Edolobheni lelatiwako ngekuphitsitela, kunelicenjana lebafana lebangenamakhaya. Bakhetsa kushiya kufutfumala kwasemakhaya. Labafana lusuku nelusuku balwamukela netinselelo talo.

Kwatsi ngalelinye lilanga ekuseni, ngalesikhatsi bafana bendlula tingubo tabo lapho balala khona kuphevumente lebandzako. Babasa umlilo ngetibi kute bacoshe emakhata. Kulabafana kunemfanyana ligama lakhe nguMajaha.

Majaha bekaneminyaka lemihlanu kuphela, ngalesikhatsi batali bakhe bashona. Ngalesizatfu, Majaha kwakumele ayohlala namalume wakhe. Indvodza lengumalume, ayizange imnakekele kahle, wabona kuncono aphume aphele. Ngekulandza kwakhe utsi malume wakhe bekamncisha kudla futsi amentisa nemisebenti lematima.

Malume waMajaha bekangenayo inhlitiyo lenhle. Nangabe Majaha anemibuto letsite, bekamfaka indvuku. Wacela malume wakhe kutsi naye atfole litfuba lekuyofundza, bekavele amphendvule atsi, "Ngalendlela usilima ngakhona angeke ufundze lutfo esikolweni."

Ngemva kweminyaka lemitsatfu aphatseke kabuhlungu lomfanyana, wabaleka kamalume, watitfola ahlala emgwacweni.

Imphilo yasemgwacweni imatima. Linyenti lebafana lalihluphekela kutfola nje kudla. Ngalesinye sikhatsi bebaganga, babuye bakhishwe ngenca yeminyaka yabo. Nangabe bagula bekungenamuntfu wekubanakekela.

Imali lencane lebebayitfola ngekucela beyibasita kutsenga kudla. Ngalesinye sikhatsi bebabutsa emaplastiki nemabhodlela bayotsengisa etikhungweni lapho titsengiswa khona letintfo kute kwakhiwe kabusha leminye imikhicito.

Kungalolusuku lapho Majaha bekabukabuka emigconyeni yetibi, watitsela etukwencwadzi lendzala lemadlephudlephu. Wayitsatsa, wayitsintsitsa, asusa kungcola, wabese uyifaka esikhwameni selibhuluko lakhe.

Tonkhe tinsuku, bekahlala ayikhipha lencwadzi, ayibukabuka, abuke titfombe, abuye ayiphindzisele esikhwameni. Akazange aye esikolweni, bekangakwati kufundza kodvwa akulangatelela.

Titfombe beticoca indzaba yemfana lowakhula waba ngumshayeli wetindiza. Sahlala sagcils lesitfombe enhlitiyweni yaMajaha. Ngalesinye sikhatsi bekatibona angumshayeli wemabhanoyi lokukhonjiswa ngaye kulencwajana layitfola. Kantsi ngalesinye sikhatsi bewumbona adnizisa sandal emoyeni akhombissa kundiza kwendiza.

Kwakubandza ngalolo suku, nangu Majaha umile emgwacweni uyacela. Naku sekuchamuka indvodza, ite ngakuye. "Sawubona. Ligama lami nginguThomasi, ngisebentela edvute nalapha. Lapho ngisebenta khona ungatfola kudla, bangakupha," kuchaza lendvodza.

Lendvodza ikhuluma nje iyambonisa Majaha lapho isebenta khona. Yagcina seyitsi, "Ngiyetsemba utakuya-ke ndodza khona utewutfola kudla." "Mhlawumbe," kuphendvula Majaha.

Etinyangeni letinyentana letilandzelako, labafanyana bebaloku bambona Thomasi. Thomasi utsandza kakhulu kukhuluma nalaba labatitfola bahlala emgwacweni.

Thomasi bekahlala abalalela njalo nabacoca ngetimphilo tabo. Bekanesineke, alalele ngenhlonipho, angenayo indzelelo. Ngetikhatsi tasemini, kwaya, kwaya, bacala bafana kuya endlini leneluphahla loluluhlata kuyotfola kudla.

Nangalelilanga nangu Majaha atihlalele ephevumentini edvute nemgwaco abuka titfombe encwadzini yakhe, ekufika Thomasi wahlala edvute kwakhe.

"Ngabe ikhuluma ngani lencwadzi loyifundzako?" kubuta Thomasi. "Ikhuluma ngemfana longumshayeli wetindiza ekukhuleni kwakhe," Majaha waphendvula "Hmm, ngabe ngubani ligama lakhe?" "Angati, angikwati kufundza emagama labhaliwe."

Manje Majaha wacala walandzisa Thomasi ngekukhula kwakhe. Thomasi wehluleka nekubuta imibuto leminyenti nakeva ngelusizi lwalomfana. Wathula, walalela, wangasho lutfo ngobe bekangumuntfu longakhulumeli safutsi.

BoThomasi naMajaha bebacoca kube nesikhatsi lapho bathula khona. Bebake bacoce nangalesikhatsi bafana bete kutewucela kudla endlini leneluphahla loluluhlata sasibhakabhaka.

Kwatsi lapho Majaha sekatawuhlanganisa iminyaka lelishumi, Thomasi wamphatsela lenye incwadzi. Thomasi wafundzela Majaha tikhatsi letinyentana lencwadzi. Ngalelinye lilanga watsi Thomasi kuye, "Ngibona kutsi sesifikile sikhatsi sekutsi uye esikolweni. Wena ubona njani?"

Thomasi wamchazela kutsi kunendzawo lapho kuhlala khona bantfwana, likhaya lebantfwana. Kulendzawo bantfwana baniketwa litfuba lekuya esikolweni.

Majaha wacabanga ngalendzawo leshiwo nguThomasi, wacabanga nangekuya esikolweni. Lemicabango beyibuye iphazanyiswe ngemavi amalume wakhe lobekambona njengesilima lesingeke sifundze lutfo.

Bekatibuta angatfoli timphendvulo. Bekanekwesaba. Nabamshaya ekhaya lelisha labanye bantfwana utawenta njani? "Mhlawumbe kuncono kona kuhlala emgwacweni."

Akagcinanga nje ngekucabanga. Wagcina sekacocela umngani wakhe Thomasi ngekwesaba kwakhe. Thomasi bekangampheleli inhlitiyo, bekammisa sibindzi kutsi imphilo yakhe ingaba ncono ekhaya lebantfwana.

Impela-ke Majaha watfutsela ekhaya lebantfwana. Bekahlala nalabanye bafana lababili ekamelweni labo. Sebabonkhe endlini, kwakungebantfwana labalishumi. Bebahlala na-anti Celiwe, nemyeni wakhe kanye netilwane tasekhaya labebanato.

Wacala sikolo Majaha, kwakumatima ngobe kunyenti lokwakumele akufundze, akwati kute abe sezingeni lelilingana nelalabanye.

Ngalesinye sikhatsi bekafikelwa ngumcabango wekutsi asiyekele sikolo. Kodvwa akaphelanga emandla.

Kwatsi ngalelinye lilanga asatihlalele egcekeni lelisekhaya lebantfwana, atifundzela incwadzi labuye nayo esikolweni, naku sekufika Thomasi. Wefika wahlala edvute kwaMajaha galokwetayelekile.

"Asewungitjele ndovodza, ngabe indzaba ikhuluma ngani?" kubuta Thomasi. "Ikhuluma ngemfana lowaba nguthishela," kuphendvula Majaha. "Bekungubani ligama lalomfana?" kuchuba Thomasi. Ligama lakhe nguMajaha," kusho Majaha amoyitela.

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 - Fakazile Armooh
Illustration - Wiehan de Jager
Language - Siswati
Level - Longer paragraphs © African Storybook Initiative 2015
Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0
Source www.africanstorybook.org