Bhala indaba ephathelene nomama othola ubukhulu abubona bukhula endodakazini yakhe esesesikoleni esiphakathi. Qhathanisa umusa wendodakazi nobunzima umama abhekene nabo emsebenzini ngalolo suku. Yenza indaba ibe nothando nokumangala.
Ngakho namuhla ngiye ekilasini likaMaddie ukuze ngibe umqaphi wesidlo sasemini. Ufunda ibanga lesi-9, kodwa ufunda esikoleni esincane, ngakho wonke umuntu wayehlala endaweni encane... edlala amakhadi noma i-MahJong, edla izinto ezibhakiwe abazithole ekuthengisweni kwezitolo ezisezansi, futhi ngokuvamile, eseyizingane. Angivamile ukuya esikoleni sakhe, kodwa uMads wayebonakala ejabule kakhulu, futhi enesimo sakhe. Kwakumnandi ukuyibona. Mina, ngakolunye uhlangothi, nganginenkinga enkulu emsebenzini, futhi lapho ngifika, ngangibheka ucingo lwami ukuze ngithole izibuyekezo futhi ngizama ukulwa impi yeqembu lami elisha engatshelwa ukuthi kwakungafanele neze ukuba ngiyilwe. Yiqiniso, lesi seluleko asizange sinakwe, ngoba "uma kunentaba okufanele ngife kuyo" ngizohamba ngiyoziphonsa phansi esiqongweni sayo ngendlela ephumelelayo ngangokunokwenzeka. Ngakho ngangilwa Impi Engenakunqotshwa, futhi indodakazi yami yayengamele iqembu labafana ababedla ama-brownies futhi bekhetha ukudla kwabo kwasemini okunempilo futhi behleka ngenkathi beqoqa amathayili abo aseShayina... futhi ngangikhungathekile kakhulu ngomphumela wokulwa kwami kokuthula, esikrinini, emsebenzini okude kangangokuthi angizange ngisho ngiphawule izinyembezi eziphuma emehlweni ami, noma iqiniso lokuthi ngangihleli phakathi kwegumbi eligcwele intsha. Ngicabanga ukuthi okuwukuphela kwento enhle ngokukhala egumbini eligcwele intsha ngesikhathi sokudla kwasemini ukuthi akuvamile ukuba kube nguwe kuphela okhalayo... ngakho-ke yilokho. Ngakho ngahlala lapho, nginenkampani enhle, nginamahlombe abuthakathaka futhi ngizama konke okusemandleni ami ukuba ngingayisuli iminwe yami manje eshisayo emkhonweni wami. Futhi-ke ukugcina ukumamatheka noma nini lapho uMaddie engibheka, ngoba uNkulunkulu uyazi ukuthi ngangikhona kuphela ukuqinisekisa ukuthi akekho owaguqula itafula (kodwa ngobuqotho, kwakungekho okunye okuningi, njengoba lezi zingane zazizimele futhi ziziphatha kahle ngendlela eshaqisayo kulokho engikukhumbulayo ebangeni lesi-9) futhi into yokugcina engangiyifuna kwakuwukuyihlazisa indodakazi yami ngesikhathi sesidlo sasemini esikoleni. Kodwa uMaddie wayemi lapho eceleni kwesihlalo esincane sombhede engangihleli kuso, futhi wathi, "Mama, hamba". Futhi ngahamba. Futhi wahlala phansi. Akazange angibuze ukuthi yini eyayingalungile; wayesezwile kakade ukukhononda kwami ngaphambi kokuba aye esikoleni namhlanje ekuseni mayelana nosizi lomsebenzi engangibhekene nalo namuhla. Esikhundleni salokho, wagoba wangigona kakhulu, phambi kwabo bonke ababenake - okwakubonakala sengathi kwakungabantu bonke - futhi wangiduduza ngokuthi "Konke kuzolunga" nokuthi "Noma kunjalo, angizange ngilindele lezi zinto emsebenzini wami manje". Wabe esevuka wabuyela endaweni yakhe etafuleni lokugembula, engahlosile sengathi wayesanda kuphuza emthonjeni wamanzi, futhi ngacabanga ukuthi indodakazi yami eyeve eshumini nambili yayisanda kungigona emphakathini, ekamelweni lokudlela lesikole esiphakeme, phambi kwamasonto amabili enye intsha engangingakaze ngiyihlangabeze, futhi ayizange ivuke. Ngemva kwamahora amathathu, indaba yasemsebenzini yagcina iyinhle kakhulu; kwavela ukuthi ukufa kuleloGquma kwasindisa inhlangano. Ngangijabule kakhulu ngalokho. Kodwa ingxenye enhle yosuku kwakuwukuqaphela okungenakuphikwa ukuthi uMaddie akanasibindi, unomusa, futhi uyazethemba, futhi uzimisele ukweqa imingcele nokwenza izinto ezinzima. Uzoba uMandla Emvelo. Eqinisweni, kakade usekhona.