Wawubanda kakhulu umoya wasebusuku. UAmahle noThabo bahamba kulo ndlela inothuli. Kwangoko amagqabi asekwindla ayesele esasazeke yonke lo ndlela.
“Ungatyhafi intliziyo Thabo,” watsho uAmahle. “Utshintsho lusoloko luqala ngabantu abambalwa. Omnye umntu phaya kwaba ubathundezileyo ibingutata wam, ngoko ke ndiza kuthetha naye ndibone ukuba angathundeza abahlobo bakhe na yena bazibandakanye nathi.”
“Kukuba nje andikholelwa ukuba banganikezela lula kanjalo.”
“Banyanzelwe ixesha elide ngabaphathi bemigodi.”
“Kwaye kutheni kungabanga kho mntu unqanda abantwana bangadlali kula manzi?”
“Thabo, kusezilalini apha, hayi edolophini. Abantwana bazihambela nje bekhululekile, uyayazi lo nto.”
“Andikwazi ukungacingi ukuba kwakumele ukuba ndilapha kwakudala ukuza kubanqanda bangadalali kula manzi. Kwakumele–”
“Yeka, Thabo. Yeka ukuzityhola. Eyona nto iphambili kukuba ulapha ngoku, wenza okuthile.”
“Ewe, ndithetha nabantu abangevayo.”
UAmahle wadibanisa ingalo yakhe nekaThabo ngeli xesha behambayo. Kwakumnandi ukusondela kangako kuye. Wayemenza azole. Izinto zazivakala ngathi ziza KULUNGA xa ekho yena.
“Ingcali iza kuza ngomso ukuza kujonga uSipho. Ndiza kukutsalela umnxeba.”
“Enkosi. Andazi ukuba ndingenza ntoni ngaphandle kwakho apha…”
Bahamba umgama bethe cwaka, kuvakala izandi zeecrickets zasebusuku nokutshixiza kwamasele ebapheleka. Ngokukhawuleza bazibona besendleleni eya emlanjeni, nalapho ukukhanya kwenyanga kwakhanyisa amanzi, kwenza kubonakale iipatheni ezimenyezelayo ezikhanyayo. Amanzi ayebonakala ecwengile ebabiza, kwaye ayebonakala emcenga uThabo ukuba adade, nangona kwakukho umoya opholileyo wasekwindla. Kwakunzima ukukholelwa ukuba la manzi ashukumayo ayengcole kangako.
UThabo noAmahle bahlala besondelelene elityeni umzuzwana, bethe cwaka. KuThabo, wayekhululekile eziva kamnandi, njengomoya opholileyo emva kwemini egqatse ubhobhoyi, ukuba azihlalele nje noAmahle phezu komlambo.
“Andikakubuzi nokuba zithini iindaba zakho,” watsho uThabo ekugqibeleni, ephelisa lo nzolo. “Okoko ndithetha ngezam izinto.”
“Eyi, zizinto ezinzima. Ngumntakwenu osesibhedlele,” waphendula uAmahle.
“Ngoko ke … unjani wena? Uyakuthanda ukuba ngumongikazi?”
“Ewe. Ngunyaka wam wokuqala lo emsebenzini. Ndiwuthanda nyhani. Ndicinga njengawe nam, ndiziva ngathi ndinganceda umntu ndenze umahluko ebomini babantu.”
Wancuma uThabo. “Wenza umsebenzi omhle kakhulu. Ndiyabona nam indlela onenkathalo ngayo ngexesha ubujonge uSipho namhlanje.”
Kwafika imbabala encinane emlanjeni. Balibukela lisela, ngokuzolileyo emanzini akhanyiselwe yinyanga. uThabo wayefuna ukukhwaza: Ungaseli! Anetyhefu! Kodwa esi yayisisidalwa sasemlanjeni. Singaphinde siwafumane phi amanzi?
“Kusebusuku.” Waphakama uAmahle.
Ngexesha behamba bebuyela emakhaya ebumnyameni uThabo wolula ingalo yakhe wabamba uAmahle. Yayishushu. Akazange ayitsale. Bahamba kunye bebuyela elalini nasekhayeni lakhe.
“Ndizokubona esibhedlele ngomso,” watsho uAmahle echwayitile.
UThabo wasiyeka kancinane isandla sakhe.
“Ngokuqinisekileyo. Ndiyabulela ngokwanamhlanje.”
* * * * *
Kwakusasa ngosuku olulandelayo, ngaphambi kokuba kuqaliswe umsebenzi emgodini, iqela lamadoda namakhosikazi ayepheleke uThabo ukungena kwisango lomgodi omdala ukuya kuvavanya amanzi edama. Wawakha ngocoselelo ewagalela kwityhubhu yokuvavanya, wayivala ngesivalo, wayiphawula ngokuba yityhubhu.
Kwadlula iintsuku ezimbini ze, emva koko njengoko uThabo wayethekelele, amanzi aneziphumo ezingqina ukuba atyhefekile zibonisa uxinzelelo olumandla lwentsimbi eninzi ne-asidi yesalfa enokubangela umhlaza nezinye izifo.
Ngalo njikalanga, uThabo waya kundwendwela uAmahle nosapho lwakhe eye kubachazela ngeziphumo zovavanyo lwamanzi. Kwakubekwe amaqathana enyama ebhakiweyo eluncuthu mazangwa, ipapa nesaladi etafileni, ze bammema uThabo ukuba atye nabo.
“Ibiyingxoxo ekrelekrele ke leya uyenzileyo ngoba busuku,” watsho utata kaAmahle.
“Enkosi Tata, kodwa ayindifikisanga ndawo – akukho nkxaso evela eluntwini. Kwaye namhlanje bekukubi kakhulu. Ndichithe iiyure ndizama ukwenza idinga noMnu. Van Rensburg. Ndizame noosekela baphathi bakhe, kodwa akukho mntu ufuna ukudibana nam. Emva koko ndizame iSebe leMicimbi yezaManzi kwaye umntu ophetheyo kwezamanzi ebengekho e-ofisini. Kwaqhubeka njalo ke. Iminxeba ijulwa phantsi, iingcango zivalwa ngaphambi kokuba ndivulwe nentunjana nje.”
UThabo wazijula esitulweni sakhe. Amehlo akhe, la adla ngokukhazimla yindzondelelo novuyo, ayebonakala ethe khunubembe enxubile.
“Awukwazi kunikezela ngoku Thabo. Kwenzeke ntoni ngovavanyo lwamanzi?”
“Ndandinyanisile. La manzi angcolisekile ziintsimbi ezinamandla ne-asidi yesalfa. Okwangoku andikazi ukuba inyathelo elilandelayo leliphi,”
“Ingxaki kukuba abantu abasakwazi kakuhle wena. Kudala wahamba uhlala eyunivesithi, ngoku abasakuthembi. Kwa-uluntu okanye amagosa nawo akakuthembi,” watsho utata kaAmahle.
“Kufuneka ndenze ntoni?”
“Ndicinga ukuba kufuneka ndithethe nabantu abathile abanomdla ekuhlaleni. Ndibachazele ngeziphumo zovavanyo, ndibabonise zona. Ukukufumaneka inkxaso eyongeziweyo. Emva koko singaya kuthetha namagosa.”
“Ungayenza lo nto?” watsho uThabo.
“Ewe, ndiza kubiza abanye babo ngobu busuku. Kodwa ndiyakuqinisekisa ndiza kube ndineqela endinalo ngomso. Siza kudibana nawe emgodini.”
“Enkosi Tata, enkosi!”
“Ibalulekile le nto Thabo. Kumele sibulele wena. Unjani ngoku umntakwenu omncinane?”
“Ungcono kakhulu,” watsho uAmahle ngelikhuthazayo. “Bawukhuphe wonke umhlaza.”
“Kumele ukuba abuye ekhaya kungekudala,” watsho uThabo.
“Kwakuhle oko, kwakuhle oko,” watsho utata kaAmahle.
“Kodwa ndikhathazekile ngo-Patrick,” watsho uThabo. “Omnye umhlobo wakhe. Naye wayedlala kula manzi. Akukho mntu kucaca ukuba umbonile. Kudala engasayi esikolweni.”
“Singaya kubatyelela kokwabo,” watsho uAmahle ebamba uThabo ngesandla. “Sakuhamba kunye.”
“Kodwa siza kuqala siye emgodini. Ndiza kuza namadoda sidibane nawe phaya,” watsho uTat’uJola.
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Khawusichazele ukuba ucinga ntoni: Kuqhelekile ukuba uluntu lwasezilalini lungazithembi iinzululwazi ezifunda eyunivesithi nezimvo zabo. Ukuba kunjalo, ngokuba kutheni?