UKkz. Mahlangu bekavuna ikhabitjhi iveke yoke. UVusi, uNokwazi noGabisile basiza uKkz. Mahlangu esivandeni sakhe njalo ngaboMgqibelo ekuseni.

Namhlanje abantwana bayomusiza ngokubala nokupaka amakhabitjhi. Bese uNom. Mahlangu uzokuthatha amabhoksi wamakhabitjhi ayowathengisa emakethe.

Iteksi yehlisa abantwana eyegeni yesivandeni. Babona indundu ekulu yamakhabitjhi ibekwe eduze nelori edala yakaNom. Mahlangu.

"Wu! Amakhabitjhi amanengi kangaka! kutjho uNokwazi awakhomba. "Kubonakala kunamakhabitjhi ayikulungwana lapha!" kuhleka uGabisile. "Awa! Makhulu ababili ubunengi bawo!"

UKkz. Mahlangu ulindele eyegeni. "Lotjhani noke, ngithabela ukunibona!" ulotjhisa abantwana.

"Kwanjesi asisebenzeni. Nizokubala amakhabitjhi bese niwafake ngemabhoksini, amakhabitjhi ali-12 ngebhoksini elinye nelinye. Nginamabhoksi ama-20. Ababili benu bangapaka amabhoksi a-7 umuntu ngamunye bese munye wenu angapaka amabhoksi a-6."

Abantwana bajama bazungeza indundu yekhabitjhi. Bakhuluma ngeendlela ezihlukeneko zokubala ikhabitjhi.

"Ngiqabanga kobana ngizokubala zami nga-2," kutjho uNokwazi. "Mina ngithanda ukubala nga-4," kutjho uGabisile, "kumsinyana." "Mina ngizokubala nga-3 ukuze ngihluke kunani," kutjho uVusi.

Ngokurhabako abantwana besele bazalise amabhoksi ama-20. "Umsebenzi omuhle!" kubabaza uKkz. Mahlangu. "Qalani, kunamanye amakhabitjhi asaseleko. Iimfarigi zami ziyawathanda amakhabitjhi ngakhoke asabelaneni nazo," uyahlongoza.

"Mangaki amakhabitjhi eniwapake ngemabhoksini? Mangaki amakhabitjhi aseleko?" ubuza abantwana.

Umsebenzi olandelako ngewokutlola inani phezulu kelinye nelinye ibhoksi bese sisiza uNom. Mahlangu ukuwalayitjha elorini yakhe.

Bazokubeka ingcenye yamabhoksi ngehlangothini elinye nenye ingcenye ngakelinye ihlangothi, ukuze umthwalo udzimelele kuhle.

"Sesizokuqeda!" kutjho uNom. Mahlangu. "Asiboneni, mangaki amabhoksi ekufanele siwabeke emahlangothini woke, ukulinganisa nokudizmelelisa umthwalo lo?"

Ngokurhabako woke amabhoksi ama-20 sewakhweziwe elorini. UNom. Mahlangu ufuthumeza i-enjini yelori yakhe bewuya emakethe.

"Nange ngathengisa woke amabhoksi la," uyaqabanga. "Ngingaba nemali eyaneleko yokulungisa iwogo yeemfarigi bengibe nemali yokuthabisa abantwana bami!"

Emuva esivandeni, uKkz. Mahlangu nabantwana bathelelela iintjalo bahariga namakari. Ngesikhathi se-iri letjhumi nambili boke besele badiniwe.

UKkz. Mahlangu uyabatjela, "Sekusikhathi senu sokuthi nginitende. Ningaqagela bonyana nginiphathele ini namhlanje?"

Ungena ngaphakathi uyokuthatha ifihlo yabo. Abantwana bamlinda ngokubekezela ukuthi abuye lokha basaqagela lokho angahle abuye nakho. Lokha nakehla ngendledlana iinkhwama zakhe bezikhukhumele!

"Akhe siboneni kobana beniqagela kuhle! Kunani kwenu namhlanje?" UKkz. Mhlangu ukhupha iinkhwama zakhe zefroskoti begodu iqumbi lamahabhula lawela phezulu kwetafula.

"Uyabona, bengiqinisile!" uGabisile uyaqhotjha. UKkz. Mahlangu utjela abantwana, "Kwanjesi khumbulani umthetho. Yabelanani ngokulinganako! Akekho ozokuthola amanengi nofana amancani kunewabanye!"

Okokuthoma abantwana babala amahabhula nga-2. Babala 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, kusala ihabhula eli-1. Nakawoke aba ma-abhula ali-17.

Okulandelako, babelana amahabhula ngokulinganako. Kunamahabhula amabili aseleko. Abantwana base bafaka amahabhula wabo ngeenkhwameni bazokukhamba nawo emakhaya. Mangaki azokutholwa mntwana ngamunye?

"Asisikeni amahabhula a-2 aseleko bese siwabelane ngokulinganako," kuhlongoza uGabisile.

"Umuntu ngamunye uzokuthola iingcenye ezingaki zamahabhula? kubuza uNokwazi. "Ngiyayazi ipendulo mina!" kumomotheka uVusi.

UKkz. Mahlangu uhlala ayelelisa njalo bona imikhwa nezinye iinkhali eziyingozi singazisebenzisi sisodwa, kodwana sibawe abantu abakhulu kunathi basisize.

Kusenjalo uNom. Mahlangu wafika ekhaya abuya emakethe. Ilori ayinalitho uNom. Mahlangu uyamomotheka. "Ngithengise woke amakhabitjhi. Kwanjesi sengizokwazi ukulungisa iwogo yeemfarigi benginithengele nebholo erarhwako enikade niyifuna leya."

"Yee!" kurhuwelela abantwana.