Sikhatsi selikhefu lapha esikolweni semabanga laphasi eSiyafundza. BoLomusa, Todvwa naJabu sebahleti ngaphasi kwemtfunti batidlela kudla kwabo.

Lamuhla boLomusa naTodvwa babuye nekudla emakhaya, kodvwa Jabu utidlela ikota yasesitolo sakaMkhize.

"Mmmm, leshizi inakhilimu! Emakota akababe Mkhize ngiwo lahamba phambili!" kusho Jabu ngalesikhatsi akhotsa tandla takhe. Usho njalo nje kantsi Tito uhleti edvute ulalele konkhe loko lakushoko Jabu.

Akakukholwa loko lakuva ngetindlebe takhe. Uyambuta-ke Tito, "Ngabe ngikuve kahle, utsi kuneshizi kulekota yakaMkhize? Futsi utsi emakota akaMkhize ngiwo lahamba embili? Utsi awudlali ngami nje wena?"

"Ha! Awumati babe Mkhize wena! Untjintjile indlela lekenta ngayo tintfo futsi ikota yakhe iyatikhulumela," kusho Jabu akhombe ikota yakhe. Lekota beyigcwaliswe emashibusi, ipaloni ne-atja yabuye yambonywa ngeshizi lenakhilimu lencibilikile.

Tito utsatsekile, "Impela ucinisile, sinkhwa sakhe sigcwele!" Ngaso leso sikhatsi kwafika Sicelo nekudla kwakhe. "Sicelo! Buka lekota!" kusho Tito kumngani wakhe.

Kukhona lakunakile Jabu ebusweni baSicelo wase uyambuta, "Hhayi bo! Kwentenjani wabukeka ungakajabuli!" Sicelo ubeka ikota yakhe edvute nekota yaJabu.

"Yami ikota ngiyitsenge kababe Motaung. Nawuwabukile lamakota ayalingana ngekwesayizi, kodvwa lena yami ifakwe tintfo letincane!"

"Kunjalo," kusho Lomusa. Kungako bantfwana labanyenti sebatsenga esitolo sababe Mkhize."

"Usho kutsi babe Mkhize sewuntjintjile nyalo? Bekavamise kusika ilofu yakhe tincetu letisihlanu temakota!" kusho Tito.

"Hhayi! Phela loko bekungasiyo nje ikota!" "Usho ngani kutsi bekungasiyo ikota?" kubuta Sicelo.

"Ha Sicelo!" kuhleka Lomusa. "Awusakhumbuli yini kutsi thishela wasifundzisani ngetincetu? Nawusika yinye ilofu ibe netincetu letilinganako letisihlanu akusiniki emakota. Kusinika tincenye talokuhlanu."

Masinyane Sicelo wacabanga wase utsi, "Sengiyakhumbula! Konkhe lokugcwele nakuhlukaniswa kube tincenye letisihlanu letilinganako kuba yi-⅕ yalokugcwele. Incenye ngayinye yalokugcwele nayihlukaniswa ibe tincenye le-4 letilinganako kuba yi-¼ yalokugcwele."

Uyabaphazamisa Todvwa, "Kodvwa, bangani, ngabe kuchubekani ngemakota ababe Motaung? Emakota akhe vele ayikota yelofu, kodvwa afakwe tintfo letincane ngekhatsi kunalawa akababe Mkhize."

Jabu uyaswaca nakeva loko, wase utsi kubo bonkhe, "Nangabe babe Motaung aba netinkinga bese uyaliyekela libhizinisi lakhe, kusho kutsi babe Mkhize angeke abe nemuntfu lachudzelana naye. Nitawutsini nje nangabe babe Mkhize abuyela kulendlela yakhe yakudzala yekwenta tintfo?"

Kwatsi emva kwemalanga lambalwa, babe Motaung walungiselela kutsengisa kudla kwakhe ngesikhatsi selikhefu. Ukhatsatekile kuletinsuku, baya ngekuncipha bafundzi labatsenga esitolo sakhe.

Uyatibuta, "Kungani bonkhe labantfwana sebatsenga kaMkhize? Ngabe yini lelengaka layentako lengingayenti mine? Ngekukhumbula kwami sitsengisa ikota lefanako ngelinani lelilinganako."

Jabu usendleleni leya esitolo sakababe Mkhize wengca esitolo sababe Motaung. "Sawubona Jabu! Kunjani na? Kumemeta babe Motaung. "Sesikhatsi lesidze ngingakuboni."

Emehlo ababe Motaung bekabuke ikota lebekayiphetse Jabu. Lakunakile kulekota kutsi beyifakwe emashibusi lamanyenti, shizi, ipaloni ne-atja lenyenti. Babe Motaung wavele wamoyitela ngobe besekayibonile imfihlo yaMkhize.

Ngalelinye lilanga boLomusa naTodvwa batsi nabatsenga ikota, babe Mkhize wababhansela ngesipho.

"Asenime kancane, nginiphatsele sipho. Madvute nje ngitawube ngitsengisa titselo esitolo sami. Tsatsani nankha emahhabhula lanongotelako nalanejuzi, nginipha wona mahhala. Ngiyanicela kutsi nitjele nalabanye bangani benu."

Ajabula kakhulu emantfombatana. "Siyabonga babe Mkhize!" basho kanye kanye. Babona kuncono kutsi baphe boJabu, Tito naSicelo.

Todvwa ukhuluma nebafana, "Babe Mkhize usiphe nankha emahhabhula kutsi siphe nalabanye. Utsi ufuna kuwatsengisa esitolo sakhe."

Lomusa ubeka lamahhabhula esitulweni kute bakhone kuwabala. "Kusho kutsi umuntfu ngamunye utawutfola emahhabula lalinganako," kusho Tito. "Kodvwa nangibala kusala linye lihhabhula."

"Asisike lelihhabhula lelisele libe tincenye letintsatfu letilinganako," kuphawula Jabu. "Ngabe tibitwa ngekutsi yini leto tincenye?" kubuta Lomusa.

"Tincenye talokutsatfu! Sika lihhabhula libe tincenye letintsatfu! Tncenye letintsatfu letilinganako," kusho Sicelo ngekutigcabha.

"Hhayi! Asinikeni thishela wetfu weTibalo lelihhabhula lelisele!" kusho Todvwa.

Bangani bavumelana ngekutsi batawunika thishela Nkosi lihhabhula ngemva kwelikhefu.

Ngeliviki lelilandzelako, boJabu naLomusa bebalindzele Todvwa ngesikhatsi selikhefu. Wafika Todvwa nekota yakhe wase utsi, "Bukelani, babe Motaung sewubuyele esimeni sakhe ebhizinisini!"

Todvwa naye ukhombisa yakhe ikota, bobatsatfu bayawacatsanisa. "Hawu! Kusho Jabu, lekota yinkhulu kunekota! Asenibuke onkhe lamashibusi!"

"Ngiyetsemba uyitsenge ngemali leshisiwe?" Ngabe babe Motaung uyitfola njani ipholofithi? kubuta Lomusa ngekulangatelela.

Ngemva kwelikhefu, ngalesikhatsi babuyela eklasini, Todvwa watsatsa bangani bakhe bayofundza ibhodi lenesatiso ngaphandle kwesitolo sababe Motaung.

BoJabu naLomusa abazange betsembe ngalesikhatsi babona loko lebakubona ngemehlo abo, bekufundzeka ngalendlela:

Tfola ikota lenkhulu! Lebita R3 kuphela ngalokungetulu! Incenye yalokutsatfu elofini lenemashibusi lamanyenti nesosi lemnandzi. Kunepaloni NOBE ishizi!