“Ungangitsheli ukuthi ufunda leyo ncwadi eyisidina ka-Shakespeare futhi, bantu.”
uNandi waqalaza kusuka lapho ayelele khona embhedeni wakhe. Wadonsa umoya futhi wahumuzela, wabe esebheka futhi incwadi yakhe.
“Yini lokho?” kubuza uBeauty, onqike ngasonqenqemeni lombhede. uNandi wezwa inqindi yakhe iqina ngenxa yokucikeka.
“Vele ngiyayifunda. Incwadi yami yeBanga 12,” kusho uNandi, ezama ukuzibamba.
uBeauty ungumzala kaNandi. Wayeka isikole efunda Ibanga 10. Wayazi uNandi ukuthi uma eyeka ukufunda elibele ukuxoxa noBeauty wayengeke akuthole ukuphumula kuze kushone ilanga. uNandi wayesekwazi okuzokwenzeka. uBeauty wayefuna ukumtshela umgosi omayelana nomakhelwane. Uma ayengeke amulalele, uBeauty wayezoqala futhi ukukhononda kwakhe kwansuku zonke kwendlela uNandi ayengasebenzi ngayo endlini, ngenxa yokuthi uhlale efunda njalo. uNandi uneminyaka eminingi ezwa ukukhononda okufanayo.
Kwaqala emva kokushona kukamama wakhe bese umamkhulu wakhe wamthatha ukuze amnakekele. Alukho usuku olwadlula ngaphandle kokuba akhunjuzwe indlela awumthwalo ngayo kumamkhulu nomzala wakhe.
uBeauty waqhubeka egobhoza ngokuthi uSipho uthole futhi omunye umakhwapheni ngaphandle kukaNomvu, ongumakhelwane wabo. Zazimdina zonke lezi zindaba uNandi.
Yena wayelokhu ezicabangela ngendaba yothando edumazayo, kodwa futhi emnandi kaRomeo noJuliet – uthando olunqatshelwe olungasoze lwenzeka.
uNandi wayengomunye wabafundi abambalwa abafunda Umdlalo Onamadlingozi weBanga 12 esikoleni sakhe edolobheni elincane eliphakathi kwezingadi zemithi yama-apula. Ngosuku olulandelayo kwakuzokhethwa ozodlala ingxenye kaJuliet kumdlalo wasesikoleni. Kuphela nje uma uBeauty wayengavala umlomo wakhe futhi amshiye ngoxolo ukuze akwazi ukufunda lokho okuzomele akusho. Kodwa uBeauty wayelokhu eqhubeka nomunye umgosi walokho umfundisi amutshele ukuthi kumele yenziwe uNomvu. uNandi wavele walala ngomhlane wabe esevala amehlo akhe.
uNandi wayezifunela ukuba umdlalikazi nje ekuphileni kwakhe. uNandi uneminyaka ezijabulisa ngokubheka umagazini we-YOU. Wayezibona ngeso lengqondo ehamba kukhaphethe obomvu kwisenzakalo esithize sabantu abadumile, emuhle egqoke ingubo ebenyezelayo, ebanjwe insizwa ekhangayo.
“Mama,” kumemeza uBeauty ngokushesha nje. “Mama, uNandi ulele futhi. Akenzi lutho. Akulungile lokho Mama.”
Umbono wakhe, wokuzibona edumile futhi emuhle, wavele washabalala nje emva kwamajwabu amehlo kaNandi. Waqaphela ngokushesha ukuthi uyaphupha lapho ezwa izwi likamamkhulu wakhe limtshela ukuba awashe izingubo zokugqoka.
“Kusizani vele lokhu,” kusholo phansi uNandi njengoba esukuma. “Ukufezeka kwamaphupho ami akubonakali kuyinto engenzeka njengoba kuyinto engase ingenzeki ukuba uRomeo noJuliet babe nesiphetho esihle.”
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Sicela umbono wakho: Ingabe kungenzeka yini ukuba iphupho likaNandi lokuba umdlalikazi odumile lifezeke? Ingabe umzala kanye nomamkhulu wakhe bayoke bamuvumele yini ukuba aqedele imfundo yakhe futhi bamunikeze ithuba lokuba aphumelele?