i-50 cents Ngemini
Abazali bam babengandiniki imali, kwaye ngoku sasi hlala eAthlone kwakufuneka ndigqithe emahlathini ukuyokufika esikolweni.
Ngenye imini, umama womlungu onesiqu esincinci wandibiza kwenye yezindlu ekupheleni kwalo mahlathi. ‘Heyi, ntombazana encinci, yiza apha,’ watsho. ‘ndifuna ukuthetha nawe.’ Wayekhangeleka enobubele, ndandinomdla, ndahamba ndaya kuye. Wathi ufuna ndimsebenzele, ndicoce kwaye ndenze isituphu sakhe esasibomvu simenyezele nge polishi. Kwaye ndihlambe impahla zakhe ngalasepha imbala ohlaza yayisetyenziswa ngezomini.
Yayisisitena sesepha eside esimhlophe na blue; andisakhumbuli igama layo. Ukususela ngoko, ndaya endlini yakhe kabini kathathu ngeveki. Ndandibatalwa i-50 cents ngemini. Izinto zazingabizi ngezontsuku: nge 50 cents ndandithenga iswekile, ikofu, amagqabi eti, nesonka. Bathi abazali bam xa bendibona ndifika nezizinto, babuza, ‘uzifumanaphi ezizinto?’ ndasuka ndathi, ‘Ndizinikwe ngumama othile womlungu.
’ Ndandithanda ukuba nawo lomsebenzi, kuba ekhaya sasinokuncinci kakhulu, imali yatshintsha imeko kum. Kodwa eneneni kwakungekho ngcono, kuba ndandingayi esikolweni, ndandingafundi izinto ekwakufanele ndibe ndiyazifunda ukunceda Ikamva lam. Ngelaxesha, ndandingayazi lonto. Umama wasweleka ndisemncinci, ndisekuma banga aphantsi.
Usisi wam omdala uPatience Nomabhulu, wabangu mama kum, ukushiywa ngumama kwabangcono ngenxa yakhe. Kodwa ndathi xandineminyaka elishumi eline sine okanye nesihlanu ndisenza ibanga lesihlanu, elibizwa ngokuba ngu grade 7 kulemihla, ndayeka ukuya esikolweni.
Endaweni yoko ndandi chitha imini kumakhaya abahlobo sithetha siqhulana. Yayimsulwa yonke lento. Kwakungekho makhwenkwe kwaye sasizonwabela nje. Kodwa sasingayi esikolweni.