Nali elinye icala lokuchama embhedeni. Umfana naye uneminyaka engu-12. Ubaba wayeka ukukhuluma nendodana yakhe, akazange akhulume nayo. Lapho unina emletha kimi, ngacela uJim ukuba ahlale endlini yokulinda lapho sikhuluma nonina. Engxoxweni yami naye, ngafunda amaqiniso amabili abalulekile. Uyise womfana wachama ebusuku waze waba neminyaka engu-19 ubudala, kanti umfowabo kanina waphathwa isifo esifanayo waze wahlanganisa iminyaka engu-18 ubudala.
Umama wazisola kakhulu ngendodana yakhe futhi wacabanga ukuthi inesifo sofuzo. Ngamxwayisa, “Ngizokhuluma noJim khona manje. Lalela kahle amazwi ami futhi wenze njengoba ngisho. Futhi uJim uzokwenza noma yini engimtshela yona.”
Ngashayela uJim ucingo ngathi: “Umama wangitshela konke ngenkinga yakho futhi nawe, yebo, ufuna konke kukuhambele kahle. Kodwa lokhu kudinga ukufundwa. Ngiyazi indlela eqinisekile yokomisa umbhede. Yebo, noma yikuphi ukufundisa kuwumsebenzi onzima. Khumbula ukuthi uzame kanzima kangakanani lapho ufunda ukubhala? Ngakho-ke, ukufunda indlela yokulala embhedeni owomile, kuzothatha umzamo omncane. Yilokhu engikubuza wena nomndeni wakho. Umama uthe ujwayele ukuvuka ngehora lesikhombisa ekuseni. Ngicele umama wakho ukuthi asethe i-alamu ngehora lesihlanu. Uma evuka uzongena ekamelweni lakho ezwe amashidi. Uma imanzi iyakuvusa, uye ekhishini, ukhanyise isibani, uqale ukopishe incwadi ebhukwini. Ungakhetha incwadi ngokwakho. UJim ukhethe iNkosana kanye noMfokazana.
“Nawe-ke mama, uthe uyathanda ukuthunga, ukufekethisa, ukuluka kanye nokufaka ama-quilts ama-quilt. Hlala phansi noJim ekhishini bese uthunga buthule, ulukiwe noma ufekethise kusukela ngehora lesihlanu kuya kwelesikhombisa ekuseni. Ngehora lesikhombisa uyise wayevuka agqoke, futhi ngaleso sikhathi uJim wayezobe esezilungisile. Bese ulungisa isidlo sasekuseni futhi uqale usuku olujwayelekile. Njalo ekuseni ngehora lesihlanu uzozwa umbhede kaJim. Uma kumanzi, uvusa uJim bese uthule umyisa ekhishini, uhlale phansi lapho uthunga, uJim akopishe incwadi. Njalo ngoMgqibelo uzoza kimi nencwajana yokubhala.”
Ngabe sengicela uJim ukuba aphume futhi ngathi kunina, “Nonke nikuzwile engikushilo. Kodwa angiphindanga ngisho into eyodwa. UJim ungizwe ngikutshela ukuthi uhlole umbhede wakhe futhi, uma umanzi, umvuse futhi umyise ekhishini ukuze uyibhale kabusha incwadi. Ngelinye ilanga kuyofika ekuseni umbhede wome. Uzophindela embhedeni wakho bese ulala kuze kube yihora lesikhombisa ekuseni. Bese uvuka, uvuse uJim futhi uxolise ngokulala kakhulu.”
Ngemva kwesonto umama wathola ukuthi umbhede womile, wabuyela ekamelweni lakhe, kwathi ngehora lesikhombisa exolisa, wachaza ukuthi ulale ngokweqile. Umfana wafika ekuqokweni kokuqala ngoJulayi, futhi ekupheleni kukaJulayi umbhede wakhe wawusomile njalo. Nonina wayelokhu “evuka” exolisa ngokungamvusi ngehora lesihlanu ekuseni.
Incazelo yokusikisela kwami yafinyelela eqinisweni lokuthi umama wayehlola umbhede futhi, uma wawumanzi, khona-ke "kudingeka uvuke futhi ubhale kabusha." Kodwa lesi siphakamiso sasibuye sibe nencazelo ehlukile: uma yomile, akudingeki ukuthi uvuke. Phakathi nenyanga, uJim wayesenombhede owomile. Futhi uyise wamyisa ukudoba - umsebenzi ayewuthanda kakhulu.
Kulokhu, kwadingeka ngisebenzise ukwelashwa komkhaya. Ngacela umama ukuthi athunge. Umama wazwelana noJim. Futhi lapho ehlezi ngokuthula eduze kokuthunga kwakhe noma ukunitha, ukuvuka ekuseni aphinde abhale incwadi uJim akazange abonwe njengesijeziso. Usanda kufunda okuthile.
Ekugcineni ngacela uJim ukuba angivakashele ehhovisi lami. Ngihlele amakhasi abhalwe kabusha ngokulandelana. Ebheka ikhasi lokuqala, uJim ecasukile wathi: “Yeka iphupho elibi! Ngigeje amagama ambalwa, ngapela kabi amanye, ngageja yonke imigqa. Ibhalwe kabi." Sadlula ikhasi nekhasi, futhi uJim wayeya ngokuya efiphazwa ubumnandi. Ukubhala ngesandla nesipelingi kuthuthuke kakhulu. Akazange aphuthelwe igama noma umusho. Kwathi ekupheleni komshikashika wakhe wayesenelisekile kakhulu.
UJim waqala ukuya esikoleni futhi. Ngemva kwamasonto amabili noma amathathu, ngangimfonela ngimbuza ukuthi kwakuhamba kanjani esikoleni. Waphendula: “Izimangaliso nje. Ngaphambili, akekho owayengithanda esikoleni, akekho owayefuna ukuhlala nami. Ngangidabuke kakhulu futhi amamaki ami emabi. Futhi kulo nyaka ngikhethwe ukapteni weqembu le-baseball futhi nginabahlanu nabane kuphela esikhundleni sabathathu nababili. Ngisanda kugxilisa uJim kabusha ekuzihloleni kwakhe.
Futhi ubaba kaJim, engangingakaze ngimbone futhi owayengayinaki indodana yakhe iminyaka, manje uhamba naye edoba. UJim akenzanga kahle esikoleni, futhi manje usethole ukuthi uyakwazi ukubhala nokubhala kahle. Futhi lokhu kumenze wazethemba ukuthi angadlala kahle futhi azwane namaqabane akhe. Lolu hlobo lokwelapha lufanele uJim.