UMaNkomo ebevuna amakhaphetshu yonke le veki. UZibu noThuli noZama bancedisa uMaNkomo esitiyeni sakhe semifuno rhoqo kusasa ngemiGqibelo. Namhlanje abantwana baza kuncedisa ekubaleni nasekupakisheni amakhaphetshu. Bakugqiba utata uMngwevu uza kuthatha iibhokisi zamakhaphetshu aye kuzithengisa emalikeni.

Itekisi yathula abantwana esangweni lesitiya. Babona intaba yamakhaphetshu ecaleni kwetrakhi endala katata uMngwevu. Yhoo! Angaka amakhaphetshu!" wakhuza uThuli esalatha. "Inoba aliwaka xa engakaya!" watsho uZama ehleka. "Soze, nokuba sekusithiwani, inoba ngamakhulu amabini ubuninzi." watsho uZibu ngeliphikisayo.

UMaNkomo ubalinde esangweni. "Mholweni bantwana, andisavuyi nje ukunibona!" watsho ebabulisa ngobubele. "Singasebenza ke ngoku. Kuza kufuneka nibale amakhaphetshu niwafake ezibhokisini. Nifake abeli-12 kwibhokisi nganye. Ndineebhokisi ezingama-20. Ababini kuni bangapakisha iibhokisi ezisi-7 emnye aze omnye apakishe ezi-6."

Abantwana bajikeleza amakhaphetshu bewajongile. Bathetha ngeendlela azahlukeneyo zokuwabala. "Ndicinga ukuba mna ndiza kubala ngoo-2," utshilo uThuli. Mna ndithanda ukubala ngoo-4," utshilo uZama, "kuyakhawulezisa."

"Mna ndiza kubala ngoo-3, nje ukuze ndahluke kuni!" watsho ngelitswinayo uZibu.

Kungekudala bazalisa iibhokisi ezingama-20. "Nisebenzile!" uncomile uMaNkomo. "Jonga, kukho aseleyo. Iihagu zam ziwathanda kakhulu amakhaphetshu, masiziphe kula," utshilo. "Mangaphi amakhaphetshu eniwapakishe ezibhokisini? Mangaphi amakhaphetshu aseleyo?" ubuza abantwana.

Umsebenzi olandelayo ke ngoku ngowokubhala ixabiso lebhokisi nganye ukuze emva koko kuncediswe uMngwevu alayishe kwitrakhi yakhe. Kufuneka bapakishe isiqingatha seebhokisi kwicala elinye letrakhi ze esinye isiqingatha basibeke kwelinye icala ukuze umthwalo ulingane.

"Sesiza kugqiba!" utshilo utata uMngwevu. "Makhe sibone ke, kufuneka sipakishe iibokisi ezingaphi kwicala ngalinye ukuze umthwalo ulingane?"

Ngokukhawuleza zalayishwa zonke iibhokisi ezingama-20 etrakhini. UMngwevu wafudumeza injini yetrakhi waza wayiqhuba wemka ukuya emalikeni. "Ukuba ndinokuzithengisa zonke ezi bhokisi," wazicingela ngaphakathi, "ndinganemali eyaneleyo yokulungisa ihoko yeehagu zam kwaye ndithengele abantwana isipho!"

Efama uMaNkomo nabantwana bankcenkceshela izityalo, batshayela namagqabi. Malunga nentsimbi yeshumi elinambini babedinwe bezimfe. UMaNkomo uthi kubo, "ndiniphathele into emnandi. Qashi-qashi yintoni?"

Ungena endlwini ayokuthatha imfihlo ababekele yona. Abantwana balinde ngomonde ngeli xesha baqashiselayo ukuba uza kuza nantoni. Uthe xa esiza phaya babona iipokotho zefasikoti zifufumele.

Ngubani oqashisele kakuhle? Niza kufumana ntoni namhlanje? Nanko ekhuphela etafileni inqwaba yama-apile. "Benditshilo!" utsho ngelitswinayo uZama. Wathi kubo uMaNkomo, "Nikhumbule ukuba uthini na ke umthetho. Kwabelwana ngokulinganayo. Akukho uza kufuma ngaphezu okanye ngaphantsi kunabanye!"

Abantwana baqale bawabala ngoo-2 ama-apile. Bayabala: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, kwashiyeka iapile elinye. Ewonke ama-apile ali-17.

Emva koko bohlulelana ngokulinganayo. Kushiyeke ama-apile amabini. Abantwana bafake ama-apile abo ezingxoweni ukuze bagoduke nawo. Ufumene ama-apile amangaphi umntwana ngamnye?

"Masiwasike la ashiyekileyo sabelane ngawo," ucebise ngelitshoyo uZama. "Uza kufumana amaqhekeza amangaphi umntu ngamnye? ubuzile uThuli. "Ndiyayazi impendulo," utsho encumile uZibu.

Kanye ngelo xesha ufikile uMngwevu evela emalikeni. Itrakhi yakhe yayilihamte kwaye wayencume olukaBhlankethe.

"Ndiwathengise onke amakhaphetshu. Ngoku ndiza kukwazi ukulungisa ihoko yeehagu ze ndinithengele laa bhola yesoka kudala niyifuna. "Yee-e!" bakhwaza batsho yimincili abantwana."