“Iindaba ezimnandi kangaka! Olu ibe lusuku olumnandi,” watsho uMoses Khoabane, engena egibiseleka kwigunjana elincinane langaphambili kwindlu yakhe.
UPhindile, inkosikazi yakhe, wamjonga ephakamisa ubuso ngoncumo. “Yintoni, Moses?” Wayekuqhelile ukudlamkela ubomi komyeni wakhe, ubuntu bakhe ngendalo, uncumo awayesoloko ebulisa usuku ngalunye ngalo. Naxa amaxesha enzima, uMoses wayekwazi ukufumana icala elikhanyayo ebomini.
“Akunakuqashisela ukuba ndidibene nabani na namhlanje endleleni. Kanye phaya, njengokuba ndisiza apha ekhaya nje.”
“Ndixelele,” watsho uPhindile. “Kodwa ke hlala phantsi kuqala ndikhe ndikwenzele ikomityi yeti.”
“Eshushu kwaye enencasa, Phindi, njengawe, lo.”
UPhindile wancuma. Oku kwakungekona okokuqala esiva esi siqhulo, kwaye kwakungazukuba kokokugqibela. Kodwa kwakukuhle ngokwenene ukuba nomyeni owayenamehlo abona inkosikazi yakhe kuphela, owayesebenza nzima ukukhathalela usapho lwakhe, owayethandwa kwaye ehlonitshwa emsebenzini wakhe, naluluntu jikelele.
“Ndiyinkosikazi enethamsanqa, Moses Khoabane.” Wabeka imagi enkulu yeti phambi kwakhe, waza wamphuza phezu kwentloko. “Ngoku ke ndixelele, udibene nabani?”
“NoMpumi! Kubo bonke abantu, Phindi. Nankuya ewonke.”
UPhindile wafinga iintshiya. “UMpumi Mokae? Bendicinga ukuba wadlulela kwizinto ezinkudlwana nezibhetele nje? Wenzani apha?”
“Hayi ke, nako ke, Phindi. Ubefuna mna. Ungayikholelwa lo nto? Kukho umsebenzi. Umsebenzi omhle, kwaye uxelele umphathi wakhe ukuba uyamazi umntu owufaneleyo. Ngumsebenzi wokuba yimanejala, usebenzela e-ofisini. Awusebenzeli nje isitiyana sethu semidiliya, kodwa usebenzela intlangano yamaqumrhu – abatyali, abafaki ezibhotileni, nabathuthi. Bafuna umntu owaziyo lo msebenzi; oyiqondayo nenkqubo ukusuka ezantsi ukuya phezulu. Kwaye loo mntu,” watsho ehleka uMoses, “ndim. Akuboni, Phindile? Lilo eli. Ithuba lethu lokufumana ithamsanqa emva kwayo yonke le minyaka yokubila.”
“Utsho ukuba uza kube usebenza e –ofisini?” Ilizwi likaPhindile lalivakala linentandabuzo. “Kodwa Moses, unesuti enye nje kuphela.” Yayijinga ekasini yeempahla egumbini labo lokulala kwaye yayingafane ikhutshwe – yayikhutshwa nje ngemingcwabo nemitshato, naloo matheko ambalwa asemsebenzini abasebenzi ababemenyelwa kuwo.
“Phindi, sthandwa sam. Ukuya ngomvuzo uMpumi abethetha ngawo, ndiza kukwazi ukuthenga isuti entsha yosuku ngalunye lweveki, ndiquka neeCawa!”
UMoses wayevuye, kangangokuba uPhindile akazange afune ukumdanisa. Kamva, emva kokuba yonke into seyithe ukwehla, babengathetha ngokuba umsebenzi ofana nalo ungathetha ntoni na. Kwakuza kulindeleka ntoni kuye.
UMoses wajonga egqiba ngamehlo igunjana elincinane langaphambili: iisofa ezigudlana ngamagxa netafile esondezwe eludongeni, kukho umgca ocingelwayo owahlukanisa ikhitshi nesinye isithuba segumbi lokuhlala. “Singafuduka Phindi. Siye endlwini enkudlwana. Ndingakunika konke okukufaneleyo.”
“Moses ithandwa sam,“ watsho uPhindile esima ngeenyawo emwola ngeengalo zakhe, “Ndinayo yonke into endifaneleyo. Wena, abantwana, ikhaya lethu, abamelwane. Andilindele ukuba undithengele nantoni na ngaphezu koku.”
“Ndithenge? Ngubani othetha ngokuthenga?” UThuli wangena egibiseleka egumbini apho. Wayeyintombi ethe ncothu, efuze unina ngomzimba omhle omncinane noyise ngokuvuyela ubomi. “Ndim ophambili emgceni, Tata. Uyazi, ndifuna i- iPod ne-iPad ne-iPhone.”
“Oh, ewe ke, ntombam.” UMoses wancumela intombi yakhe yamazibulo. “Kwaye kufuneka ndikubhukishele nohambo ngenqanawa ngezi nqanawa zodumo xa sendisenza?”
“Emva kweMatriki, Tata. Emva kweMatriki. Xa sendifumene oo-A bam abasixhenxe.”
“Kuze kulandele, isikolo sobugqirha,” watsho uPhuindile ehleka. “Uhambo ngenqanawa luza kukhe lume de uGqirha Thuli Khoabane aqukumbele izifundo zakhe ezinomsila.”
“Khanitshoni ke, nivuyele ntoni kangaka?” UThuli wolula isandla wathabatha isitya seziqhamo wasisondeza kuye. Wagrumza i-apile wajonga kubazali bakhe. “Okubaluleke nangaphezulu, kuza kutyiwa ntoni ngokuhlwa nje?” (‘Lo mntwana unenguqulo yokutya emzimbeni efana neyehashe lomdyarho’, wayedla ngokutsho uPhindile. ‘Utshisa izibaso ngokukhawuleza okudlula ukuzitya!’)
UMoses wamxelela ngokudibana kwakhe noMpumi.
“Asinguye lo wayeyitshomi yakho esikolweni?” Wabuza uThuli. “Lo ungazange umbone iminyaka emininzi edlulileyo?”
“Nguye kanye lowo,” watsho uMoses. “Kodwa uyazi Thuli, oku kungumqondiso nje. Ubuhlobo obudala abuze bufe. Ukusondelelana kwakudala kunamandla. Oh – bese ndilibele. Ufuna ukuba sonke siye endlwini yabo ukuya kudla i –braai. NgeCawa ngexesha lesidlo sasemini, utshilo. Siza kusela nje ezimbalwa, sincokole ngeendaba zakudala.”
“NgeCawa?” Watsho uThuli. “Kodwa Tata, ndine– “
“Nokuba ubunaziphina izicwangciso, ungakwazi ukuzirhoxisa ngenxa yam, ntomb’am? Oku kubaluleke kakhulu. UMpumi ufuna ukudibana nosapho lwam kwaye nathi siza kudibana nolwakhe. Igama lenkosikazi yakhe nguPortia, kwaye banomntwana omnye. Oyinkwenkwe. Ophantse alingane nawe ngobudala.”
Ubuso bukaMoses babudlamkile luvuyo nethemba.
“Kulungile, Tata.” UThuli wema ngeenyawo wambambazela egxeni. “Yiseshoni nje yokufunda no-Anele noNomsa. Ndiza kulitshintsha ixesha.”
*****
Egumbini lestadi kwaMpumi Mokae.
UMpumi usefonini yakhe, ethetha ngelizwi eliphantsi.
Siva nje eli lakhe icala kule ncoko.
— Ewe, ewe. Ndiqinisekile. Ndidibene naye endleleni, mhlekazi.
— Hayi, akakhange arhanele nto tu. Ndikuxelele ukuba akanabuqhinga kangako. Akanakuze alindele –
— Hayi ke, yi loo nto ke, mhlekazi. Ucinga ukuba ndingumhlobo wakhe. Uyandithemba.
— Ewe, mhlekazi. Kunje ngokuba ubucebisile. NgeCawa, kwisidlo sasemini.
UMpumi Mokae uya emnyango afike akhwaze:
— Portia. Rhoxisa naziphina izicwangciso esesinazo ngeCawa. Sine-braai nje encinane.
*****
Kwiintsuku ezintathu ukusuka ngalo mini, uMoses, uPhindile, uThuli noSandile bahamba ngemoto ukuya kwindawo engasedolophini uMpumi ahlala kuyo. Indlu nganye yayijongeka inkulu kwaye intle ukudlula obusandula kuyibona kwaye ekaMpumi, apho yayibonakala khona xa uyijonge ngaphaya kwesango locingo lwentsimbi, yayijongeka inkulu kwaye intle ukuzidlula zonke.
UMoses wavula ifestile yakhe wacomfoza iqhosha lesithungelelanisi sokuthetha esangweni.
“Moses,” lavakala ilizwi likaMpumi lithetha kwisithungelelanisi sokuthetha. “Kwakuhle oko. Ngena.”
Amasango amade avuleka kuhle waza uMoses wangenisa ecwebezelayo, ecocekileyo, kodwa endala kakhulu iToyota Corolla yabo ukunyuka ngendledlana yemoto ukuya emnyango.
“Yho. Itshomi yakho kufanele ukuba inemali ngokwenene, Tata,” watsho uSandile.
***
Khawusichazele ukuba ucinga ntoni: Ziyintoni izicwangciso zikaMpumi ngoMoses?