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Story cornerSefudi's SadnessSefudi likes towonder aboutthings, andbefore theSadness cameto settle in hisheart, he liked todraw. He didn’thave paper andpencils but he drew with sticks and reeds and pieces of coal. He drewon his hands. He drew on his legs. He drew on the stones outside. Heeven drew on the walls of his house when his father wasn’t looking.Before the Sadness came, there were many days that Sefudi’s motherwas so sick that she couldn’t get out of bed. Every day the sicknessstole more of the colour from her face and more of the flesh from herbones and more of the life out of her body. Until one day Sefudi heardthe saddest voice that ever-there-was. It was a voice made strangeby the sadness, but it was the voice of his father. The voice said, “Yourbeloved mother has gone.”After that the sunshine wentout of Sefudi’s heart and thesounds of laughter went out ofhis house and he didn’t wantto draw. Ever again. The achein his heart was MUCH biggerthan the ache in his tummywhen he had not eaten forthe whole day. His heartachewas so big that it took threeyears before the river of tearsstarted spilling out of him.Illustrations by Donvé LeeImifanekiso ngu-Donvé LeeOn that day Sefudi was lying in his bed staring out the window. Abig silvery moon was rising in the sky and a blanket of night wasspreading over the world around him. He was feeling sleepy and hewas wondering about something strange that a silly boy at schoolhad said. This boy, who always thought he knew everything, had said,“Whoever fetches and carries wood on a Sunday will be sent to live onthe moon forever”.Sefudi wondered if people could really live on the moon. He wasalways wondering about things and he wondered about this for along time until he fell asleep. While he slept he had a dream. In hisdream he saw a lady on the moon carrying a bundle of wood on herhead. In his dream he called out “LADY ON THE MOON, LADY ON THEMOON, IS MY MOTHER THERE WITH YOU? IF SHE IS, PLEASE SEND HERBACK TO ME.”Ithuba lokubalisaIintsizi zika-SefudiUSefudi uyathanda ukuthabatheka zizinto. Phambi kokuba iiNtsizizimfikele, wayethanda ukuzoba. Wayengenalo iphepha neepensilezokuzoba, wayesebenzisa izinti, iingcongolo kunye nomsizi wamalahleukuzoba. Wayezizoba izandla, azizobe imilenze, azobe nakumatyeayengaphandle kwikhaya lakhe. Wayede azobe nasezindongenizendlu yakokwabo akuba kude neliso likatata wakhe.Phambi kokuba zimfikele iiNtsizi, umama wakhe uSefudi kwakuselekulithuba egula kangangokuba wayengasakwazi nokuphakamaemandlalweni wakhe.Njengokuba iintsuku zazisiya zihamba, nempilo yakhe yayisiba nkenenkenengokuba nkene-nkene. Isigulo sakhe sasiyixhwitha inyamaemathanjeni akhe, nobomi emzimbeni wakhe. Kwathi ngenye iminiehleli uSefudi, weva elona lizwi lakha lalusizi. Yayililizwi elavakalalingaqhelekanga, phofu lisenziwa lusizi, yayililizwi likatata wakhe.Lavakala elo lizwi lisithi, ”Umama wakho oyintandane usishiyile.”Emva koko, latshona emini ilanga kuSefudi, ukuhleka nolonwabozaphela ekhayeni lakhe, waphelelwa ngumdla wokuzoba. Waphelanya. Intlungu entliziyweni yakhe yayinzimakunentlungu awayeyiva esiswinisakhe xa wayethe akafumanakutya imini yonke.Intlungu entliziyweni yakheyayinzima kangangokubakwamthatha iminyakaemithathu yonke phambikokuba umlamboweenyembezi uqaleukuphuphuma emehlweni akhe.Ngayo le mini uSefudi wayengqengqile emandlalweni wakhe,ejonge nzo phandle ngefestile. Esibhaka-bhakeni kwakuvelainyanga enkulu ebusilivere, ingubo yobusuku yayisele iqalaukugubungela konke okumngqongileyo. Ubuthongo babusithisebe-sebe ngexesha ecinga into ebithethwe yenye inkwenkwanaesikolweni. Le nkwenkwana, nebisoloko izicingela njengeyonaihlakaniphileyo apho esikolweni yaye yathi kuye, “Umntu othiaye kutheza ngeCawe uya kuhlala enyangeni, umphelo.”USefudi wakhe wayicingisisa le nto, ‘Ingaba kuyinene ukuba abantubangahlala enyangeni?’ Wayethanda ukuthabatheka zizinto, azicingisisenzulu. Wayicingisisa nale into, de wabiwa bubuthongo, walala. Utheelele njalo, waphupha. Ephupheni lakhe umama othwele inyandayeenkuni. Ephupheni lakhe ukhwaze wathi, “MAMA OSENYANGENI,MAMA OSENYANGENI, INGABA NOWAM UMAMA ULAPHO KUNYENAWE NA? UKUBA ULAPHO, NCEDA UMBUYISELE KUM.”In your next Nal’ibalisupplement:Can’t wait until next week for more reading and story tips, tools andinspirational ideas? Visit www.nalibali.org or find us on Facebook:www.facebook.com/nalibaliFind uson Twitter:@nalibaliSifumanekuTwitter:@nalibaliKwihlelo elilandelayoleNal'ibali:Uyingxamele ngeyona ndlela iveki ezayo ukuze ufumane amanyeamacebo okufunda nawamabali kunye neembono ezichulumancisayo?Ndwendwela e www.nalibali.org okanye sifumane kwi-Facebook:www.facebook.com/nalibaliSupplement produced by The Project for the Study of Alternative Education in South Africa (PRAESA) and Avusa Education. Translations by Masihlangane Communications.4