uNandi wahlala etekisini njengoba eya esikoleni elokhu ebuyekeza lokho akazokusho kumdlalo wamadlingozi.

Isigqi somculo sasilokhu sishaya emadlebeni akhe. uNandi waqalaza amafamu eyeseceleni komgwaqo, izindebe zakhe zinyakaza kancane.

Wonke umuntu wayazi ukuthi uLuyanda uzoba uRomeo. Wayethandeka kakhulu, uLuyanda.

uLuyanda omuhle! Izindebe zikaNandi zayeka ukunyakaza njengoba ayecabanga ngaye. Phela wayeyindoda eyayimi eceleni kwakhe ephupheni lakhe lokuhamba ekhaphetheni obomvu. uNandi wamunaka ngosuku lokuqala lapho efika esikoleni ezokwenza Ibanga 10, eminyakeni emithathu edlule.

Kodwa uLuyanda akakaze amunake. Wonke amantombazane ayemfuna, uNandi wayekwazi lokho, ikakhulukazi uZinzi. uZinzi omuhle, onezinwele zokufakelwa ezinde kanye nezinzipho ezipendiwe. Naye uZinzi wayenza Umdlalo Wamadlingozi weBanga 12. Futhi wayephakathi kwalabo abafuna ukukhethelwa ukudlala indima eyinhloko kumdlalo wesikole.

uBeauty wasevele etshele uNandi ukuthi uLuyanda noZinzi baneminyaka bethandana. uBeauty wayemutshele nokuthi amahemuhemu athi uLuyanda wayengubaba wengane uZinzi ayeyikhulelwe kodwa isisu sachitheka ekupheleni kweBanga 11.

Kodwa, uNandi wavele wangakunaka lokho. uBeauty wayelokhu elandisa izinganekwane futhi ephinda umgosi ongasho lutho. Wayengafuni ukukukholelwa lokho uNandi. uBeauty wayelokhu emtshela njalo ukuthi uZinzi wayaziwa ngokuvakashela isipoti esiqhele ngezindlu ezimbili kusuka kubo, futhi wayelokhu eshintsha njalo amadoda.

Itekisi lase lisondela ngasemasangweni esikole. Wavala amehlo akhe uNandi wabe esesholo phansi okokugcina lokho akazokusho.

Ngesikhathi uNandi esedilika etekisini ikhanda lakhe lase liduma. Wayesekhathele kakade. Kungcono ukuba usheshe walala? Kodwa kade sekunzima ukufunda emva kokuba awashe izitsha. uBeauty kanye nomamkhulu kaNandi badlalele phezulu umabonakude ebusuku. Bekunzima kuNandi ukucabanga, ungasakuphathi ke ukufunda.

uBeauty naye umenze wangakwazi ukulala uNandi ngenxa yokuthi kade elokhu emuhlebela izindlela zakamuva zokwenza imali. Uzamile ukulalela, kodwa usho amagama ambalwa okuvuma ukuze uBeauty amuyeke alale. uBeauty wayehleba ngensizwa ethize ebizwa ngokuthi uFernando kanye nangomakhalekhukhwini. Kodwa uNandi kade engalalelisanga kahle. Njalo uBeauty wayezama ukwenza imali kalula. Wayelele ebumnyameni uNandi futhi ezama ukuzindla ngemicabango yakhe.

Kwakungelona nje kuphela ukhetho lomdlalo wamadlingozi olwalumqwashisa. Kwakukhona ngisho Nomcimbi Womatikuletsheni nawo owawubonakala ungeke wenzeke njengesiphetho esihle sikaRomeo noJuliet. uNandi wayengenayo ingubo, umlingane, engenayo ngisho nemali.

uNandi wazibuka njengoba isithunzi sakhe sasivela efasiteleni lapho edlula ikilasi. Wama wanganyakaza. Izinwele zakhe zaziqhinwe kahle. Njengenhlala yenza, waqaphela futhi, indlela umzimba wakhe ome kahle ngayo. Wabe eselungisa ihembe lakhe walishutheka ngaphakathi kwesiketi sakhe, wehlisela phansi isiketi sakhe. Okwesikhashana, futhi ngokuzwa ubuhlungu enhliziyweni yakhe, uNandi wakhumbula amazwi akawatshelwa umama wakhe, “Uyintombazane enhle Nandi wami.” Unesikhathi eside agcina ukuzwa othize esho lawo mazwi kuye.

uNandi washesha njengoba insimbi yayisikhala.

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Sicela umbono wakho: Ingabe uNandi uyoba nokwezethemba okwanele ukuze enze kahle kukhetho lwabadlali. Ingabe uyoke akukholelwe ukuthi muhle futhi unekhono nokuthi uyakufaneleka ukuthandwa?