KwakungoLwesibili futhi kungafundwa. Zonke izingane zazizohlanganela emtatsheni wezincwadi ngoba kwakuwusuku olukhethekile. KwakuwuSuku Lomhlaba Wonke Lokwazi Ukufunda Nokubhala kanti abantu emhlabeni wonke babezofunda, babhale, futhi balalele izindaba ngalo lona lolo suku.

UNeo wayegcwele injabulo. Umbhali wakhe amthandayo, uJoan Rankin, wayezoba khona emtatsheni wezincwadi ezofunda izincwadi azibhalile, futhi ubaba wakhe wayethembise indodakazi ukuthi uzoyihambisa iyombona. UNeo wayebhale incwadi ekhethekile ngaye, futhi wayengasakwazi ukulinda ukumnika yona.

Kodwa lapho uNeo evuka ngoLwesibili ekuseni, kwakukhona umsindo oxakile ophuma ekhishini. Wayobheka. Umshini wokuwasha wawenza umsindo okhehlezelayo, ofuze ukukhwehlela, kwakungathi uzoqhuma.

Ubaba kaNeo wazobheka. “Ohhe!” kusho yena. “Kungenzeka ukuthi kufe iphampu. Kuzobiza ukuyilungisa. Kungenzeka kudingeke ukuthi sithenge umshini wokuwasha omusha.”

“Angeke sikwazi ukuthenga umshini wokuwasha omusha,” kusho umama kaNeo. “Ngeke kodwa wawulungisa, bandla? Kumele ngiye emsebenzini, futhi kunezingubo eziningi ezingcolile.”

Ubaba wayengathandi ukubona umama kaNeo ephatheke kabi kangaka, ngakho wathi, “Ngizowulungisa. uNeo uzongisiza. Ngizothola isizindalwazi esizongikhombisa ukuthi ilungiswa kanjani imishini ephukile.”

“Kodwa Baba, ubungithembise ukuthi sizoya emtatsheni wezincwadi,” kusho uNeo.

“Kuzomele kume kancane lokho, Neo. Ubaluleke kakhulu umshini wokuwasha. Mhlawumbe angakuhambisa uGogo,” kusho uBaba.

“Ngiyaphuma nami namhlanje,” kusho uGogo, enikina ikhanda lakhe. “Ngiyaxolisa, Neo. Kuzomele uye ngesonto elizayo.”

UNeo waphatheka kabi kakhulu. “Kodwa, Baba, ubungithembisile ukuthi uzongisa emtatsheni wezincwadi,” kusho yena. “Kumele sihambe masinyane nje.”

UBaba walanda ibhokisi lakhe lamathuluzi wase ecinga ikhasi ku-google kumakhalekhukhwini wakhe lapho okuthi khona: “Ilungiswa kanjani iphampu yomshini wokuwasha”.

“Nanti,” esho kuNeo, emkhombisa ikhasi. “Lokhu akubukeki kunzima kakhulu.” Wabe esedonsa umshini wokuwasha, wase ewuphendula ukuze akwazi ukuwuvula ngemuva.

Kodwa ukulungisa umshini kwakunzima kunendlela okwakubukeka ngayo.

“Kunomdwebo lapha,” kukhonona uBaba, ebheke ucingo lwakhe. “Kodwa mncane kakhulu, angikwazi ukubona ukuthi yini engena kuphi.”

Kusenjalo uBaba wawisa esinye isikru esagingqika sayongena ngaphansi kwefriji, kwadingeka ukuthi asuse ifriji ukuze akhiphe isikru. UNeo wabuka iwashi. Kwase kugamenxe ihora lesishiyagalolunye. Kusele isigamu sehora ngaphambi kokuba kufike uJoan Rankin emtatsheni wezincwadi.

“Ngiyakucela bandla, Baba,” esho, egxuma ngalo omlenze abuye agxume ngomunye. “Ngicela, usheshise ukuze sikwazi ukuya emtatsheni wezincwadi. Kumele sihambe manje.”

“Ngimatasatasa la futhi awungisizi ngalutho, Neo!” UBaba wayebukeka ethukuthele.

UNeo wayephatheke kabi. Ubaba wakhe wayemthembise ukumhambisa, kodwa manje kwakungasahambi ngokohlelo.

“LUTHO, LUTHO, LUTHO,” kumemeza uBaba. “Angikukholwa lokhu!”

“Yini?” Kubuza uNeo ngezwi elincane.

“Seliyaphela ibhethri locingo lwami!” kumemeza uBaba. “Ngicela ungilandele ishaja.”

Kodwa kwathi kusenjalo kwathi nyampu ugesi.

“Ohhe,” kusho uNeo. “Sekuhambe nogesi.”

Ubaba wayebukeka ethukuthele kakhulu. “Lolu nguLwesibili olubi kunabo bonke. Bese ngiphakathi nokulungisa umshini kodwa manje angisakwazi ukufunda ukuthi yini elandelayo okumele ngiyenze.”

UNeo wanqekuzisa ikhanda. “Yebo, nguLwesibili olubi kunabo bonke. Awukwazi ukulungisa umshini, kanti nami ngizophuthelwa nguJoan Rankin,” kodwa akabange esaqhubeka ngoba wayebona ukuthi uBaba uthukuthele kakhulu. UNeo wazilahlela etafuleni lasekhishini wafihla ikhanda lakhe ngezingalo.

UBaba waqoqa amathuluzi akhe. “Akukho okutheni esingakwenza njengamanje,” kusho yena.

UNeo waphakamisa ikhanda lakhe kancane. Iwashi lalithi kusele imizuzu eyishumi ngaphambi kokushaya kwehora leshumi. Babesengakwazi ukufika emtatsheni wezincwadi – bazofika ngemva kwesikhathi, kodwa uzokwazi ukubona uJoan Rankin futhi uzokwazi ukumnikeza isipho sakhe. Waphenya amakhasi encwadi encane ayeyenzile. Wayebhale indaba futhi wadweba izithombe, kanti uGogo wayemsize ukuthi ayihlanganise kanye nangokwenza ikhava. UBaba wayezama ukwehlisa umoya. Wacosha incwadi kaNeo. “Yini le, Neo?” kubuza yena.

“Incwadi yami,” kusho uNeo ngezwi elincane, “bengizoyinikeza umbhali engimthandayo, e …” Akazange awuqede umusho.

“Woza,” kumemeza uBaba, ethatha izikhiya zakhe zemoto. “Kumele sihambe MANJE! Sisengakwazi ukufika ngesikhathi emtatsheni wezincwadi uma nje singasheshisa.”

UJoan Rankin wayeseqalile ukufundela izingane indaba yakhe ngesikhathi uNeo noBaba wakhe bengena emtatsheni wezincwadi begijima. UNeo wathola isihlalo emuva wase ehlala phansi ukuze alalele. Yayimnandi indaba kaJoan, kanjalo nezithombe zakhe. UNeo wayefisa sengathi angakwazi ukudweba njengaye ngelinye ilanga.

Kambe yini eyabanhle nakakhulu? Lapho eseqedile nangemva kokuba uNeo esemkhombise incwadi yakhe, wacabanga ukuthi iyisimanga.

“Ngabe yonke le ndaba ibhalwe nguwe wedwa ngempela?” kubuza yena.

“Yebo,” kusho uNeo. “Kanti ngidwebe nezithombe futhi. Yisipho sakho, Mama.”

UJoan Rankin wabe esevula isikhwama sakhe wase ekhipha enye yezincwadi zakhe. Ngaphakathi kwayo wabhala ukuthi, “EkaNeo, obhala izincwadi ezimnandi”, wase esayinda igama lakhe ngamagama amakhulu, wase emnikeza yona.

Yayichichima injabulo kaNeo. Wankonkoshela incwadi engafuni ukuyidedela.

Kuthe kusenjalo kweza uBaba. “Angeke ukukholwe lokhu,” kusho yena. “Ngithole incwadi emayelana nokuthi ikhandwa kanjani imishini yokuwasha, ake ubheke nje – imidwebo mikhulu futhi icacile. Kungani ungangitshelanga ukuthi umtapo wezincwadi unezincwadi ezifana nale, Neo?”
UBaba wawola uNeo. “Izincwadi zinhle kakhulu. Amabhethri azo awapheli, futhi ungazifunda noma kusahambe ugesi.”

UNeo wamamathekiswa yinjabulo wase enqekuzisa ikhanda. Kwakuyiqiniso elimsulwa lelo. Ungafunda incwadi noma yikuphi futhi noma yinini.