Namuhla lilanga lelikhulu! Ngemva kwetinyanga letiyimfica tekulindza, make waThabi uya esibhedlela kuyewutfola umntfwana. Utawubuya ngemva kwemalanga lamatsatfu.

Ungafundza lusuku nelilanga leliviki ekhalendeni?

Kutawuba nguliphi lilanga leliviki?

"Sala kahle mntfwanaketfu!" kusho make waThabi.

"Ngiyacela usale umnakekela Babe. Ngitawubuya ekhaya madvute nje, nesimangaliso setfu sonkhe!"

Phela umntfwana besekakhule kakhulu ngekhatsi kwesisu samake wakhe, ngendlela yekutsi Thabi abengakhoni kuhlanganisa imikhono yakhe kumake wakhe njengakucala ngalesikhatsi amanga.

Itekisi ishaya ibheli. Sesifikile sikhatsi sekutsi make wakhe ahambe. Thabi sewucala kukhala. Babe wakhe umphakamisela emahlombe akhe.

Uyakutsandza kuphakanyiswa ngalendlela, asuke phasi. Nyalo semudze ngenhloko yonkhe kwengca babe wakhe.

Nangabe babe waThabi angemamitha la-1,6 budze nobe emasenthimitha la-160 budze, ngabe Thabi uwushiye kangakanani umhlaba nyalo?

Masinyane nje Thabi sewutfukutsele futsi sewucala nekukhala. Bekukwekucala emphilweni yakhe yonkhe kutsi yena namake kwakhe bacitse imini nobe busuku bangekho ndzawonye.

Babe waThabi umbeka phasi esitulwini embi kwakhe. Usula tinyembeti takhe abuye akhulumele phasi kute amdvudvute.

Thabi uphindze ative anesibindzi, asukume abe mudze esitulwini sakhe. "Ngineminyaka lesitfupha! Ngiyintfombatana lekhulile!" utjela babe wakhe.

Nakeme ngalendlela, Thabi budze bakhe bucishe bufane nebababe wakhe. Ngabe uyakhumbula kutsi mudze kangakanani?

Ngabe Thabi mudze kangakanani nangabe eme phasi hhayi esitulwini?

Thabi kumele alindze emalanga lamatsatfu kusukela ngaLesitsatfu kuye kuMgcibelo, kodvwa kuye kufana neminyaka. Thabi wetama kubala kutsi mangaki ema-awa lekumele awalindze.

Uyati kutsi lilanga linema-awa la-24, ngako-ke uyatikhulumela, "24 + 24 + 24 kwenta_____."

Ngabe uyayati kutsi itsini imphendvulo?

"Kodvwa Babe," kusho Thabi. "Bengicabanga kutsi ngingumntfwana wakho! Nguloko lohlala ungibita ngako ngaso sonkhe sikhatsi. Ngabe nyalo sekutawentekani? Ngabe angeke ngisaba ngumntfwanakho?"

"Utawuhlala ungumntfwana wetfu lokhetsekile wekucala, Thabi!" kunanatela babe wakhe.

Ngemva kwekucocisana nekuphendvula imibuto yaThabi sikhatsi lesidze, babe waThabi unembono.

"Thabi, kungani ungabhaleli make wakho incwadzi? Ungamtjela kutsi umkhumbule kangakanani ubuye umbute nemibuto leminyenti ngemntfwana. Ngiyetsemba loko kutamenta ajabule!"

"Ngingatsandza Babe. Ngingacala ngibhale emagama ngekwami, kodvwa kutawufuna ungisite ngalamanye."

Ngemva kwemadina babe waThabi wasita Thabi ekubhaleni incwadzi.

Sawubona Make,

Ngiyakutsandza futsi ngiyakukhumbula kakhulu! Babe ungitjele kutsi utawubuya ekhaya ngeMgcibelo. Sengijahe kukubona kanye nemntfwana lomusha. Nginemibuto leminyenti!

Ngabe umntfwana wakitsi utawuba ngumfana nobe intfombatana? Ngabe utawufana nami yini? Ngabe utawucala nini kuhamba nobe kukhuluma?

Ngimi lengikutsandzako
Thabi, umntfwanakho lomkhulu!

Nakacedza kubhala incwadzi yakhe, Thabi wacala kuphupha emini.

"Mhlawube bantfwana lababili." Thabi uyaticabangela. "Ngemaphahla njengalabanye bangani bakhe." Thabi ucabanga ngaZodwa naBrenda, bosesi labangemaphahla labefana ncamashi.

"Ngabe bakitsi baluhlobo luni lwemaphahla?" Ingcondvo yakhe iyayaluka.

Lilanga lelikhulu selifikile. Thabi ujabulile. Ulindze kuphela kwemalanga la-3 nobe kwema-awa la-72, kodvwa kuvakala ngatsi tinyanga letiyimfica.

Leso bekusikhatsi lebasilindzile ngalesikhatsi umntfwana akhula ngekhatsi esiswini samake wakhe.

Thabi ubala kuya emuva akhumbula lapho kucale khona. "Kusukela ngaMabasa kuya kuNdlovulenkhulu inyanga yinye, kuya emuva kuNdlovana tinyanga letimbili…"

Ungachubeka nekubala uye emuva kute kufike etinyangeni letiyimfica?

Thabi wabese uva batali bakhe emnyango wangaphambili. Thabi uthulile. Ufuna kubamangalisa.

Kodvwa Thabi umangele kakhulu!

Yebo make wakhe ufike ekhaya nemaphahla! Umfana nentfombatana