Indaba yalo mqhudelwano ibe ngundabamlonyeni. Ezinkundleni zokuxhumana, u-Facebook no-Twitter zigcwale izithombe zikaBhejasi. Isithombe esasikitaza abantu kakhulu yilesi sobuso bakhe obabugcwele ikhekhe. Ngalolu suku akazange nje abuthi quthu, elokhu ephenduphenduka embhedeni. Kuthi lapho ecabanga ukuthi abafana bamaBlingsta bamphoxa phambi kukaSinenhlanhla, ezwe inhliziyo yakhe isifutha ngokunye.
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USinenhlanhla namhlanje uzilungiselela ukuyokwenza izifundo zakhe zokubhukuda. Kwesinye isikhathi uma kufanele ayobhukuda uvele ahudule izinyawo nje. Njenganamhlanje. Ukuthi ukubhukuda kusamesabisa kuyobe kungukwengula phezulu nje. Kumphendula ugodo uqobo. Uthisha obalolongela ukubhukuda, umnumzane Mudau, unemithetho eminingi nje. Eminye yale mithetho ayithi shu kuSinenhlanhla. Njengalo mthetho owawuthi: Qiniseka ukuthi awuhlafuni ishingamu echibini lokubhukudela. Uma uyintombazane efake lezi zinwele ezixhunywayo, qiniseka ukuthi izinwele zakho uzibophe kahle. Phela izinwele lezi zaziphinde zizimonyuke zigcine sezibonakala zintaza emanzini. Abanikazi bezinwele babephinde beswele ngisho igodi lokucasha lapho uthisha uMudau esebabhuqa ngalezi zinwele zabo ezithengwayo. Uthisha wayezibiza ngokuthi: ‘Uboya bezilwane’. Khathi simbe umuzwe esizibiza ngokuthi ‘uboya bekati’.
Eminye yemithetho kathisha yayithi: Ungadleli amaswidi echibini lokubhukuda, qiniseka ukuthi uphatha ithawula elihlanzekile zikhathi zonke. Ungangeni emanzini ngemuva kokuphuza amaphilisi okwelapha, izidakwamizwa noma udle ngokweqile. Ungenzi lokhu noma lokhuya. Cishe njalo ngosuku lokubhukuda kwakusengathi kuba nomthetho omusha. Kodwa umthetho ayengafuni wephulwe nangephutha ngowokuhlafuna ishingamu. Sebathathu abafundi asebekhonjwe umnyango ngenxa yokuphula kwabo umthetho lona.
Yize uthisha uMudau ethe ukuhogela nokuphumisa umoya izigamu eziyishumi kuyasiza ekwehliseni itwetwe, uSinenhlanhla usezejwayeze ukuhlafuna ishingamu lapho ezwa itwetwe selidlala ngaye kakhulu. Ukuzamile nokho ukuhogela nokuphimisa umoya kodwa ukuhlafuna ishingamu sengathi kumsebenzela kangcono. Ishingamu lena wayeyihlafuna esagqoka bese kuthi lapho eseyongena echibini lokubhukuda ayiphimise. Yize engakuthandisisi kahle ukubhukuda, kodwa akafuni ukuzithola esekhonjwa umnyango ngenxa yeshingamu nje kuphela. Ekhaya uMaMthethwa umgqugquzela njalo ukuthi aqhubeke nokufunda ukubhukuda. “Mntanami, ukwazi ukubhukuda kungasindisa ngisho impilo yakho ngolunye usuku. Lapha ekhaya akekho okwazi ukubhukuda, ngisho nomfowenu uThemba akakakwazi.” Ayikho into eyenza uSinenhlanhla abe neqholo njengokuba nekhono umfowabo angenalo.
Kanti-ke naye uthisha uMudau uvamisile ukuthi uSinenhlanhla ungomunye wabafundi ababonisa ukuba nekhono lokubhukuda. Yena Sinenhlanhla abe nekhono lokubhukuda? La magama uthisha amthopha ngawo akakaze awathathele phansi. Kodwa kwesinye isikhathi unezinsolo zokuthi uthisha umgqugquzela ngoba engafuni ukuzithola esesele nabafundi abambalwa. Kodwa noma kunjalo, ukugqugquzelwa ngale ndlela kwakumnikeza umfutho uSinenhlanhla.
Ababhukudi abafufusayo baqale bengamashumi amabili, kuyimanje nje sebeyishumi nje kuphela. Kubona kwakukhona nabafundi okwavele kwacaca njengesibhakabhaka ehlobo ukuthi abasoze bakwazi ukubhukuda noma bengazama kangakanani. Labo kwangungabafundi uthisha ayevamise ukubahlenga sebeminza nje impela. Uthisha uMudau ubatomule ngamunye ngamunye njengokhula kwaze kwasala laba abayishumi abethembisayo. Abanye balaba bafundi bakhalelwa yizembe ngenxa yokungalandeli kwabo imithetho.
Namhlanje umqondo kaSinenhlanhla uthikamezwe yingxoxo abe nayo noThando. Ulapha endlini yokushintsha uyayibuyekeza le ngxoxo yabo.
“Uyazi kodwa, girl, ukuthi ayikho intombazane engala uBhejasi bese kugcina yona. UBhejasi uqinisekisa ukuthi kugcina yena njalo nje.” UThando uze wambalela namagama amantombazane agcina aseqome uBhejasi. “Wonke la mantombazane aqale ngokungamfuni …”
“Amantombazane lawo ebemthanda ngempela yini?”
“Enye yala mantombazane, uGrace ebesifunda naye ngonyaka odlule, naye ubekhuluma njengawe ethi akamthandi, kodwa ugcine esemqomile. Okungididayo ukuthi naye uGrace uthi akazi ukuthi umqome kanjani …”
La magama enze uSinenhlanhla aphakanyelwe ngamaphaphu.
“Mina Sne ngibona sengathi uBhejasi usebenzisa umuthi. Bengithi kungcono umqaphele …”
“UBhejasi usebenzisa umuthi, Thando?”
UThando unqekuzise ikhanda maqede wathi: “NoMlungisi useke wakusho lokho kimi. Kuthiwa umuthi wakhe u-… uwu-… angisakhumbuli kahle ukuthi kuthiwe uwutholaphi. Kodwa engikuzwile ukuthi umuthi lowo uyasebenza.”
“Manje ucabanga ukuthi lo muthi wakhe angawusebenzisa kimi usebenze, Thando?”
“Angakwenza lokho, Sne.”
“Manje uthi angenzenjani?” UThando umphendule ngokunyakazisa amahlombe.
Uphume endlini yokushintshela eseshesha uSinenhlanhla. Afice abanye abafundi abayisishiyagololunye sebefolile, kulindwe yena nje. Bheka ngoba kwashingamu yakhe useze walibala nokuyiphimisa andukuba angene lapha. Njengoba esemi lapha phambi kwesiziba sokubhukuda nje, ezwe uvalo lumuthi nke. Yize isiziba abalolongelwa kuso sasinamanzi angajulile, kodwa uSinenhlanhla usenakho ukwesaba. Ukubhukuda lokhu ukufunda ngenxa yomngani wakhe uThando. Uyena Thando omkhulumele nothisha uMudau okwathi ekuqaleni konyaka wamemezela ukuthi ufuna abafundi abazofunda ukubhukuda.
“Sondelani ngapha phela bafundi!” Lihaze izwi likathisha uMudau, insasa esho ngentshebe emahlikihliki. Ufake impahla yabatshuzi eluhlaza. Uma ubuka isakhiwo somzimba wakhe omkhulu ungacabanga ukuthi uzocwila emanzini, kanti phinde. Uthi angathi gxumbu emanzini uphenduka inhlanzi uqobo. Ashaye impempe yakhe maqede ababuke ngamunye ngamunye abafundi. Aqale entombazaneni ekwesobunxele aze ayogcina kuSinenhlanhla. “Nisakwesaba yini namanje ukubhukuda?”
Kuthi nya. Abafundi balibale ukugqolozela amanzi asesizibeni kwasengathi balindele wona ukuthi abaphendulele. “Ngithi nisakwesaba yini ukubhukuda?” Abanye baphendule ngokunikina amakhanda kuthi abanye banyenyeze bathi: “Cha.”
“Nonke nina enisele nibonisile ukuthi ninekhono, ikakhulukazi wena Njilo. Ngonyaka ozayo ngikubona usubhukuda neqembu labafundi abamela lesi sikole.” Kuke kwathi uSinenhlanhla akasho ukuthi yena wayengahlosile ukumela isikole, kodwa wakhetha ukuwagwinya lawo magama. Kusenjalo uthisha ababonise ukuntanta emanzini ubheke phezulu. Cishe bobayishumi sebayakwazi lokhu kuntanta bebhukudela emuva, ngukuguquka baphindela ekuqaleni kwesiziba okusabanikeza inkinga.
“Zamani-ke, kuzoqala wena Njilo. Sondela ungene.” Avele abe wugodo nje uSinenhlanhla, alibale ukuhlafuna ishingamu akhohlwe ukuyiphimisa engakafiki lapha.
“Njilo!”
Athi dlengelele uSinenhlanhla. “Y-yebo thisha?”
“Uthi akuyona ishingamu leyo oyihlafunayo?” esho ethatha amagxathu esondela kuye uthisha uMudau. “Uhlafuna ishingamu, Njilo?”
“Ngi- ngiya-…”
“Njilo! Yini lena oyenzayo manje?” Avele agqunqe abe mnyama uthisha uMudau. Agqolozele uSinenhlanhla. Ngalowo mzuzu uSinenhlanhla ezwe isifuba sakhe sesigubhuzela sengathi inhliziyo yayizophuma ngomlomo. Athule nje alindele lawo magama abanye abafundi abakhonjwa umnyango ngawo. Aphinde azicabange esebikela unina ngokuxoshwa kwakhe, ezwe esefikelwa yisilokozane sezinyembezi. Naye usadidekile ukuthi leli phutha lenzeke kanjani. Uma ngabe ubengacabangi ngalo Bhejasi konke lokhu bekungeke kwenzeke. Enze njani-ke bakithi? Ayigwinye le ntshingamu noma …?
“Nawe Njilo usufuna ngikukhombe umnyango?” Akhophozele uSinenhlanhla. Athi uyakhuluma lenqabe izwi. Elule isandla sakhe uthisha uMudau asisondeze ngasemlonyeni kaSinenhlanhla. “Phimisa leyo nto!” Enze kanjalo uSinenhlanhla. Onke amehlo abanye abafundi asethe njo kuSinenhlanhla. Bonke balindele ukuzwa ukuthi uthisha umkhomba umnyango, kepha kunalokho uthisha amkhombe esizibeni.
“Njilo, ngena wenze njengoba nginibonisile!” USinenhlanhla asondele ngasonqenqemeni lwesiziba. Alinde impempe kathisha. Ayishaye impempe uthisha. USinenhlanhla avele athi gxambu kanye phakathi emanzini bese elula imilenze antante njengekhasi emanzini. Uthisha aqhwebe abanye abafundi abahlanu.