Sekuzokuba sikhathi sokudla esikolweni iSiyafunda Primary School. Abanini bamasphaza ababili asesikolweni balungisa ukudla abazokuthengisela abantwana abalambileko.

Esitolo sakaNom. Motaung, uburotho sebusikiwe sebulungele ukwenza ikota. Usika ngokuqophelela phakathi enye nenye ikota yoburotho. Ngemuva kwalapho ufaka ipaloni namatjhipsi esikhaleni esingaphakathi.

UMotaung ufaka namakhezo amabili azeleko we- atjha eyenziwe ngukosikazi wakhe kenyenenye ikota. Uthanda ukuqhotjha ngokuthi ikota yakhe ine- atjha ngaphakathi naphezulu.

Esitolo sakaNom. Mkhize, amatjhipsi sekayavuthwa, kodwana usasikelela uburotho bokwenza amakota.

Utshwenyekile ngombana izinto azimkhambeli kuhle esitolo sakhe, "Kuthome kuhle," kuqabanga uMkhize. "Kodwana njenganje ngithola abathengi abambalwa. Okungasenani ngehlisa iindleko zami ngokusika amakota amahlanu elofini eyodwa."

UJabu noZodwa bathenga ukudla kwemini.

UZodwa uthenga kuNom. Mkhize. UJabu uthenga kuMotaung. Uqabanga kobana ikota kaNom. Motaung inamatjhipsi ne-atjha enengi kuneyaka Mkhize.

Umjeje uhlala umude njalo esitolo sakaNom. Motaung. UZodwa ulinda uJabu. Ngemuva kwalokho abangani bahlala boke ngaphasi komthunzi badle amakota wabo.

UZodwa ubona into eyamenza waqalisisa bewadana ebusweni.

"Uqale ini?" kubuza uJabu. "Ikota yakho! Iqaleka iyikulu kuneyami," kutjho uZodwa

Bobabili baqalisisa amakota wabo. Nginesiqiniseko yaka Jabu yikulu. "Kunento engakhambi kuhle la," kutjho uZodwa. "Ngiyazibuza kobana kungaba ngiso isizathu esenza isitolo sakaNom. Mkhize singasena abantu abanengi nje."

UJabu waqabanga isikhatjhana wabese uyaphendula, "Nokho-ke, ngezwa kuthiwa abanye abantwana babona uNom. Mkhize asikelela uburotho bakhe buba ziingcezu ezihlanu zamakota!"

UNomsa wezwa uJabu noZodwa nebakhulumako. uZodwa umajadu. Wababuza ukuphi umraro wokusika uburotho bube ziingcezu ezihlanu.

UZodwa noJabu bamphendula kanye kanye. "Ikota yikota yelofu!" UNomsa bekasaqaleka ahlangahlangene, uZodwa uyahlathulula, "Ilofu kufanele isikwe iingcenye ezine ezilinganako. Nakungasi njalo, akusiwo amakota."

UNomsa ukwatile ngombana naye uthenga kuNom. Mkhize. "Kutjho ukuthi, weba uburotho bethu!" watjho ngephimbo eliphezulu. UZodwa wathatha isiqunto sokubuyela kuMkhize ayoku nghonghoyila.

Wasuka, aphakamisele ikota yakhe phezulu emmoyeni. UNomsa wamlandela ngemuva. UJabu wadosa ummoya wasikima naye walandela abangani bakhe.

UNom. Mkhize wadana lokha nakabona kobana abantwana laba abasiwo amakhasimende amatjha. "Arha, lotjhani godu bantwana," wangunguza, "nginganisiza ngani?"

"Nom. Mkhize, ngikubawe ikota begodu ngakubhadela imali yekota. Kodwana lokhu akusiyo ikota," kutjho uZodwa, akhomba ikota yakhe."Ngifuna ikota epheleleko nofana kubuye imali yami," wagandelela.

"Kuliqiniso Baba Mkhize? Bewusidlelezela soke lesi sikhathi!" kulila uNomsa. Idlanzana labantwana labandela laya esitolo manje sebalalele iinsolo ezenziwako.

UMkhize uphaya izandla zakhe. "Nithini ngami?" uyalandula. "Angisi njalo mina! Ngifuna niphume njenga nje ngesitolo sami!"

UZodwa ukhulumela phasi, "Sizokutjela woke umuntu ngalokhu okwenzako. Kuzokusabalala isikolo soke njengomlilo wommango. Kuzakudingeka kobana usivale isitolo sakho. Akekho noyedwa ozokuza azokuthenga esitolo sakho!"

UNom. Mkhize uqala abantwana abathathu abajame phambili kwakhe. Wabuye waqala nesiquku esikhulumako esijame ngaphandle kwesitolo sakhe.

Ekugcineni wathi, "Kulungile-ke, ngizobuyisela imali yakho." "Begodu thembisa kobana uzokusika enye nenye ilofu yoburotho uzoyisika ibe makota ozokwenza ngawo amakota wakho," ukhulumela phezulu uJabu.

UNom. Mkhize uyathembisa bonyana uzokwenza njalo. Wakhohlela avula umphimbo wakhe wabese uthi, "Ngiyazwakala kuwo woke umuntu. Ngithembisa nokuthi ngizokungezelela i-atjha namatjhipsi amanengi emakoteni wami."

Nngembala uNom. Mkhize wangezelela amatjhipsi ne-atjha emakoteni wakhe.

Ngokurhabako abantwana abanengi bathoma ukuthenga kuye, nesitolo sakhe sathoma sasebenza kuhle. Nom. Mkhize wakwazi nokuqatjha omunye umuntu ozomsiza.

Kwanjesi sekunephaliswano elihle phakathi kuNom. Mkhize noNom. Motaung, woke umuntu uthabile.