Lona nguThabo. Uneminyaka le-10 budzala kantsi useBangeni le-5 esikolweni semabanga laphasi. Thabo uhlala aphuma embili eklasini lakhe. "Ngabe yini imfihlo yakhe?" Labo lafundza nabo bayatibuta. "Ufundza abuye abhale kahle kakhulu! Ngabe wenta njani?" batinwaya tinhloko tabo ngekumangala.

Thabo uyabatjela kutsi kungenca yekutsi ufundza tincwadzi letinyenti. Ngalesikhatsi bacitsa sikhatsi sabo bangenti lutfo, yena ucitsa sikhatsi sakhe ekufundzeni kakhulu!

Thabo uhola imadlana le-R80 ngeliviki. Imadlana yakhe uyisebentisela ekutsengeni tonkhe tinhlobo temabhuku esitolo lesitsengisa emabhuku lamadzala esigodzini sakubo.

Manje ngabe Thabo uyihola njani imali leyenele yalamabhuku? Titfolele ngekutifundzela.

Lona nguJamludi, inkhomo lesengwako yemndeni. Ukhicita lubisi lolungetulu kwemalitha la-20 ngelilanga. Bese babe wakhe utsengisa lubisi.

Inkhomo idzinga kudla kanye nemanti nesikhatsi sekudla tjani emadlelweni. Lelo nalelo langa nasesiphumile sikolo Thabo uyelekelela ngalomsebenti. Babe waThabo umnika imadlana ngekusita emsebentini lawentako. Leyo mali ngiyo Thabo layongela kutsenga emabhuku evikini ngalinye.

Kwekucala, Thabo unika Jamludi sikhehle seticadze. Umnika ticadze leti-8 ngelilanga. Lusuku ngalunye uvuna ticadze engadzini yababe wakhe yetibhidvo, letilingana lusuku ngasikhatsi sinye.

Ungatibalela nawe. Utawukhandza kutsi Jamludi udla ticadze leticishe tibe 60 ngeliviki! Asewusho kutsi tingaki setitonkhe?

Ngemva kwaloko Thabo utsatsa Jamludi ayodla tjani emadlelweni asesigodzini. Babe wakhe wamyala kutsi abocaphela sikhatsi nekutsi angamniki Jamludi kwengce emakota lamatsatfu eli-awa aloku adla tjani.

Jamludi uvamise kucala kudla tjani nasekwengce ikota ishayile insimbi yesibili, ngako-ke Thabo sewulungele kumtsatsa ambuyisele ekhaya lapho kusengelwa khona ngensimbi ye-3. Ebusika kusheshe kube mnyama, Jamludi ucala kudla tjani kusesenesikhatsi, naseyigabence insimbi yekucala.

Lokulandzelako, Thabo kumele anike Jamludi emanti. Ngaphandle kwemanti Jamludi angeke akwati kukhicita lubisi, noma ngabe Thabo umnika kakhulu kangakanani kudla! Thabo ukha emanti ngemabhakede empompini yesigodzi ngobe ayikho lenye lesedvute.

Umdalamu losikiwe wemanti waJamludi uphatsa emanti langemalitha la-30. Libhakede laThabo liphatsa emalitha la-5. Ngako-ke kute kugcwale umdalamu losikiwe, kumele Thabo ahambe aphindze abuyele kanyenti. Asewubale kutsi uhamba kangaki?

Thabo wabese utsatsa Jamludi uya naye kubabe wakhe kute atfole lisaka lemabele leli-12 kg. "Loko kwenta 90 kg emabele ngeliviki!" Kubala Thabo. Lisaka ngalinye libita R39. Thabo uyabala kutsi kubita malini kutsengela Pendo tinhlavana ngalinye liviki.

Kwekucala ubala intsengo yemasaka la-7 labita R40 lilinye, lekwenta R280. Bese ukhipha R7 kute atfole R273.

"Ingetulu kwe-1 000 ngenyanga!" Kucagela Thabo. Ngabe ucinisile?

Babe waThabo usenga Jamludi kabili ngelilanga. Ukhicita emalitha elubisi la-24 ngelilanga, loko kwenta emalitha la-12 nakusengwa kanye.

Ngalesinye sikhatsi Thabo uyasita ngekusenga kodvwa akusilula njengobe kubukeka. "Ngalelinye lilanga," uyaticabangela. "Ngitawuba netami tinkhomo kantsi ngitatisengela ngekwami."

Babe wakhe utsela libhakede lelikhulu lelubisi emakanini lamancane langemalitha lamabili nobe emabhodleleni lalingana yinye ilitha. Bese utsengisa ilitha yelubisi nga-R8.

Kanye ngeliviki babe waThabo unikela 25 emalitha elubisi kulabo labondla bantfwana esikolweni. Umntfwana ngamunye utfola ikota yelitha yelubisi.

Loko kusho kutsi ba-100 bantfwana labatfola lubisi ngalelolanga.

Elitheni ngayinye yelubisi letsengisiwe, babe wakhe unika Thabo emasenti la-50. Loku akuvakali njengemali lenyenti, kodvwa nangabe babe wakhe atsengise emalitha la-24 ngelilanga, kwenta imali lenyenti. Ungasho yini kutsi ngumalini?

Thabo wonga ngekucaphela imali yakhe kute kube nguMgcibelo, lapho atawuvakashela esitolo semabhuku lesisesigodzini sakubo. Libhuku alikaze libite ngetulu kwe-R10, ngako-ke evikini lelikahle, angatsenga abe mbalwa!

Thabo naye uyatsandza kunatsa lubisi lwaJamludi. Babe wakhe utsi lolubisi lusita kwakha ematsambo kanye nematinyo lubuye lwente umuntfu abe nemtimba locinile nalophilile.

Ngako-ke ngekunatsa lubisi abuye adle tibhidvo letinyenti letibuya engadzini yababe wakhe, Thabo ucine kakhulu! Akavami kugula futsi akate alambe!

Thabo akamange akhohlwe kubonga Jamludi ekugcineni kwelusuku ngalunye. Bekambonga ngekumnika ticadze letendlulele nobe emacembe esipinishi latfolakala atigicikela engadzini.

"Ngiyabonga Jamludi ungumngani wami lobengca bonkhe! Ngiyakubonga ngekutsi ngicinile, ngiphilile futsi ngihlakaniphile! Nangabe bekungasuwe, bengingeke ngikwati kutsenga onkhe emabhuku lengike ngawafundza, langisitako ngaso sonkhe sikhatsi kutsi ngiphume embili eklasini lami!"