Imibala Yothando
Dumisani Hlatswayo
Tafelberg
Umklomelo wakwaSanlam woMbhalo weNtsha ka-2017 iGolide
KuTutu, Siyamthanda, ugogo uNelly Hlatshwayo, umama uJoyce Mabhena kanye nobaba ongizalayo uJJ Hlatswayo.
Isahluko 1
KwakunguMsombuluko wenyanga kaMbasa ekuseni. Amazinga okushisa elingene nje. Usukasihambe wemoto eyiRange Rover emnyama, ize inyonyoba kancane ngesitaladi uZamakulungisa. Abafundi babonakala behamba ngababili, kanti abanye bahamba bewuquqabana, bayidedele imoto lena. Inyonyobe imoto ize iyokuma ngasesangweni lesikole eKuphakameni High School. Isicabha sakwesokunxele sithi khaxa, sivuleke kanye. Kwehle intombazane efake inyufomu yaseKuphakameni, ishethi eliluphuzi nebhulukwe elimnyama. Iyakhanya ngebala, yelukile ekhanda, ithi mayibe nomzimba wonobuhle. Nomshayeli wale moto ehle: ngumlisa nje olishiyile igabade kanti futhi wondlekile.
“Uhambe kahle, Baba.” Isho intombazane maqede imamatheke.
“Nawe ufunde kahle, themba lamathemba ami.” Asho lawo bese eyiwola kanye indodakazi yakhe, ayinkonkoshele lo mlisa.
Intombazane ivule isicabha esingemuva ikhiphe isikhwama sezincwadi. Isigaxe ehlombe bese ithi: “Sengathi ne-video shoot yakho ingahamba kahle, Baba.”
“Izohamba kahle noma kanjani, themba lamathemba ami.” Asho bese aphinde angene emotweni. Gwiqiqi, abafundi basondele ngasemotweni. Bayingunge kanye imoto. “Hawu, nampo futhi laba bangani bakho sebezongi-…” kusho lo mlisa ehlahle amehlo.
“Baba Mashikisha! Baba Mashikisha!” Abafundi bakhiphe amaselula abo baqalise ukuthwebula izithombe. “Baba Mashikisha besicela ukushutha nawe futhi!”
Aphinde ehle emotweni uMashikisha. “Ku-… kulungile bantabami. Wozani-ke sishutheni ngokushesha. Nawe sondela, Sinenhlanhla …” esho eqalaza uSinenhlanhla owayengasafaniswa nangalukhalo. “Sne! Useshonephi manje futhi lo?” Kungabi bikho omphendulayo. Kube ngububhanyabhanya lapho abafundi bededelana ngokuthwebula izithombe ngamaselula abo. Eme njengesigxobo baze baqede abafundi. Banele baqede, asho emotweni ayishaye izule.
USinenhlanhla wayeseyokuma esangweni lesikole elincane elalixhunywe umshini wokusesha izikhali. Unogada abheke kumathangeni ukuthi uSinenhlanhla akanaso yini isikhali. Kuthi lapho unogada eseqinisekile ukuthi uSinenhlanhla akanasikhali, achofoze inkinobho yokuvula isango. Likhamise isango. Asho phakathi emagcekeni esikole uSinenhlanhla . Kuthi lapho edlula ngaseviyweni labafana, omunye wabafana abingelele, kuthi omunye azwakale eseviyoza. Amehlo abafana alandele isithombe sikaSinenhlanhla size siyosithela. Ahambe njalo aze ayosho phakathi ekilasini u-Grade 9 A. Yize sekuyinyanga yakhe yesine efunda eKuphakameni kodwa bambalwa abafundi asebajwayele lapha. Unomngani oyedwa vo: uThando Mabhena.
Uyasithanda ngempela isikole sakhe lesi esisha ngoba asifani neze nesikole umfowabo omdala uThemba abephakamise ukuthi ayofunda kuso kulo nyaka. Leso phela kwakuyisikole nje esixube izinhlanga. Kulesi sikole kukwitizwa isiNgisi nje kuphela. Kuthe lapho uSinenhlanhla eseyohlungelwa ukwamukelwa kwathiwa usengakakwazi ukuqhashisa kahle isiNgisi ngamakhala. Kuhlongozwe-ke ukuthi aphindiselwe ku-Grade 8. Ukuphinda ibanga elilodwa kabili kanti kuyintanga kabani? Imibandela nemigomo engathi shu akahambisani neze nayo. Ufuna ukusheshe aphothule izifundo zakhe.
Njengoba ebusiswe ngephimbo elimtoti nje, ufuna ukucula aze ayofinyelela lapho uyise engakaze afinyelele khona, agibele ngisho indiza eyoculela izihlwele ngaphasheya kwezilwandle. Futhi useyazi ukuthi yena Sinenhlanhla uyoqala ecula umculo wokholo bese kuthi esekhulile acule umculo we-jazz. Okusamphazamisa manje ukuthi akakakwazi ukudlala isigingci njengoZahara. Usizamile bandla ukusidlala isigingci sikayise kodwa kwasho ukuthi isandla sakhe sisaqinile. Kwale noma uMashikisha ezama ukumbonisa ukuthi sidlalwa kanjani kodwa kwavele kwathi ngci lapha esandleni. Iminwe lena yagoqana into angakaze wayibona. Isigingci savele sandwindwizela, ubungaphika uthi umniniso ubesidlala ngonyawo. Mhlawumbe kofanele uSinenhlanhla acele abazali bamthumele esikoleni sopiyano!
IKuphakameni yisona sikole esivele samamukela ngaphandle kwemibandela nemigomo engathi shu. Iningi lothisha limkhonzile ngenxa yengqondo yakhe ekhaliphile. Okumjabulisa du ngeKuphakameni ukuthi asikho isidingo sokuthi athwale umqulu wezincwadi. Abafundi balapha baphatha nje izincwajana ezimbalwa zokubhala kuphela. Phela kulesi sikole kusetshenziswa amathebhulethi. Isango lakhona livulwa ngekhadi likanogada kodwa kuthiwa ngonyaka ozayo wonke umfundi usezokwazi ukuvula ngokucindezela umunwe wakhe kuphela. Futhi nothisha balapha abasabhali ngomsizi kodwa babhala ngosiba esihenqweni esibonisa lokho abakubhalile esibukweni esikhulu esixhunywe odongeni. Lapha eSoweto yisona sikole sokuqala ngqa esakhelwa isiziba sokubhukuda. Isikole lesi sidume ngokukhiqiza imiphumela emihle kaMatekuletsheni, kanti nezimboni ezinkulu zivamisele ukuxhasa abafundi bakulesi sikole. Umnyango wezemfundo uyaziqhenya kakhulu ngezinga lemfundo yakulesi sikole.
Kuthi lapho engena ekilasini afice abanye abafundi sebekhona. Basahemuza ezempelasonto. Abanye sebekhiphe amathabhulethi abo bashwishwiliza ngeminwe, befunda izincwadi zabo zesikole. Bakhona-ke abamatasa ngamaselula abo, bayawagcofoza baphinde bashwishwilize ngeminwe, babheka wena Facebook, baphinde bangene ku-Whatsapp. Baphinde bathwebulane izithombe. Kuyahlekwa kuphinde kupanswanwe. Kuthi lapho esathi ubeka isikhwama edesikini lakhe uSinenhlanhla ezwe omunye umfundi esemthinta ehlombe. Ngumfana nje onomzimba omncane. Indlela azace ngayo ubungaphika uthi usenezinsuku engasakuthi mbibi okuya ethunjini. USinenhlanhla athi uzama ukukhumbula igama lakhe kepha livele lithi shazi. Abingelele umfana, avumele phansi uSinenhlanhla. Kusho ukuthi umfana lona ubulawa ngamahloni, alibale ukuzinwaya ekhanda kuphela. USinenhlanhla amgqolozele njengomfundi egqolozele iphepha lesivivinyo angazilungiselelanga sona.
Athi uyakhuluma umfana ulimi luvele lugcwale umlomo. “E . . . e … bengi-…”
“Uthini?” NguSinenhlanhla esijolozele lesi sinaphungana somfana.
“Hha … hhayi bengikubingelela nje kuphela.”
“Ingani bese ngivumile nje?”
Aphinde azinwaye ikhanda umfana: “Hhayi, u … ukuthi nje … wo ngaze ngakhumbula: kunjani ukuba nobaba odumile?” Konje sekungumfundi wesithathu waseKuphakameni ombuza lembudane. Kuvele kuthi xhifi kuSinenhlanhla. Imibuzo enje iyamcika kakhulu.
“Kuyefana nje,” kububula uSinenhlanhla.
“Kuyefana kanjani?”
Aphendule ngesankahlu uSinenhlanhla: “Hheyi, uBaba uyefana nabanye obaba, wena!” Useswacile ebusweni manje, kuthi lapho ehlala phansi avele athi dinsi eseziphonsa nje. Kube sengathi umfana uyaphenduleka kancane. Naye engabe esanda kakhulu ngemibuzo yakhe engathi shu, kodwa avele akhethe ukuma athi phuhle okomthakathi obambekile lapha eceleni kukaSinenhlanhla. Kuthi lapho uSinenhlanhla emuthi janti ngeso lengulube, umfana aqhubeke nokuba yisigxobo esinganyakaziyo. Hawu, kanti ngempela mfana ufunani?” USinenhlanhla abone kungcono amzibe lo mfana ngokuthi akhiphe ithebhulethi. Bala ayihoshe ithabhulethi lakhe uSinenhlanhla naye aqalise ukushwishwiliza ngomunwe. Nangu phela umfana akanyakazi namanje. Nanso imihlola bo!
“Unemali ubaba wakho, sani?” Manje sekubuza intombazane esho ngomzimba omkhulu nje. Le ntombazane igqokisa okwabafana kanti nalapho ikhuluma ungaphika uthi ngumfana okhulumayo. Lapha emlonyeni ihlome uthi lometshisi. Uma uyibukisisa kahle lapha emehlweni ubona ungatshelwe muntu ukuthi iyabhema. Izinduna ezisesiphongo sayo zibomvu wena owabona otamatisi abancane. Igama layo alikhumbule uSinenhlanhla. NguLolo. Uyesatshwa kakhulu uLolo lona. Ngisho nabafana imbala babala amagama lapho bekhuluma noLolo. Bonke abangani bakaLolo ngabafana, kanti futhi ubonakala ehamba nabo abafana, khathisimbe uphinde umbone exoshana nabo. Noma uphinde umbone esekhahlela ibhola. Ukuthi uyintombazane uyokubona lapho usumbukisisa kahle.
ULolo lona udume ngokubamba umfana ngobhongwane angamdedeli engakaxolisi. Ngisho kwasibhakela esivutha amalangabi iyasidedela le ntombazane uma kufanele. Kusezifundweni zesikole lapho uLolo abonisa ukusalela emuva kakhulu khona. U-Grade 9 lona usemphinda okwesibili. Izifundo ezimhlupha kakhulu yiZibalo kanye nesiNgisi. Nothisha ababemfundisa lezi zifundo ngonyaka odlule baze bageza izandla. Noma kunjalo ulokhu enalo ilukuluku lokufunda. Futhi kwesinye isikhathi uLolo uzwakala encokola ethi: “Niyazi ukuthi ngingafunda nginedlule ngibe ngudokotela nina?” Kuthi lapho omunye wabafana ethi makayeke ukuphupha emini libalele, avele avuke umbhejazane