UGus wayeyimfene enkulu. Wayehlala ezu nenye imfene eyayibizwa ngokuthi uGabby. UGus noGabby babenendlu encane ebabelala kuyo kanye nengadi enhle ababedlala kuyo.

Umphathi wezu wayebaphethe kahle oGus noGabby. Wayebanika ukudla okwanele – iklabishi, nethanga, nobhontshisi, nommbila, namawolintshi amaningi, nopopo, namahhabhula kanye … nobhanana! UGus noGabby babethanda ubhanana ukudlula konke okunye ukudla!

“Ngicela ubhanana wokugcina?” kucela uGabby njalo ngemva kwesidlo sasemini. Kanti-ke ngenxa yokuthi uGus wayeyimfene enomusa, wayehlale enika uGabby ubhanana wokugcina.

Ngelinye ilanga, budebuduze nezu, uMnu. van Vliet, isela elalintshontsha izikhwama zokuthenga, wamephuca sikhwama esigcwele ukudla uGogo owayeya esikhumulweni samatekisi.

“Sizani bo! Sizani bo! Buyisa isikhwama sami sokuthenga!” kumemeza uGogo. Kodwa uMnu. van Vliet wavele wakushaya indiva lokho, wabaleka wehla ngomgwaqo.

UGogo wagijima ekhuphuka eya ephoyiseni elalimi ekhoneni lomgwaqo. “Siza bo!” kumemeza yena. “Leya ndoda ingephuce isikhwama sokuthenga!”

“Asiyibambe!” kusho iphoyisa, bobabili bajaha uMnu. van Vliet.

UMnu. van Vliet wababona besezithendeni zakhe, ngakho-ke weqa isango elikhulu, wayowela ngaphakathi ezu.

“Awubheke!” kusho uGogo ehefuzela. “Isela selibaleke langena ezu!”

“Asilibambe!” lisho lihefuzela iphoyisa.
UMnu van Vliet wayengabhekanga lapho eya khona. Weqa udonga wase ewela esihlahleni esinameva engadini kaGus noGabby.

“Ashu!” kusho yena.

Umsindo wavusa uGus noGabby, ababesathatha isihlwathi santambama.

“Ngicabanga ukuthi kukhona umuntu osilethele ubhanana!” kusho uGus.

“Waze wanomusa bo!” kusho uGabby. “Asiye kuye simbingelele.”

Ngakho-ke baya kuMnu. van Vliet. UGus wayeyimfene enenhliziyo enhle futhi eziphethe kahle. Lapho ebona uMnu. van Vliet, wema ngemilenze yakhe yangemuva wase eshaya isifuba sakhe njengesigubhu embingelela.

Lapho uMnu. van Vliet ebona uGus enza lokhu, wethuka kakhulu. Wathatha isikhwama sokuthenga wazama ukweqa udonga.

“Nginikeze ubhanana!” kusho uGus. Kodwa uMnu. van Vliet wayesethe ukukhuphuka kancane ngodonga, ngakho uGus wamdonsa ngonyawo wase emluma ezinqeni ukuze amehlise futhi.

UMnu. van Vliet wawela phansi esihlahleni esinameva. UGus wacosha isikhwama sokuthenga, wase ecinga ngaphakathi kwaso. UGus walahla konke okwakuthengwe uGogo. Kwathi ngaphansi kwezinto ezithengiwe kwaba khona isixheke sobhanana ovuthiwe, ophuzi.

UGus wambambatha uMnu. van Vliet kancane ekhanda. “Ngiyabonga,” kusho yena. UMnu van Vliet akazange athi vu.

“We Gabby,” kusho uGus, “le ndoda enomusa isilethele isixheke esihle sobhanana!” UGabby weza kuGus engqabashiya. Bahlala phansi ndawonye eduze kukaMnu. van Vliet base bedla wonke ubhanana.

UGogo nephoyisa bezwa umsindo. Base belunguza phezu kodonga, babona uMnu. van Vliet elele esihlahleni sameva.

“Naliya isela!” kusho uGogo.

“Nikeza uGogo isikhwama sakhe sokuthenga wena!” kusho iphoyisa.

“Kulungile,” kusho uMnu. van Vliet ethukile. Wacosha zonke izinto ezazithengiwe wazibuyisela esikhwameni sikaGogo. Wase esiphakamisela phezu kodonga wasibuyisela kuGogo.

“Suka!” kusho uGogo. Wase ehamba nesikhwama sokuthenga ukuze ayothenga omunye ubhanana, athole itekisi eliya ekhaya.

UMnu. van Vliet wabheka phezulu ephoyiseni. “Ngiyethembisa ukuthi angeke ngiphinde ngintshontshe isikhwama sokuthenga futhi!” kusho yena. “Ngiyacela bandla, kumele ngiphume la. Ngiyise esiteshini samaphoyisa.”

“Uyabona-ke, Gus,” kusho iphoyisa. “Ubambe isela elaziwayo elintshontsha izikhwama zokuthenga! Ngihambisa uMnu. van Vliet esiteshini samaphoyisa manje, kodwa ngizobuya ngizokubona kusasa ekuseni!”

Ngakusasa ekuseni iphoyisa leza ezu noMphathi Omkhulu Wamaphoyisa kanye nebhendi edlala umculo, nomthwebuli wezithombe kanye nentatheli. Babelandelwa yiqulu labantu. Umphathi wezu wabahola ebayisa engadini kaGus noGabby.

“Siyakwemukela emaphoyiseni, Gus,” kusho uMphathi Omkhulu Wamaphoyisa. “Usuyiphoyisa manje!” Ibhendi edlala umculo yadlala umucu, umthwebulizithombe wathwebula izithombe zikaGus, kwathi intatheli yona yabhala indaba ngoGus nesela elidumile elintshontsha izikhwama zokuthenga. Kwachwaza izihlwele. Umphathi Omkhulu Wamaphoyisa wase enika uGus isixheke esihle kakhulu nesikhulu sobhanana ophuzi.

“Ngiyabonga,” kusho uGus. “Bekulula kakhulu ukubamba isela lezikhwama zokuthenga.” Wayejabule kakhulu, wema ngemilenze yakhe yangemuva wase ezishaya isifuba. Lokho kwenza abantu baphume ngokushesha engadini kaGus noGabby.

UGus noGabby bahlala phansi ukuze badle ubhanana. “Njengoba sengiyiphoyisa nje, ngizoba nomsebenzi omningi okumele ngiwenze!” kusho uGus.

“Yebo,” kusho uGabby ngeqholo. “Kulokhu ungathatha ubhanana wokugcina, Gus.”

“Ngiyabonga, Gabby,” kusho uGus ngesikhathi ezitika ngobhanana.

Veza ubuciko bakho!

Ngemva kokufunda indaba, yenza isiphakamiso sokuthi izingane zakho zenze ezinye zalezi zinto: azunqume ukuthi ngabe isela likutholile yini lokho okulifanele nokuthi ngabe kumele yini likhokhiswe obhanana bakaGogo; azibhale umbhalo ezicabanga ukuthi waphuma ephephandabeni; azilingise indaba.