Edorobheni eliphithizelako leNairobi, kude khulu nekhaya elitlhogomela abantu, kuhlala isiqhema sabesana esinganamakhaya. Samukela elinye nelinye ilanga njengombana linjalo.

Ngelinye ilanga ekuseni, abesana bebabutha imiseme yabo, ngemva kokulala emakhazeni basesitupeni. Ukobana bafuthumele bebabasa umlilo ngezinto ezilahliweko. Hlangana nesiqhema sabesana kwakunoMagozwe. Bekangomncani kunabo boke.

Ngesikhathi kuhlongakala ababelethi bakaMagozwe, bekaneminyaka emihlanu kwaphela. Wakhamba wayokuhlala nomalume wakhe. Indoda le beyingamtlhogomeli umntwana lo. Beyingamuphi uMagozwe ukudla okwaneleko. Beyimsebenzisa imisebenzi ebudisi.

Nange uMagozwe anghonghoyila nofana abuze umbuzo, umalume wakhe bekambetha. Lokha uMagozwe abuza bona uzokuya nini esikolweni, umalume wakhe bekambetha abe athi, "Usidhlayela esikhulu esingekhe sakwazi nokufunda nanyana yini."

Ngemuva kweminyaka emithathu uMagozwe aphila ubuphilo lobo, wabaleka kwamalume wakhe wayokuhlala endleleni.

Ipilo yokuhlala endleleni beyibudisi begodu inengi labesana belitlhaga nokuthola ukudla. Kwesinye isikhathi bebavalelwa maphoyisa, kwesinye isikhathi babethwe. Nabagulako, bekunganamuntu obasizako.

Isiqhema lesi besithembele emalini abayibawa ebantwini, nangokuthengisa nezinto ezibuyelelwa zisetjenziswe. Ipilo beyiba budisi khulu ngebanga lezipi eziba phakathi kweenqhema ebezifuna ukubusa ingcenye yendawo.

Ngelinye ilanga lokha uMagozwe nakasazuma ngemgqomini weenzibi, wathola incwadi yeendatjana edabukileko. Wayisusa iinsila wabese uyifaka ngesikhwameni sakhe.

Ngamalanga bekakhupha incwadi yakhe abese ubukela iinthombe. Bekangakwazi ukufunda amagama.

Iinthombe bezicoca indatjana yomsana owakhula afuna ukuba mtjhayeli weemphaphamtjhini.

UMagozwe bekaba nebhudango lokuba mtjhayeli wesiphaphamtjhini. Kwesinye isikhathi, bekacabanga bona yena umsana lo osendatjaneni.

Kwakumakhaza uMagozwe ajame endleleni abawa. Indoda ethile yatjhidela kuye. "Lotjha, ibizo lami nginguThomas. Ngisebenza eduze nalapha, endaweni lapho ungathola into ongayidla," kwatjho indoda.

Indoda yakhomba endlini esarulana efulelwe ngokuhlaza okwesibhakabhaka. "Ngiyathemba uzakuya khona uyothola ukudla?" kubuza indoda. UMagozwe waqala indoda, wabese uqala nendlu. Wathi "Mhlamunye," wabese uyakhamba.

Ngemuva kweenyanga ezilandelako, abesana abanganawo amakhaya besele babona uThomas njalo. UThomas bekathanda ukukhuluma nabantu, ikakhulukazi abantu abahlala endleni. UThomas bekalalela iindaba zamaphilo wabantu. UThomas bekathembekile begodu anesineke, akakaze adelele nofana angabi nehlonipho.

Emini abanye babesana bathoma ukuya endini esarulani nokuhlaza okwesibhakabhaka ukuyokufuna ukudla.

UMagozwe bekahlezi eduze nendlela abukela incwadi yakhe eneenthombe lokha uThomas nakahlala eduze kwakhe. "Indatjana le iphathelene nani?" kubuza uThomas.

"Iphathelene nomsana owaba mtjhayeli wesiphaphamyjhini," kuphendula uMagozwe. "Ngubani ibizo lomsana?" kubuza uThomas. "Angilazi, angikwazi ukufunda," kutjho uMagozwe ahleba.

Lokha nebahlanganako, uMagozwe wathoma ukucocela uThomas ngendaba yakhe. Kwakuyindaba kamalume wakhe nokuthi kubayini abaleka.

UThomas bekangakhulumi khulu begodu azange amtjele kobana enze ini, kodwana bekamlalela ngokuyelela. Kwesinye isikhathi bebacoca nabadlako basendlini efulelwe ngokuhlaza okwesibhakabhaka.

Lokha uMagozwe nakabamba iminyaka elitjhumi, uThomas wamupha incwadi yeendatjana etja. Bekuyincwadi yeendatjana ephathelene nomsana wemakhaya okhule afuna ukuba ngusaziwako webholo erarhwako.

UThomas wafundela uMagozwe indatjana le kanengi, ngelinye ilanga uThomas wathi, "Ngicabanga bona sekusikhathi sokobana uye esikolweni uyokufunda ukufunda. Ubona bunjani wena?" UThomasi wamhlathululela bonyana yena uyazi ngendawo lapho abentwana bangahlala bebaye nesikolweni.

UMagozwe wacabanga ngendawo etja le, nangokuya esikolweni. Kube bunjani umalume wakhe bekaqinisile nakathi usidhlayela esikhulu esingekhe sakwazi ukufunda nanyana yini?

Kuzokuba njani nange mhlamunye bazombetha endaweni etja le? Bekasaba, "Mhlamunye kungcono ukuhlala endleleni," kucabanga uMagozwe.

Wabelana noThomas ngevalo analo. Ngemuva kwesikhathi eside indoda yamqinisekisa bona ipilo ingaba ngengcono endaweni etja le.

UMagozwe wayokuhlala endlini efulelwe ngokuhlaza satjani. Wahlalisana nabanye abesana ababili. Nasele baboke abantwana abebahlala endlini leyo bebalitjhumi.

Kuhlala nokghari uCissy nendoda yakhe, izinja ezintathu, ukatsu nembuzi elupheleko.

UMagozwe wathoma ukuya esikolweni kodwana kwakubudisi. Kwakukunengi okwakufanele akwazi. Kesinye isikhathi bekafuna ukulisa.

Kodwana bekacabanga ngokuba mtjhayeli wesiphaphamtjhini nokuba mdlali webholo erarhwako. Njengabo, akazange alise.

UMagozwe bekahlezi ngejarideni lendlu ehlaza satjani, bekafunda indatjana ebuya esikolweni. UThomas weza wazokuhlala eduze naye.

"Iphathelene nani indatjana le?" kubuza uThomas. "Iphathelene nomsana owaba ngutitjhere," kuphendula uMagozwe. "Ngubani ibizo lomsana loyo?" kubuza uThomas. "Ibizo lakhe nguMagozwe," kutjho uMagozwe amomotheka.

You are free to download, copy, translate or adapt this story and use the illustrations as long as you attribute in the following way: Lesley Koyi Author - Lesley Koyi
Translation - Phephelaphi Mnguni and Sponono Mahlangu
Illustration - Wiehan de Jager
Language - isiNdebele
Level - Longer paragraphs © African Storybook Initiative 2015
Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0
Source www.africanstorybook.org