Sihlanu Ngelilanga
Batali bami bebanganginiki imali,ngalesikhatsi sihlala eAthlone bekudzinga kutsi ngihambe emahlatsini kuze ngifike esikolweni. Ngalelinye lilanga, wesifazane loncana wangibita kuletinye taletindlu letisemaceleni kwemahlatsi. ʹYelal, ntfombatana lencane,ʹwasho njalo. Ngifuna kukhuluma nawe.ʹ Wabukeka alungile ngase nami ngiyafisa kutsi yini, ngako ngaya kuye.
Watsi kimi ufuna mine ngimusebentele, ngiwashe ngiphindze ngipolishe situbhu sakhe lesidze lesibovu, bese ngiwasha netimphahla takhe ngensipho yelugongolo lebeyisetjentiswa bantfu kadzeni. Bekuyinsipho lendze, beyiluhlata sasibhakabhaka nalokumhlophe; angilikhumbuli ligama lakhe. Kusukela lapho, ngaya endlini yakhe kabili noma katsatfu evikini. Ngangibhadalwa sihlanu ngelilanga.
Tintfo tatingasiko kahle ngaleso sikhatsi: ngaleto tihlanu bengingatsenga shukela, likhofi, lituya kanye nesinkhwa. Batali bami batsi nabangibona ngita ekhaya naleti tintfo, bangibuta, ʹUtitsatsephi tonkhe letitintfo?ʹ ngavele ngatsi, ʹLomunye make lomhlophe unginike tona.ʹ Ngiyatsandza kuba nalonamsebenti ngoba ekhaya sinalokuncane, ngakoke lemali itfutfukisa tintfo tami.
Kepha ngekwasemhlabeni, bekungekho kahle, ngoba bengingayi esikolweni, ngoba bengingafundzi letintfo bengitidzingela likusasa lami. Ngaleso sikhatsi, bengingakwati loko. Make wami washona ngesikhatsi ngisesemuncane, ngisesikolweni lesisezingeni leliphansi. Dzadzewetfu lomdzala, Patience Nomabhulu, waba ngumake kimi, ngako kufa kwamake wami akubonakalanga kuyintfo lembi.
Kepha ngesikhatsi nginelishumi nakune noma lishumi nesihlanu ngisebangeni lesikhombisa esikolweni, nyako lekubitwa Grade Seven, ngayekela kuya esikolweni. Esikhundleni, ngaya kubangani bamiʹ endlini yakubo khona sitocitsa sikhatsi sikhuluma phindze sisho netintfo letihlekisako. Besitsembekile. Bekute bangani betfu bebafana futsi nje sasitichaza tsine. Kepha sasingayi esikolweni.
Translated by Phindile Malotana