Intloko kaBulelwa yayijikeleza ngeli xesha ehamba ethe chu ecaleni kwendlela kwipavumente. U-Lunga netshomi yakhe! Kuye kwakubonakala ingathi uchithe ubomi bakhe bonke ebalwa. Wayekhe wabetha omnye wabo koxhongo ngentonga yehoki kanye – kodwa wayengasoloko ekhawuleza ngokwaneleyo.

YayinguSipho owamfumana esekhaya eyedwa ngelinye ithuba, xa uGogo wayesesibhedlele umama wakhe esebenza eJozi, njengoko eqhele ukwenza.

U-Bulelwa wayibhekelisa kude loo nkumbulo waze wagadlela imali ekhawuntareni yesikroxo.

“Ndicela isonka,” watsho ngamazinyo aqinisiweyo. “Netoti encinci yejem ye-apelkosi,” woleka ngoncumo, ngeli xesha ebona ukothuka kwibhinqa elisebenza ngaphaya kwekhawuntari. “Ndifuna into encinci ezakundenza ndibeswiti!”

“Ewe nangoku,” latsho eli bhinqa, lincumile sisiqabu. “Kodwa soloko uswiti Bulelwa. Ababaninzanga abantwana abangakhathalela oomakhulu babo ngale ndlela wenza ngayo.”

“Wayendikhulisa ndisemntana,” watsho uBulelwa, ethatha ilofu yesonka, efaka itoti encinci yejem kwipokotho yebhleyiza yakhe. “Kuba ngoku esokola ukuhamba enesifuba, lixesha lam lokuba ndimkhathalele.”

“Unjani umama wakho?” wabuza unovenkile. “Uza kuphinda abesekhaya kwamsinya?”

“Hayi kwamsinya,” watsho uBulelwa, njengoko wayeguquka ezakuhamba.

“ Ndiyacinga ukuba uneemfuno ezininzi ekufuneka ekhawulelene nazo, kwaye kufuneka enze imali eninzi kangangoko.”

U-Bulelwa unqwale intloko waze waphakamisa isandla sakhe evuma njengoko wayehamba. Ewe, wazicingela, kwakhukho iimfuno ezininzi ekwakufuneka umama wakhe ekhawulelene nazo. Eyokugqibela kuzo yayiyimpahla yokunxiba kwi-Matric Farewell kaBulelwa. U-Bulelwa wanyikinya amagxa wathi akasakhathali nokuba akayanga, kodwa umama wakhe wayengafuni nokuyiva loo nto.

“Ndiyazidla ngawe,” watsho umama wakhe kuye xa wayemfowunela okokugqibela. “Uza kuya kwi-Matric Farewell yakho, kwaye uza kuba nelokhwe engummangaliso. Ndiza kubona ukuba oko kuyenzeka. Ungakhathazeki ntombi yam. Uza kubamhle, neqabane lakho engalweni yakho. Mhlawumbi uSipho? Wayesoloko engeyona tshomi isenyongweni kwiitshomi zikaLunga.”

Kuloo nto uBulelwa washiyeka ethe cwaka. Umama wakhe uhambe kwiminyaka emihlanu egqithileyo, ubuya ngeKrisimesi kuphela. U-Bulelwa khange amsole ngokungakwazi ukubona icala elingcolileyo likanyana wakhe, okanye leetshomi zakhe.

“Ndibuyile,” watsho uBulelwa, ewangawangisa ilofu yesonka. “Siza kuzenzela iisendiwitshi ezimnandi.”

U-Bulelwa wayenesiqabu ukubona ukuba uLunga akasekho sekhaya. Baza kukwazi ukutya iisandiwitshi zabo ngoxolo. Oko uMudira noBulelwa babangabahlobo, ukusukela ku-Grade 8, uLunga neetshomi zakhe bayathanda ukungenelela kubuhlobo bamantombazana. Umntakwabo neetshomi zakhe babebecaphukela abemmi bamazwe angaphandle. Babethanda ukubasola ngazo zonke iingxaki zabo.

U-Bulelwa wayesoyika ukuba bangacingela indlela aziva ngayo ngoMudira. Wayeyazi into enokwenziwa ngumntakwabo, kwaye wazibonela kuye into enokwenziwa nguSipho.

U-Bulelwa wakhumbula waze waluma isendiwitshi yakhe. U-Mudira wayengakuthandi egazini ukuba secaleni kwabafana abancinci, nangona engazange atsho njalo, uBulelwa wayerhana ukuba uyaboyika.

U-Bulelwa waphinda waluma esonwabela ijem ye-apelkosi eswiti elwimini lakhe. Wagqiba ukuba angacingi ngabo kwakhona waze wancuma ejonge uGogo. Ijem ye-apelkosi yayiyintandane yakhe, kwaye uBulelwa waziva onwabile njengoko wayebona indlela uGogo wayeyonwebele ngayo isendiwitshi yakhe.

Yonke into izokulunga, wazicingela ezixelela ngokuzolileyo. Ngalo lonke ixesha ibanjalo.

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Khawusichazele: Inokuba zeziphi izizathu ezibangela ukuba uLunga abeneembono ezingenako ukunyamezela?