“Hayi bo, nguban’uHazel?” Ungcali watsho ejonge ilebhile ekwincwadi yam njengoko wayedlula esiya kwigumbi lokuphumla. “Chwayita?”
“Ndim,ndim,” ndatsho ndineentloni.
“Ukusukela nini?” Umama waza kule ndawo ndikuyo. Wandijonga efuna inkcazelo.
“UNksk. Groenewald khange akwazi ukubiza igama lam. Uthi ukubize uHazel.”
“Ngoku? Ingaba utshintsha igama lakho kuba kukho umntu ongakwazi ukulibiza kakuhle?”
“Eyona nto Mama awumazi ungumntu onjani.”
“Andikhathali,” waphakama umama wam. “Ungumntwana wam kwaye elo gama walithiywa ngumakhulu wakho. Awuz’okusuka ulitshintshe nje kuba uNksk. Groenewald ufuna igama elilula.”
Ngoku ndandisoyika. Ndandisazi ukuba ubanjani umama wam kwaye esi sisizathu esibangela ukuba ndingathethi kwasekuqaleni. Umama wam wayengumntu ongawubambiyo umtshini kwaye ndandingasafuni enye ingxaki esikolweni.
“Kodwa Mama wonke umntu ebengenasisa kwaye bonke bahleka ngoku ebezama ukulibiza. Kwenza iitloni.”
“Igama lakho linentsingiselo,”waqala, “kwaye andikhathali nokuba umongameli akakwazi kulibiza, lo nto ayitshintshi gama lakho. Raa, makafunde ukulibiza. Hazel! Susa elo gama kwincwadi yakho. Ndiza kuthetha nenqununu ngale nto.”
Kwaphelela apho. Wahlala phantsi wakhangela itshaneli yakhe ye-TV. Konke ekwakufuneka ndiyenzile yayikukulindela usuku lwangomso xa uLetitia nabo babezokudibana ngam kwakhona.
“Chwaiza, kuqhubeka ntoni? Ingaba uphathwa kakubi?“ wabuza umntakwethu ehleli ecaleni kwam etafileni.
“Hayi, amanye amantombazana nje…mandithi awanasisa kwaye athetha izinto ezigezayo ngeenwele zam,” ngoku ndandisebeza neenyembezi zinditsarha. Ndandingafuni kuuyela kula nto ye-steel wool.
“Bububhanxa obo, loo mantombazana zikhokhonathi, uyawazi anjani. Iinwele zakho zintle kwaye zezendalo. Akufuneki ubeneentloni ngazo. Bubuwena bakho kwaye kufune ubeneqhayiya. Njengokuba kufuneka uzidle ngembeleko yakho kule mpela-veki. Inkcubeko yethu iyinxalenye yethu.”
Ndacinga ngomcimbi. Ndandicinga nje kuphela ngoko kwakuzakuthethwa nguLetitia nabanye abaqaqadekileyo ukuba bathe bava ngawo. Akufuneki bazi kwaphela, ndacinga.
“Ngoku yeka ukulila kwaye ungavumeli abo bafuna ukuzenza ooBarbie bakutyhafise.”
Ungcali wayebalasele. Ndandisazi ukuba wayethetha ngokwenene nayo yonke into awayithethayo yayinyanisekile, kodwa ndandingakwazi ukuzinceda ndandisoyika.
Ndacinga ngam kwisikolo esidala. Ndandingangcangcazeli olu hlobo. Ndandizithanda ndiqinisekile ngam kwaye iinwele zam ndandizithanda ngalo lonke ixesha. Zange ndenziwe ndizive ukuba ‘zimbi’ okanye ‘zimdaka’. Ungcali wayenyanisile, yayiyinxalenye yokuba ndingubani, singoobani. Iinwele zam zazifana nezikamama wam, zinde, zityebile kwaye zithambile. Bekutheni zendingazimeli kula mantombazana? Kwenzeke ntoni kum? UHazel yayingendim.
Ndathatha istikha esitsha ndasibeka phezu kwesokuqala kwiincwadi zam. Ndabhala igama lam ngokupheleleyo: Chwayita Mali ndaze ndalihayilatha kabini mhlawumbi kubekho umntu ongaliboniyo. Ngoku lalicace ngokwaneleyo ukuze wonke lifundeke likude. Uletitia wayengaz’okundenzela phantsi. Ndandikulungele ukulwela igama lam. Ndabanesibindi kakhulu njengoko ndandicinga endandisanda kuxelelwa lusapho lwam. Ndandisazi ukuba andindwedwanga. NdandinoJasmine. Kwaye kumele kubekho nabanye abazeziva ngale ndlela inye. Ndacinga ngoNomthandazo. Naye wayedinga isibindi, azimele kubo.
Ewe, ndizakuzimela. ULetitia yena wayephelelwa.
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Khawusichazele: Ingaba ucinga yinyaniso ukuba inkcubeko yethu iyinxalenye yethu?