UThuli wavuswa sisandi senjini yemoto. Wakroba ngefestile yegumbi lakhe elincinane lokulala. UNkosikazi Dladla wayengaphandle kwinxalenye yegadi yakhe engaphambili etyalwe ingca, ekhathalela igadi yakhe, nako konke okwenzeka kwabanye abantu, njengesiqhelo.
“Heyi-umphathi omkhulu uze kubona uMoses kwakhona? wakhwaza. “Ufuna ukumxelela ntoni?”
UMnumzana Mokae wakhawuleza ukuya kumnyango wabo wangaphambili.
UNkosikazi Dladla wayesele enoNkosikazi Mongesi ngoku. “Ndiyayazi leya ndoda,” wakhwaza. “Siyakwazi, Mpumi Mokae. Wenza ntoni apha? Uzele ukuza kuhlupheka nabantu abaphantsi. Apha ngeempahla zakho zodidi kunye nemoto yakho yodidi.”
“Kukabini kulandelelana ngoku,” watssho uNkosikazi Dladla. “Uze kubona uMoses.”
“Hayi, hayi, hayi, nangokuya unina wayegula asizange simbone equqa apha ngale ndlela,” watsho uNkosikazi Mongesi. “Kwaye emngcwabeni wakhe …”
UThuli weva umnyango wangaphambili uvuleka. Nangona wayefuna nje ukuva ukuba kwenzeka ntoni emngcwabeni kamakhulu kaSebastian, wayedinga ukwazi ukuba kwakuqhubeka ntoni na. Wayishiya ifestile ukuya kuva ukuba kuthiwani ngoku ngaphakathi endlwini.
Kodwa wathi efika kwigumbi elingaphambili, incoko yayise iphelile. Mbakra ucango lwangaphambili. UThuli wabalekela efestileni wafika ngexesha ukuba abone uMnumzana Mokae edwanguzelisa izandla emoyeni. Waza wakhupha ifoni yakhe epokothweni waba nencoko emfutshane, ethethela phezulu.
“Ewe, mhlekazi. Ndiyayazi. Ndiyayazi. Ndiyaxolisa.” Wandula ukukhaba ivili lemoto yakhe – kakhulu. “Shu!” Wathukisa.
UNkosikazi Dladla wahleka kakhulu. “Kukho umntu ongonwabanga. Utheni uMoses kuwe, Mpumi?”
“Oh, mhlawumbe uthe iimpahla ezintle azimenzi abe mhle umntu,” watsho uNkosikazi Mongesi wandula ukuhleka kakhulu njengomhlobo wakhe.
UMnumzana Mokae wathukisa kwakhona waqhwalela ejikela kwicala lomqhubi emotweni. Wambakraza nolo ucango, wandula ukuqhuba esusa imoto kutswina amavili.
“Shu.” UThuli wajika wajongana nabazali bakhe. “Ubengajongeki onwabile tu, Tata, Mama. “Kuqhubeka ntoni?”
“Ndiwalile umsebenzi, Thuli,” watsho uyise.
“Ewe, ngokuya ngendlela azamkele ngayo ezi ndaba, uMpumi nyani, ubekudinga nyani, ukuba uwamkele – ngaphezu kokuba besicinga,” watsho uPhindile. “Ndikuxelele, Moses. Kukhona into engaqondakaliyo ngayo yonke le nto. Yonke nje yenzeke ngesiquphe esikhulu. Ngendlela elula kakhulu. Naxa ndikuthanda nje, kuyanyanzeleka ukuba nditsho ukuba uMpumi Mokae ubefuna ukuba uthabathe lowa msebenzi ngesizathu esithile. Kwaye andicingi ukuba kungenxa yokuba ningabahlobo. Ndixolisa kakhulu, sithandwa sam.”
UMoses watsala uPhindile ngesinqe, wamjikelezisa esenza isangqa – kangangoko wayenakho kweso sikwerana sincinane sekhapethi phambi kwe TV yabo. “Uxolo? Sukuxolisa, Phindi wam. Ndiziva ngokungathi umthwalo welizwe lonke ususiwe emagxeni am.” Wabona uThuli emi emnyango. “Kodwa awusukanga kwawakho, ntomb’am! Ngoku, sidinga abo A abasixhenxe nangaphezu kokuba bekunjalo ekuqaleni.”
UThuli wahleka. Kwakukuhle ukubona utata wakhe ekhangeleka onwabile, endaweni yokusoloko enenkangeleko ekhathazekileyo abesoloko enayo ebusweni yonke le veki idlulileyo. “Akukho ngxaki, Tata,” watsho. “Zizinto ezilula nje ezi.”
“Hah! Nina nobabini.” UPhindi wabaqhubela emnyango. “Ngoku ke hambani ngaphambi kokuba nishiywe lixesha nobabini.”
“Ndiza kubuya emva kwexesha ekhaya, sithandwa sam,” watsho uMoses.
“Oh ewe, kanene,” watsho uPhindi. “Indibano yombuto wabasebenzi. Ndikunqwenelela amathamsanqa, Moses. Sengathi yonke into ingahamba kakuhle.”
“Siza kuwina kwesi sihlandlo, Phindi,” watsho uMoses. “Kunyanzelekile. Sizilungiselele kakuhle. Into esiyifunayo kuphela kukuphathwa ngendlela efanelekileyo engenamkhethe.”
Intliziyo kaThuli yazaliswa kukuzingca ngeli xa wayejonge utata wakhe. Wayengasoze amtshintshise nokuba selenikwa oMnumzana Mokae abasisigidi neendlela zabo eziphezulu zokuphila. Wayonwabile yindlela awayeyiyo, enkosi. “Isibonelelo esifanelekileyo nesingenamkhethe, Tata,” watsho. “Oko kuvakala kwamkelekile kum.”
*****
Egumbini lestadi kwaMpumi Mokae.
UMpumi usemnxebeni, ethetha ngelizwi eliphantsi.
Siva nje eli lakhe icala kule ncoko.
— Ewe, mhlekazi. Ewe, mhlekazi. Ewe. Ndiyaxolisa.
— Hayi, kuza kufuneka sitshintshe amacebo ethu.
— Hayi mhlekazi, ndiyacela. Ungakhathazeki.
— Zonke izinto ziphantsi kolawulo.
— Ewe, mhlekazi. Ndiqinisekile.
— Ungandithemba mhlekazi. Ndinelinye icebo.
— Ewe. Ndiqinisekile liza kusebenza.
*****
Ngale njikalanga, endaweni yokuya ngqo ekhaya xa evela esikolweni, uThuli wadlula emsebenzini ukuze abone uyise. Wayengakwazanga ukungacingi ngaye; indlela ekwakufanele ukuba kwakunzima ngayo ukuncama ithuba lomvuzo omhle kwaye akhethe ukuma ngeenqobo zakhe, ngokuya ngendlela akholelwa ngayo ngokwenene.
Wambona ehamba phakathi kwemidiliya wamkhwaza: “Tata, tata!”
“Thuli!” Ubuso bukaMoses bachachamba bubonisa uncumo olubanzi, oluzele luvuyo. “Wenzani apha ntomb’am? Inde ke le ndlela oyiphambukileyo ukusuka esikolweni usiya ekhaya.”
“Ndiyazi, Tata. Bendifuna nje ukubulisa.”
UThuli wafaka isandla sakhe kwesikayise baza bahamba kunye bethe cwaka.
“Bendifuna ukukuxelela, Tata.” UThuli wema waza uyise wamjonga.
“Ewe, Thuli? Kukho nto yonakeleyo?”
“Hayi, hayi. Akukho nto yonakeleyo, Tata. Enyanisweni yonke into nje ihamba kakuhle. Bendifuna nje ukukuxelela ukuba ndikuthanda kangakanani na. Ukuba ndizingca kangakanani na ngokuba yintombi yakho.”
“Inenekazi enkulu, uyazi ukuthini? Oku kufanele ukuba yiyona nto intle eyakha yathethwa ngumntu kum, Thuli. Ngaphandle kukamama wakho ngokuqinisekileyo.” UMoses waqinisa isandla sikaThuli kancinane.
Kwakunegquba lamadoda elalisiza kubo. UThuli wabazi ngenxa yokuba babedla ngokuya kowabo. Yayingamadoda awayeze kokwabo noyise emva komsebenzi aza achitha iiyure ethetha ngezinto awayenokuzenza ukuphucula imeko yabasebenzi kwiifama zewayini.
“Moses,” wakhwaza omnye. “Konke kulungile malunga nolu rhatya?”
“Kuza kuba nabantu abaninzi na?” wabuza omnye.
“Unjani umoya?” watsho owesithathu. ”Sizimisele kakhulu kweli lixa kuya kuhla ehlayo kunyuke enyukayo. Indlela ngaphambili iza kuba nobunzima obukhulu. Sisenokungahlawulwa umvuzo iiveki neeveki.”
UMoses watsala umoya ezantsi. “Kulungile,” watsho. “Konke kulungile.” Wagona uThuli wamqinisa. “Kufuneka ndibuyele kulo msebenzi,” watsho. Kodwa ndiyabulela, ntombazanyana yam Thuli. Umenza azingce kakhulu utata wakho owalupheleyo.”
UThuli wabuyela emva ngendlela esingisa kwindlela enkulu. Yayilususku oluhle. Iidiliya zazityebile phezu kwemidiliya, zilungele ukuvunwa. Abasebenzi babelikhethe ngobuchule ixesha labo. Ukuba babenokugwayimba ngoku, abaphathi abakhulu babengenakuyivuyela loo nto. “Ndiyathemba akukho mntu uza kwenzakala,” watsho uThuli ethetha kakhulu ebhekisa kwisibhakabhaka esiqaqambileyo kunye namasimi aliqela aluhlaza. “Ngokungakumbi uTata.” Waza wakhumbula amazwi katata wakhe, awayesoloko ewathetha amaxesha amaninzi, kwiingxoxo ezininzi.
“Ugwayimbo olunoxolo, olukhuselweyo ngumthetho.”
***
Khawusichazele: Zithini izimvo zakho ngogwayimbo? Ingaba luyindlela elungileyo yokuphucula iimeko zomsebenzi nomvuzo?