UKatie nomngane wakhe omkhulu, isidawana
UKatie wayehlala ezizwa sengathi akekho noyedwa umuntu axhumene naye. Akekho umuntu ayembona njengomngani empilweni yakhe. Ngakho kuthe ngesikhathi abazali bakhe bethatha isinqumo sokushintsha indawo, akazange abe nokukhathazeka ngoba akekho umuntu ayemshiya ngemuva owayezosala nesizungu sakhe. Ngesikhathi umndeni wakhe usuyohlala edolobheni elisha uKatie wayeseneminyaka eyisishiyagalombili. Wawengumkhulu kakhulu umehluko nalapho babehlala khona phambilini. Kwakunezihlahla eziningi nezingane zihlala zizulazula ngaphandle, zidlala amabhayisikili neminye imidlalo yezingane. Ngelinye ilanga umama wakhe wambamba emi ngasewindini ebukela ezinye izingane ezazidlala ngaphandle. Umama wakhe wamyalela ukuba naye akakhululeke aphume ayodlala nezinye izingane. Nebala wenza njalo. Wayebona ukuthi ezinye izingane zazijabule, naye efuna ukungena kuzo kodwa enokwesaba. Wazama ukuqunga isibindi ngokuzibuza ukuthi angakwazi yini ukudlala nazo, kodwa wabuye wabona ukuthi ngathi kuzoba nzima.
Wathatha isinqumo sokuthi esikhundleni salokho avele azulazule khona emnyango. Abantu babebonakala bekhululekile bengenankinga. Wahamba waze wafika ngasosebeni lomfula. Wezwa umoya obandayo umshaya ngasebusweni. Ebona nobuhle bosebe lomfula. Wahlala lapho isikhashana ethathwe ubuhle wase ethatha isinqumo sokuthi lena kuzoba yindawo yakhe azochitha kuyo isizungu. Wathi uzoza lapha zinsukuzonke futhi kungenzeka nokuthi ngelinye ilanga alethe abangani bakhe.
Njalo emuva kokuphuma kwesikole wayema ngasosebeni lomfula ngaphambi kokuba agoduke. Wathi impela uzohlala lapha isikhathi eside, futhi uma kwenzeka kugcine sekuyikhaya lakhe, uma kwenzeka ebulawa yindlala angeke abe nankinga ngoba usuke ekuphethe ukudla esikhwameni sakhe. Wayematasa esabhala inkondlo ngalolu sebe lomfula ngesikhathi ezwa isisu sakhe sikhala. Wabeka phansi iphepha ayebhalela kulo nepeni wadonsa isinkwa esikhwameni sakhe. Wayesezoqala ukuluma isinkwa ngesikhathi ezwa umsindo. Kwakungumsindo owamsabisa. Selokhu aqala ukuvakashela kule ndawo wayengakaze awuzwe umsindo onjengalowaya. Wabheka macala konke kodwa wangabona lutho. Wase eqaphela ukuthi kwakukhona into ethile eyayihamba emanzini. Emagange efuna ukubona ukuthi kwabe kuyini leyo wabe esesondela ngasemanzini. wasondeza eduze isinkwa sakhe ngesikhathi esesondela ngasemanzini, ngesikhathi eseseduze kwayo, yathula. Ngokuphazima kwaphuma into ethile emanzini naye uKatie wathelwa ngamanzi. Wasula amehlo emehlweni akhe, wabona into angakaze ayibone ngisho nakwamadala eJudeni.
Wabona isidawana
Akazange awakholwe amehlo akhe ngento ayibonayo. Washayeka phansi washiya kwaqathaka nesinkwa sakhe leso. Waba nokwesaba okukhulu. Isidawana lesi esasisikhulu kakhulu sakhipha umqala waso emanzini kwavela namehlo aso athi ewabuka uKatie wabona into ejwayelekile. Njengaye naso isidawana sasinamehlo ayekhombisa ukuba nesizungu. UKatie wasukuma waqonda ngakuso. wayenokusaba okukhulu ngento ayeyibonile. Wadonsa isinkwa sakhe ezama ukupha isidawana, isinkwa wasiphonsa emanzini nebala naso saya sigijima kuso. Wathelwa ngamanzi ebusweni kodwa kulokhu akazange abe nenkinga. Esikhundleni salokho wahleka kakhulu . Lesi silwane sasondela eduze kwakhe wabe esezethula kuso. Isidawana sanqekuzisa ikhanda kusengathi ngumuntu othi nami ngiyajabula ukukwazi. Kusuka ngaleso sikhathi uKatie nesidawana baba ngabangani abakhulu.
Njalo uKatie wayehambisela umngani wakhe omusha izinkwa ezinhlanu. Wayemxoxela nakho konke okwenzekile esikoleni. Kwesinye isikhathi wayemculela amdansele, isidawana sibonakale sinqekuzisa ikhanda inanela ayekwenza. Kwaba ngokokuqala ukuthi azizwe engenaso isizungu ngoba wayesenomuntu ahlala naye isikhathi esiningi. Esikoleni othisha bacela abafundi ukuthi babhale inkondlo ngabangani babo abakhulu leyo nkondlo babezoyifunda phambi kwekilasi kulalele abanye abafundi. UKatie wabhala eyakhe inkondlo ngesikhathi ehleli ngasechwebeni lomfula. Emuva kokuyibhala wayifundela isidawana. Sajabula kakhulu sasondela ngakuye sikhombisa ukuthi siyayithakasela. Ngosuku olulandelayo uKatie wayifundela ikilasi lakhe. Kwakunguyena kuphela ekilasini owayebhale ngesidawana njengomngani wakhe omkhulu. Abanye abafundi bamhleka bemtshela ukuthi isidawana yinto nje esemqondweni wakhe engekho. Wathukuthela wathelwa ngamanzi ebatshela ukuthi isidawana yinto ekhona. Wabatshela nokuthi uzobakhombisa ukuthi iyinto ekhona. Emuva kwesikole waya ngasemfuleni, wabakhombisa ukuthi wayengaqambi amanga isidawana nasiya silele ngasosebeni lomfula. Wonke umuntu ayefunda naye wathuka kakhulu waba nokushaqeka. Abanye baba nokusaba kodwa wazama ukubakhombisa ukuthi lesi isilwane esingenabo ubungozi. Kwakuthi njalo emuva kwesikole ozakwabo baye ngasosebeni lomfula, bachithe isikhathi esiningi nesidawana, badlale naso imidlalo ethile, bacule badanse. Wayengafuni ukuthi lokho kuphele. Ukuba nabangani abaningi kwenza wazizwa ekhululekile futhi ejabule. Wayengasenaso isizungu empilweni yakhe. Ngelinye ilanga waya ngasosebeni lomfula, waqaphela ukuthi isidawana sigebise ikhanda laso. Wasondela ngakuso wathi uma esibheka emehlweni waqaphela ukuthi sinokudumala. Sanyakazisa umzimba waso sasondela ngakuye simhlikihla ngekhala. UKatie wabona sengathi siyavalelisa ngendlela esasenza ngayo. Kwehla izinyembezi emehlweni akhe. Wayengafuni ukuthi umngani wakhe ahambe. Isidawana saphenduka sabuyela emanzini. Wabona isidawana siphuma emanzini sanyamalala emafini. wahlala ubusuku bonke ekhala ngokuthi wayengasophinde ambone futhi umngani wakhe. Iningi labangani bakhe esikoleni abaphindanga baya ngasosebeni lomfula. Ngelinye ilanga uKatie waye ngasosebeni lomfula. Wezwa umoya obandayo uheleza. Waqalaza zinhlangothi zonke ezitshela ukuthi ngabe sekuyiso futhi isidawana. Waqaphela ukuthi kukhona owayehleli eduze kwakhe. Wathi uma eqalaza wabona ukuthi kwakungomunye wababefunda naye. Igama lakhe kwabe kunguDylan.
“Wenzani lapha?” embuza.
Akazange amphendule
“Ngabe ulindele isidawana?”
Wathula ede ebuka phezulu.
“Isidawana asingeke sisabuya uyezwa! Umngani wami akasabuyi.” Kwehla izinyembezi emehlweni akhe.
UKatie noDylan bagcina sebengabangani abakhulu, bavumelana ukuthi abakhohlwe isidawana mhlawumbe kuyokwenzeka basibone ngelinye ilanga.