Inkwenkwe uThuli adibene nayo eMugg & Bean yayohluke kakhulu kumntwana onomsindo nongenasimilo awayehlangene naye kwiveki edlulileyo. Kwaye, bathi baku-oda – i-milkshake kaSebastian, ne-ginger beer kaThuli– kwaba yinto yokuqala ayicelela uxolo.
“Kukuba nje umama wam usoloko esenza njalo,” watsho. “Esenza izicwangciso kungekho nto andixelele yona. Ndandifanele ukudibana nabahlobo bam ngeCawa. Waza akazihlupha nokundixelela ukuba nina niyeza. Ndandisithi ndiyaphuma endlwini xa endixelela ukuba kwakufuneke ndihlale, ndikunyamekele. Kwaye utata wam wayelindele ukuba ndenze njalo. Kwaza, xa ndiphindela egumbini lam, ndamva ethetha notata wam, esithi akaboni ukuba kutheni e nyanzelekile …”
Wathula engagqibang ukuthetha waza uThuli wamgqibezelela isivakalisi eso: “…ukwamkela abantu utata wakho angakhange akhathalele nokugcina unxibelelwano nabo iminyaka engaka?”
“Ewe” USebastian wamdlulisela uncumo olukhawulezileyo. “Uxolo. Yiyo kanye loo nto. Basoloko besilwa kunye, abazali bam. Yiyo le nto ndaziva kakubi ngendlela ababeziphethe ngayo.”
“Oh, wayiva kanti nawe loo nto?” Wabuza uThuli.
“Utata wam uba njalo,” watsho uSebastian ngosizi. “Azidle kwaye azikhukhumalise.”
“Kwaye adelele,” kutsho uThuli. “Ungalibali ukudelela.”
“Ewe, ngokuqinisekileyo. Naleyo. Kwaye umama wam … Ngathi akukho nto okanye mntu ulunge ngokwaneleyo emehlweni akhe. Kuquka nam.”
UThuli wamjonga emangalisiwe.
USebastian wancuma eneentloni, kodwa uThuli wabona ukuva kabuhlungu emehlweni akhe. “Umama uthanda ingcinga ngam,” watsho. “Zokukhupha unyana ogqibeleleyo xa afuna ukuqhayisa ngam. Kodwa akamameli tu ukuba ndifuna ukuthini.”
USebastian wayedlalisa ngomcinga wokusela isiselo. Ingxolo yentsasa yangoMgqibelo kudederhu lweevenkile yazalisa umoya obangqongileyo. “Yiyo kanye ke lento ndiyiqapheleyo ngabazali bakho,” waqhubeka uSebastian. “Nditsho ukuba ububacaphukisile-“
“Unyanise ngqo ke apho,” watsho uThuli. “Ukuthula okwakusemotweni kwindlela egodukayo – masithi nje babengandonwabelanga tu. Konke konke.”
“Ewe, kodwa kwakubonakala ukuba bayakumamela. Andicingi ukuba abazali bam bakha bandibuza ukuba ndicinga ntoni na nangantoni na. Uyeke ke ukundikhuthaza ukuba ndibe noluvo.”
“Nyhani?” UThuli akazange akwazi ukukufihla ukumangaliswa kwakhe. “Uze ukhe uze ekhaya kwisidlo sangokuhlwa ngelinye ixesha. Utata wam – usenokuba akanasidanga okanye enye into, kodwa ndicinga ukuba ungomnye wabona bantu bakrelekrele ndibaziyo. Kwaye uyakhathala uyazi. Ngabantu. Ngokwenza into elungileyo. Nomama wam kanjalo. Uyintsika yosapho lwethu. Benza iqela eliluqilima bekunye.”
“Unethamsanqa, Thuli,” watsho uSebastian ngeliphantsi.
“Jonga, Sebastian,” UThuli wabeka isandla sakhe phezu kwesikaSebastian. “Mhlawumbi udinga nje ukuthetha nabazali bakho. Ubabonise ukuba ungubani na. Ukuba uvela phi na. Uthethe uvakale.”
USebastian wamncumela. “Ndingazama,” watsho. “Kodwa andazi ukuba kukho mntu uza kumamela na.”
Incoko phakathi kwabo yaqhubeka. Umculo, imifanekiso bhanya-bhanya, abahlobo esikolweni, izifundo abazithandayo, izicwangciso zekamva.
“Ndicele indawo yokufunda eUCT,” watsho uThuli. “Kwisikolo sobugqirha. Kodwa andazi ukuba ndiza kungena na. Kunabantwana abaninzi nyani abakhuphisana ngeendawo ezimbalwa kangaka.”
“Uza kungena,” watsho uSebastian. “Ndicinga ukuba uyintombazana ekrelekrele ngokugqithisileyo kwesendikhe ndadibana nawo.”
“Ndiyaceeela” UThuli wagungquzisa amehlo akhe wahleka. “Khawutsho ke ngoku, ndixelele. Wena ucinga ntoni? Unezicwangciso?”
“Oh, andazi. Ukuthatha unyaka wekhefu ezifundweni, mhlawumbi. Mhlawumbi ndihambe ngingqiba eYurophu okwexeshana.”
UThuli wahleka.
“Yintoni?” USebastian wamjonga ngamehlo abuzayo.
“Akwazi ngokwenene, akunjalo, Sebastian? Ilizwe lakho nelam. Sahlukene kakhulu.”
USebastian wathabatha isandla sakhe wasibamba wasiqinisa. “Mhlawumbi singasondelelana kancinane?” wabuza. “Yithi ndikubonise ukuba kukho enye into kulo mntwana umoshakeleyo usisityebi.”
UThuli wamjonga ngeentloni. “Ndingakuthanda oko,” watsho.
*****
Wathi xa ajika ikona uThuli ejonge kwisitalato sakhe, wabona imoto ende, engumgrugra isuka ecaleni lendlela.
“Heyi, Thuli,” wamkhwaza uNkosikazi Dladla engaphesheya kwesitalato. “Ndiyabona ukuba utata wakho wonwabisa abantu abaphucukileyo kwezi ntsuku.”
UThuli waphakamisa isandla ebulisa waza wakhawuleza ukungena endlwini. Umama notata wakhe babehleli esofeni, bethethela phantsi.
“Ibingubani lowa?” wabuza. “Emotweni?”
“NguMpumi,” watsho uMoses.
“Ngezomsebenzi?” Wabuza uThuli. Wayibona indlela abazali bakhe ababejongana ngayo. “Oh yini, Mama, Tata. Akufani nokuba andiniva xa nithethayo. Yinto enganzima kakhulu leyo ukwenzeka kule ndlu.”
“Yiyo kanye ke loo nto,” watsho uyise. “Ukuba ndithatha lo msebenzi, singathutha. Siye endlwini ebhetele. Enkulu. Neemali zakho zaseyunivesithi, Thuli. Ndingakwazi ukuzihlawulela. Ukungahlupheki ngokukufumanela uncedo lwezimali. NoSandile. I-Engineering sesinye sezifundo ezixhome kakhulu ngexabiso. Kwaye uza kushiya isikolo naye ngokukhawuleza.”
“Kodwa Tata-“
“Ndiyazi, ntomb’am. Ndiyayazi. Imali asiyo nto yonke.” UMoses wakha umoya. “Kodwa yenza ubomi bube lula kakhulu.”
Iingcinga zikaThuli zaya emva kwisidlo sasemini ababenaso nabakwaMokae, noko okuthethwe nguSebastian kuye namhlanje. “Lula, Tata,” watsho, “kodwa ayisoloko ibenza bube bhetele.”
Incoko yaqhubeka kwada kwasebusuku kakhulu. UThuli weva amazwi abazali bakhe athethela phantsi. Ingaba babezakugqiba ekubeni kwenziwe ntoni, watsho ezicingela.
*****
Egumbini lestadi kwaMpumi Mokae.
UMpumi usefonini yakhe, ethetha ngelizwi eliphantsi.
Siva nje eli lakhe icala kule ncoko.
— Ewe mhlekazi, ndenze njalo.
— Ndimnike isabelo angasoze akwazi ukusala, njengokuba ubutshilo.
— Ewe, ndiye ndongeza zonke izinto ezingaphezulu ukwenza umtsalane.
— Indlu yakhe yona? Oh, mhlekazi, akufuni kwazi. Incinane kakhulu. Ihlwempuzekile kakhulu. Imoto yakhe yona? Isisiqhulo mhlekazi. Isisiqhulo?
— Ewe ngokwenene. Ngomvuzo esimnika wona uza kukwazi ukuzenzela izinto ezenza impilo yakhe ibe bhetele kakhulu.
— Ewe, mhlekazi. Ndiyaqonda ukuba kuza kufuneka senze ngokukhawuleza. Ndimxelele ukuba kuza kufuneka andixelele kungaphelanga iveki.
— Ewe, ndiqinisekile uza kwenza njalo. Kwaye ke siza kukwazi ukufumana uluhlu lwamagama kuye. Abona baphembeleli bodushe abaphambili. Aba bantu, mhlekazi! Basoloko bebanga inkathazo. Abazi nokuba isonka sabo siqatywe ibhotolo kuliphina icala.
— Enkosi, mhlekazi. Ndenza kangangoko.
***
Khawusichazele ukuba ucinga ntoni: Ingaba abazali bafanele ukukhuthaza abantwana babo ukuba ‘babe nemibono’; bathethe phandle? Okanye bafanele ukuhlonipha abantu abadala ngokuthula tu?