Sekuza kuba lixesha lekhefu kwisikolo samabanga aphantsi saseSiyafunda. Abanini bezirhoxo ezisesikolweni balungiselela ukuthengisela abantwana abalambileyo ukutya.

Kwisirhoxo sikatata uThandabantu sesisikwe kakuhle isonka saziikota. Akuba ezisikile, ukhupha ngobunono umphakathi wesonka kwikota nganye. Akugqiba ufaka ipaloni neetshiphusi kuloo mphakathi uholoholo. Utata Thandabantu ugalela amacephe amabini aqongileyo e-atsha eyenziwe yinkosikazi yakhe ekhaya. Ungamva eqhayisa ngezo kota zakhe kuba ezigalela i-atsha ngaphakathi nangaphezulu!

Kwisirhoxo sikatata uMpandla azikalungi ncam iitshiphusi kwaye usasika isonka ukulungiselela iikota zakhe. Ukhathazekile kuba azimhambeli kakuhle kwesi sirhoxo sakhe. "Izinto ziqale kakuhle," wacinga ngelitshoyo. "Kodwa ngoku bancipha ngokuncipha abathengi. Noxa kunjalo ndiyazicutha iindleko zam ngokusika iikota ezintlanu kwilofu enye."

UJabu noZodwa baya kuthenga ukutya. UZodwa uthenga kwatata uMpandla. UJabu yena uthenga kwisirhoxo sikatata uThandabantu. Kaloku uthi ikota katata uThandabantu ineetshiphusi eziliqela neatsha eninzi kunezikatata uMpandla.

Umgca wabathengi uhlala umde kwivenkile yakwaThandabantu. UZodwa uthenga msinya aze alinde uJabu. Nabo abahlobo abakhulu besiya kuhlala phantsi komthi ukuze batye iikota zabo.

UZodwa uqaphela nto kwisonka sikaJabu nethi imenze afing' iintshiyi. "Yehaa ke, ujonge ntoni kangaka?" ubuzile uJabu. "Ikota yakho! Inkulu kuneyam," utshilo uZodwa.

Nabo ke beqwalasela iikota zabo bobabini. Ngenene, ekaJabu inkulu kuneyakhe. "Kukho into engalunganga apha," utshilo uZodwa. "Uthi asingonobangela wokuba kukhale ibhungane kwivenkile katat' uMpandla? UJabu ukhe wacinga kancinane waza waphendula ngelithi, "Uyazi, ndikhe ndeva abanye abantwana besithi babone utat' uMpandla esika isonka sakhe sibe ngamaqhekeza amahlanu eekota!"

UNomsa uthe kanti uyabeva uJabu noZodwa ngeli xa bancokolayo, wanomdla. Wasondela waza wabuza ukuba yintoni engalunganga xa esika ilofu ibe ziikota ezintlanu. UZodwa noJabu baphendula ngaxeshanye, "Ikota yikota yelofu kaloku!" UNomsa wakhangeleka engayiqondi le nto waza uZodwa wamcacisela, "Kaloku kufuneka ilofu uyisike ibe ngamaqhekeza alinganayo amane. Ukuba akunjalo ayisezokota ezo."

Yamcaphukisa le nto uNomsa kuba naye uthenga kwatat' uMpandla. "Xa kunjalo uyasibela anditsho!" watsho ekhwaza. Wakhawuleza uZodwa waya kwisirhoxo sikaMpandla kwangoko esiya kukhalaza. Wathi gxashi-gxashi eyibambele phezulu loo kotana yakhe. Nanko uNomsa erhorhozela emva kwakhe. UJabu walandela abahlobo bakhe ehlunguzela intloko.

Utat' uMpandla uye wadana akubona ukuba aba bathengi bangenayo abazanga kuthenga. "Mholweni kwakhona bantwana bam," wambombozela watsho, "ndinincede ngantoni?"

"Tat' uMpandla, ndicele ikota kwaye ndakuhlawula imali yekota. Kodwa asiyiyo ikota le undithengisele yona," watsho uZodwa embonisa ikota yakhe. "Ndicela ikota okanye ndicela undibuyisele imali yam," watsho ngeliqavileyo.

"Injalo loo nto tat' uMpandla? Ubusiqhatha ixesh' eli?" wabuza uNomsa ekhathazekile. Bathi wayi-wayi nabanye abantwana evenkileni benomdla wokuva ezi zityholo zibekwa uMpandla. Yena wafane wawangawangisa izandla zakhe ezama ukukhanyela. "Ayikho loo nto, nifuna ukuthini ngam?" waqhankqalaza watsho. "Ndingayenza njani into enjalo! Phumani niphele evenkileni yam, ngoku!"

UZodwa wathetha ngelizolileyo wathi, "Ubonanje Tata, siza kuxelela wonke umntu ngale nto uyenzayo. Kwaye ezo ndaba ziza kunwenwa okomlilo wodobo kuso sonke esi sikolo. Uya kunyanzeleka uyivale le venkile yakho. Akukho mntu uya kuze aphinde aze kuthenga apha!" UMpandla wajonga aba bantwana bathathu bami phambi kwakhe. Wajonga negquba labafundi elanda ngokwanda phambi kwevenkile yakhe.

"Kulungile," utshilo ngelingeni, "ndiza kukunika imali yakho. "Ngaphezu koko sithembise ukuba uya kusika iikota kwilofu nganye ibe yikota," watsho uJabu ngokuzimisela. Uthembisile uMpandla emanyonywana. Wathinta into esemqaleni waza wakhwaza ukuze kuve wonke umntu, "kwaye ndiyathembisa ukuba ndiza kuyongeza iatsha neetshiphusi kwiikota zam."

Ngenene utat' uMpandla wazongeza iitshiphusi neatsha kwiikota zakhe. Banda ngokukhawuleza abantwana abathenga kuye, saze saphinda saqhuba kakuhle isirhoxo sakhe. Wade waqesha nomntu oncedisayo.

Ngoku kukho ukhuphiswano olwakhayo phakathi kukaThandabantu noMpandla kwaye konwabe wonke umntu.