikhafu ayesithanda kunazo zonke izinto emhlabeni, ngoba sinesithombe sikaNelson Mandela. Wayezimisele ukusipha umuntu ayezobona ukuthi ufanelwe ukusithola.
Akuphelanga isikhathi eside, waqhamuka umuntu onjalo.
Kwathi thushu insizwa yesikibha se ‘Save The Rhino’. UJerome wazibuza ukuthi lensizwa inezikibha ezingaki ezibhalwe lombhalo ngoba namuhla igqoke esihlukile ngombala. Lensizwa yangena yaqonda etafuleni elijwayele, yahlala phansi yadonsa ibhuku layo leNational Geographic, yalifunda.
Konke kwakuhamba ngendlela ayifunayo uJerome, ngoba naye wayelithengile lelibhuku leNational Geographic. Walikhipha esikhwameni, waminya ikhofi, waqonda khona kumlisa wesikibha se ‘Save The Rhino’.
Inhloso ayenayo kwakungukuthi enze ubungani nalensizwa, ayichazele nge ANC, emuva kwalokho ijoyine inhlangano.
“Awunankinga nokuhlala kwami kulesi sihlalo?” kubuza uJerome ekhomba isihlalo esisetafuleni.
UJerome wazibuza ukuthi ubukeka eyisilima kangakanani ngoba izihlalo ezingenamuntu zingaphezu kwa 250 kodwa yena ukhetha ukuhlala eduze kwalomlisa. Wayezitshele ukuthi lomnyakazo uzowenza sekugcwele enkantini, kodwa kwakungakafiki muntu. Wacabanga ukuyiyeka lensizwa kodwa ngoba wayeseqalile ukukhuluma wakhetha ukuqhubeka.
“Awunankinga ngokuhlala kwami kulesisihlalo?” waphinda uJerome, ngezwi elithe ukunyuka.
Lensizwa yehlisa ibhuku, yanyakazisa izibuko zamehlo, yabuka uJerome. Yaqalaza kancane ibuka inkantini yonke, yabuyela kuJerome, yathi, “Mfowethu, yenza ofuna ukukwenza”. Waqhubeka nokufunda ibhuku lakhe umlisa wesikibha se ‘Save The Rhino’.
Nokho akuhambi ngendlela ebengifisa kuhambe ngayo, kwacabanga uJerome ethatha ibhuku elifana nelalensizwa esikhwameni sakhe.
Bafunda bobabili ngokuthula. UJerome walinda imizuzu embalwa ngaphambi kokuqhubeka nesigaba sesibili salokhu ayekuhlosile. “Hawu! Kwaze kwangajwayeleka bo!” kusho uJerome, wabona lensizwa isusa amehlo ebhukwini layo imbuka. “Kwaze kwaqondana ukuthi sifunda amabhuku afana ncamashi!” UJerome waphakamisa ibhuku lakhe leNational Geographic.
“Ngempela?” kwaphendula lomlisa, ubuso bugcwele ukucikeka.
UJerome wathi, “Kwaze kwaqondana bo! Nelami ibhuku likhuluma ngeKazakhstan. Isimanga lesi!”
Insizwa ye ‘Save The Rhino’ yehlisa ibhuku layo, yabuka uJerome. Naye wazibonela ukuthi uyayicika lensizwa kodwa waqhubeka nokukhuluma ngoba wayeseqalile. “Igama nginguJerome Sedgewick, ngikhankasela iANC,” wakhipha isandla waxhawula lensizwa.
Ingxoxo phakathi kwabo yakhombisa ukungajwayeleki. UJerome wakhuluma isikhathi eside mayelana nemibono yeANC ngemvelo, wagcizelela ikakhulukazi ukuthi bazolwa nokubulawa kobhejane. Wacwila njalo esikhwameni, ekhipha amaphepha afakazisa lokhu akhuluma ngakho.
Lensizwa yalalelisisa konke okubekwa uJerome. Yamlinda waqeda, yancika esihlalweni sayo, yagoqa izingalo, yathi, “Khona kuyezwakala”. Kwakubonakala ebusweni balomlisa ukuthi ayimhehi neze lendaba ebekwa uJerome. Lensizwa yanyusa ibhuku layo, yaqhubeka nokufunda. UJerome wazibonela ukuthi imtshela ngeziphansi ukuthi akayixege.
Ukube kwakungolunye usuku, uJerome wayezomshiya lomlisa ngokuthula, kodwa lesi kwakungesona isimo esijwayelekile. Wayengeke amshiye kalula lomlisa ngoba ivoti lakhe lalibaluleke ukuwadlula wonke amanye. Ivoti lakhe lalizonika uJerome ilungelo lokukhankasa enkantini ngezikhathi ze lunch lapho abafundi begcwele bephuphuma – okwakuzombeka emathubeni amahle okuphumelela. UJerome waqhubeka nokukhuluma nalomlisa.
“Cha, babhale kahle ngempela kulelibhuku mayelana ne Kazakhstan. Ngendlela ababhale kahle ngayo benza ngifise ukuyivakashela lendawo,” kusho uJerome.
“Yini engenza ufise ukuvakashela eKazakhstan? Ungafisa ukuvakashela indawo enempi enzima kanje? Uyazi ukuthi kufa abantu abangu 200 njalo ngosuku eKazakhstan?” kwabuza lensizwa, imangele futhi ingakholwa ukuthi kukhona umuntu okhuluma ngalendlela.
UJerome waphoxeka ngoba engakwazi lokhu, futhi engazi lutho ngeKazakhstan. Ayekwazi ngeKazakhstan ukuthi kubhalwe igama layo ngaphandle kwebhuku aliphethe. Ibhuku leNational Geographic wayengakaze alifunde empilweni yakhe. Yena wayefunda amaphephandaba nezincwadi zepolitiki, wayengahlangani nezindaba zezintaba nezimbali njengalezo ezibhalwa kwi National Geographic.
“Ngisho ukuvakasha emuva kokuphela kwempi,” kusho uJerome, esukuma eqoqa izinto zakhe. “Ngisho ukuthi ngingavakasha sekunokuthula ukuze ngisize lapho ngidingeka khona,” waphonsa ibhuku lakhe esikhwameni. “Usale kahle, sengiyaphuthuma. Ngijabulile ukukwazi, sizobuye sikhulume, izifundo zami ziyaqala emizuzwini emihlanu”
UJerome wasukuma, waphakamisa izinyawo ebheka umnyango lapho ukhona.
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Sitshele ukuthi ubona kanjani: UJerome usethubeni lokuthola ivoti lalomlisa noma ubhacazile?