UMary ubuka izipho, akhumbule ukuthi akazange abonge kuRhino. Uyamfonela kodwa lukhale lungabanjwa. Aphinde futhi, lukhale kanye luvalwe. Azitshele ukuthi mhlawumbe umatasa uRhino lapho ekhona. Upheka ecula namhlanje, injabulo iphuphuma ngaphakathi.

Zihambe izikhathi, afike uyise. Kuthi heqe uvalo. Akazi naye ukuthi wethuswa yini ngoba ubelindele ukuthi uyise uzofika.

“Sawubona, my princess,” kusho uyise engena ebeka izikhiye zemoto etafuleni.

“Yebo baba, usebenze kanjani?”

“Ngisebenze kahle kakhulu, mntanami. Kwaze kwanuka kamnandi! Uphekeni?”

“I-turkey nepapa.”

“Awungiphakele, ngafa indlala.”

Aphake uMary, ambekele etafuleni.

“Ngicela sibonge isidlo,” kusho uMary.

Bavale amehlo.

“Nkosi sibonga lesi sidlo ngoba abanye abantu balala bengadlile. Thina ngomusa wakho usivumele ukuba silale sidlile. Amen!”

“Amen, ndodakazi. Uyazi cishe ngavula amehlo ngadla. Umkhuleko omude kanje?”

“Hawu baba! Ubumude ngaleyo ndlela?”

“Ngizikhalele ngifika, Mary, ngasho ngathi ngilambile. Manje wena uthandaza undendende!”

Bahleke maqede uyise aguquke ebusweni. Akubone lokhu uMary. Ashalaze, asukume.

“Uxolo baba ngisaya ukuyogeza.”

“Awume kancane, hlala phansi. Ngifuna sixoxe.”

Ahlale phansi, sekuthi akazichamele ngenxa yovalo.

“Mary, awudli ngani?”

“Ngisanda kudla isinkwa netiye, Baba.”

“Awusho, ubuye nobani esikoleni?”

“Ng. . .ngibuye noLondi, sibuyiswe umalume wakhe.”

“Ungubani lowo malume?”

“Angimazi.”

“Ubuye nomalume kaLondi noma nendoda kaLondi?”

“U. .uthe ngumalume wakhe. Angazi noma ubengikhohlisa.”

Athule uyise ambuke eside isikhathi.

“Mary?”

“Baba!”

“Nidlule kuphi?”

Athule uMary.

“Ngikhuluma nawe, ngithi nidlule kuphi?”

“Sidlule eMeerensee.”

“Benenzani eMeerensee?”

“UMalume udlule e-garage.”

“Ubenzani e-garage?”

“Ufake u-petrol.”

“Uqambe lani amanga, Mary?”

Aqhaqhazele uMary. Aqale achiphize.

“Ukhalelani?”

“Ngiyaxolisa.”

“Uxoliselani?”

“Ukukhala ngingashayiwe.”

“Udlule kuphi ubuya esikoleni, Mary?”

“Sedlule eMeerensee. Umalume wathela u-petrol, uLondi wacela IKFC.”

“Iphi leyo KFC?”

“Sidle khona e-KFC.”

“Manje ungikhohliselani?”

“Ngiyaxolisa.”

“Uyazi ukuthi ngesikhathi ufona uthi uzobuya noLondi, ngicele umama wakwamakhelwane angitshele isikhathi ozongena ngaso. Bekumele kushaye u-twenty past four sewufikile. Kodwa wena ufike ngo-quarter past five. ULondi akanaye umalume. Ngazi konke ngoLondi. Ungacabangi ukuthi uzozenzela umathanda. Wonke umuntu osondelana nawe ngazi konke ngaye. Kusukela namhlanje, uyehlukana noLondi. Siyezwana?”

“Yebo, baba.”

“Okwesibili, yimina engizokulanda esikoleni. Uma ngingakwazi ukukulanda, ngizocela umngani wami. Siyezwana?”

“Yebo.”

“Gcina ngci ukuhamba noLondi. Siyezwana?”

“Yebo.”

“Ngikhuluma okokugcina ngalento!”

“Ngeke ngiphinde, Baba.”

“Sula izinyembezi ngingaze ngikushaye khona manje!”

Azesule uMary. Ahlale aziqoqe.

“Mary!”

“Baba.”

“Ngivuke nephupho elibi. Ngikhohliwe ukulixoxa ekuseni. Ngikhumbule usufona uthi uzobuya nomalume kaLondi. Anginqabanga ngoba bengazi ukuthi ngizophuma sekuhlwile. Ngiphuphe imoto emnyama ibaleka nawe, ihujwa amaphoyisa. Leli phupho libuye izigaba ezintathu. UThixo akaze angikhohlise, Mary. Ikhona ingozi ekunyonyobelayo. Kusuka namhlanje, awuphuthi esontweni. Siyezwana?”

Athule uMary. Uyise ubeya yedwa emikhulekweni yantambama, amshiye ukuze uMary afunde aphinde apheke. Bebehamba bobabili uma kuyisonto kuphela. Le ndaba yokusonta nsuku zonke ngeke ayimele. Nalemikhuleko iphela phakathi kwamabili.

“Ungizwile Mary? Wathula nje?”

“Yebo, Baba ngizwile. Kodwa ngizowenza kanjani umsebenzi wesikole?”

“Uzowenza uma ubuya esikoleni ngingakafiki.”

“Ngizobe sengiqede nini ukupheka?”

“U-Aunty osiwashelayo nguye osezopheka.”

“Ngizofunda kanjani baba ngingazange ngilale?”

“Mary, siyeza isikhathi lapho uzolala khona umlala wafuthi. Okwamanje zicabele indlela. Ngikunika ithuba lokuxhumana noThixo. Yena uzokulethela ubuthongo. Uma umethemba njalo, uzophasa kahle nasezifundweni zakho. Ngiyabona ukuthi ukusala kwakho wedwa sekunike uSathane ithuba lokuba akuzuze. Ubuya esikoleni, unaka izifundo. Uma ngifika, siyadla, siyageza, siye esontweni. Siyezwana?”

“Yebo, baba.”

“Usungakhululeka uyogeza.”

Egumbini lakhe, uMary ufihla iselula ayinikwe uRhino kanye nezimbali ngaphansi komatilansi. Ubucwebe ubufaka esikhwameni sesikole phakathi encwadini. Aphume eyogeza.

Ubaba wakhe usukuma ngokushesha aqonde egumbini likaMary. Uthulula izincwadi phezu kombhede, baphume buqhasha ubucwebe.

“Ngiyalingwa dadewethu kababa! Ubucwebe obubiza kanje?” kwashisa ikhanda endodeni.

Waqhubeka waphakamisa imicamelo. Wathatha iselula kaMary phezu kombhede wayitoboza. Akukho nombolo yomlisa angamazi. Wangena ku-whatsapp, akunalutho nakhona.

“Mhlawumbe ubucwebe bukaLondi, mhlawumbe ucele ukubufihla kuMary?’ Uzibuza eziphendula ubaba kaMary.

Aphakamise umatilansi.

“Mamo! Impela ngiyalingwa, izi…ha! Kukhona neselula ebiza kanje?”

Ukubeka phezu kombhede konke akutholile, aphume aqonde egumbini lakhe. Ahoshe imvubu. Enye inhliziyo ithi akangene esageza uMary, avulele isibhaxu. Azikhuze; akufanele abone ubunqunu bendodakazi yakhe. Isikhulile manje. Aqonde ekhishini, enze ikhofi.

UMary uqeda ukugeza, athi nhla phezu kombhede. Azibonele ukuthi sekubhedile. Uthatha iselula kaRhino, ayifake ephaketheni, aphume. Ubona uyise ephuza ikhofi, kuhlezi imvubu eduze kwakhe. Usithela ngokushesha, angene egalaji, aphumele ngaphandle.

“Hawu yini, Mary?” kubuza unogada.

“Ngicela uvule masinyane, ubaba ungithumile!” kusho uMary.

Uvula isango unogada, aphume ngejubane uMary. Akazi naye ukuthi uyaphi. Afonele uRhino.

“Rhino, ngicela ungisize bandla ubaba uzongibulala!”

“Kwenzenjani wahefuzela kangaka?”

“Ubaba!”

“Wenzeni?”

“Ubone izipho ongithengele zona.”

“Ha! Manje ukushayile?”

“Ch-cha, kodwa uzongibulala!”

“Ukuphi njengamanje?”

“Ngingaphandle kwaseflethini. Ngiyabaleka!”

“Eish, mina ngise-Durban.”

“Hawu Rhino! Manje mina ngenze njani?”

“Ngizobuye ngifone, ngisazama umngani wami ongalapho.”

***

Uthini umbono wakho: Uzokwenzani ubaba kaMary?