Angingedwa

By Refiloe Moahloli and Katlego Keokgale

Morena loves his new school! There are so many fun extramural activities and games to play that he and his friends have set up their own championship. Before school starts and at break Morena and his friends plays marbles, cards, soccer and shoot hoops. After school they take the soccer online or jump into go-karts. Morena is determined to get all the points!

But it isn’t just sports that he excels at, he can come up with a rap song on the spot and has a hilarious idea for an assignment that involves bringing your favourite traditional food to school. He can’t wait to see the teacher’s reaction after the whole class experiences the effects of eating samp and beans!

If there’s one thing Morena takes seriously it is being the captain of his school’s softball team. He is good at pitching and his twin sister Rorisang is an excellent batter. But their team keeps losing! Morena isn’t scared of a challenge, he’ll try his best at any game to be a superstar. How can he help his team to do their best?

A heart-warming story that celebrates family, friendship and working together.

• Language: Zulu
• Publisher: Pan Macmillan South Africa
• Release date: Jul 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9781776251643

Refiloe Moahloli

Refiloe Moahloli is passionate about writing stories that bring out the best in the human spirit, stories where children and the inner child in adults can identify and celebrate themselves. Refiloe grew up in Mthatha in the Eastern Cape. She has a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Information Systems from the University of Witwatersrand and spent the early part of her career navigating the corporate world. An eye-opening assignment to Mumbai eventually led to her pursuing her dream of becoming a full-time writer. She currently lives and works in Johannesburg.

Book preview

Pan Macmillan Children’s Books

www.panmacmillan.co.za

Chapter 1

Lide Ibanga eligijinywayo ukuya enkululekweni

Ubaba ubone kungcono ukuthi siqale ukugijima ndawonye ekuseni. Mina ngingukapteni weqembu le-softball. UBaba uthi kudingeka ukuthi umzimba wami ube sesimeni esihle uma ngifuna ukuholela iqembu lami empumelelweni.

Sengathi uBaba zimshiyile ke-manje. Ngokwejwayekile ngivuka embhedeni sekusele imizuzu eyishumi nanhlanu ngaphambi kokuthi siphume endlini ukuya esikoleni kodwa manje usefuna ngivuke lingakaphumi ilanga?! Okungumsangano kakhulu kulolu hlelo lwakhe ukuthi naye uyakuthanda ukulala njengami.

"Vuka, vuka, vuka! Vuka, Morena!’ UBaba utheleka egumbini lami, akhanyise ugesi, awucishe, awukhanyise awucishe.

‘Hhhaaaaaaayi bo, Baba ... Ekuseni kangaka?’ ngikhononda.

‘Sekuyisikhathi sethu sokugijima,’ kusho uBaba. ‘Sukuma, Sukuma, Sukuma!’

Ngiyozihudula ngiphuma embhedeni.

Ngingqoke, amehlo ami esavalekile. UBaba kumele angiphaphamise ngokungiqhukuluza ngendolowanwe lapho ngifikelwa ubuthongo ngisafasa izintambo zezicathulo. Lapho ngiqeda ukugqoka, ngiyomlandela, yithi labo siyoshona ebumnyameni obulandelwa wukusa.

‘Inkinga yakho ukuzimisela, mfana wami,’ kusho uBaba ngenkathi siphuma ngesango. ‘Unalo lonke ikhono lokuncintisana ezingeni lomhlaba, kodwa lokho ngeke kukuyise ndawo uma ukhohlwa ukuthi uyaphi.’

Ngiyogcinaphi uma ngiqala manje ukuba ngelinye lamaphrojekthi kaBaba? Ngakho-ke ngivele ngavuma ngekhanda ngase ngiwudonsa umzimba wami, ngithatha inyathelo elilodwa ngemuva kwelinye.

Sisagijima njalo sikhuphuka umqansa, imicabango yomdlalo wethu wokuqala we-softball ilokhu yehla ekhanda lami. Inhlekelele enje! Sehlulwa kabuhlugu ngisho nalo iqembu esasidlala nalo lalisidabukela. I-softball yinto entsha esikoleni sethu, kodwa noma kunjalo, ukwehlulwa kabuhlungu kangaka pho, kwakudabukisa.

‘Manje, uzoba ngumholi onjani?’ kubuza uBaba, ephazamisa imicabango yami. ‘Isihlabani noma umdlali othembekile?’

‘Iniiiiiiii?’ Ngihhumuzela, ngilokhu ngihlikihla amehlo ami agcwele ubuthongo.

‘Izihlabani zinamathalente. Nazo ziyakwazi lokho futhi ziyakubonisa. Zikhuthaza abanye ngokuthi zenze kangcono. Noma ... ungaba umdlali othembekile. Yena okungakhathaleki ukuthi unesiphiwo sakhe, uzibona eyingxenye yeqembu. Bobabili bayawenza umsebenzi, wena ukhetha bani?’

‘Aaaaaah, Baba. Ingabe kumele ngikhethe manje? Angikwazi ngisho nokuvula amehlo,’ ngiphendula.

‘Kuzomele ukhethe maduzane, mfana wami. Nehlulwa emdlalweni wenu wokuqala. Sheshisa, kungenjalo abanye bazokukhethela.’

Mhhh. UBaba kumele ake athi ukuphola kancane. Usezinikele kakhulu ekubeni ngukapteni kwami.