Ngemini elandelayo uNzwaki wayehlupheke kakhulu emoyeni. UJoe wayebuye ebusuku ngosuku oludlulileyo, enuka phuu utywala. UNzwaki waqonda ukuba oku kuziphatha kwakhe kakubi kufanele ukuba kunento yokwenza nezinto zomsebenzi. Yintoni ke enye enokumenza asele kwaye angonwabi ngale ndlela? Kwakunyanzelekile ukuba akhe athethe naye; ambonise ukuba ungakwicala lakhe. Mhlawumbi wayengazi kumdla ngamazinyo kweli tyeli.
UNora wayengekho kwakhona esikolweni waze uNzwaki wanqwenela ukuya kumbona ekhaya. Kwakuyinto enganampilo ukuba angabi nabantu abeza kumbona, asoloko ezivalele endlwini. Ngexesha lekhefu wafowunela uNora wafumanisa ukuba usendleleni egodukayo ukuvela ekliniki eyayikwenye ilali.
UNzwaki wayemi ngaphandle kweklasi yakhe xa efowuna kwaye kwakukho amantombazana amane ami kude kufuphi naye. La mantombazana aqala ukuhleka intsini-menyo, omnye ejonge ngqo kuNzwaki. Wazibuza ukuba ibe mhlawumbi bathetha ngantoni. Kwakucacile kananjalo ukuba ukuvele ababuze ngqo akuzi kumnika le mpendulo ayifunayo. Wenza ngathi ubhala umyalezo efowunini yakhe wamamelisisa ukuba bathetha ngantoni.
“Kufanele ukuba akasazi nokuba kwenziwa njani, waluphele nyani,” watsho uAsanda. “Mna, ke kwelam icala, ndinawo onke amaqhinga okugcina indoda yonwabile. Kwaye ke yiyo kanye le nto ndiyenzayo …”
“Iyakusebenzela kunjalo nje!” yatsho itshomi yakhe. “Ndiyithanda nyani ifowuni akuphe yona.”
UNzwaki wazixelela ukuba yincoko nje engephi yamantombazana athetha ngamakhwenkwe. Kodwa kukho inkwenkwe engakwazi ukuthenga ifowuni exabiso liphakeme kangaka? UAsanda wayeseklasini kaNzwaki – elolu hlobo lwamantombazana aqhayisa ngayo yonke into.
Aqhuzuka yintsini la mantombazana kodwa kwathi xa uNzwaki ebajonga kwaye encuma xa ekhumbula indlela amantombazanyana angangabo aziphatha ngayo, bakhawuleza basuka kuloo ndawo.
Yakhala intsimbi. UNzwaki wayedinga ukuya kwindlu yangasese ngaphambi kokuphindela eklasini – wayeza kufundisa uGreyidi 11 i-LO, nto leyo wayengayithakazeleli ncam. Ungacinga ukuba abantwana abaselula bayakuvuyela ukuthetha phandle nokuphikisana ngezinto zobomi. Kodwa babesoloko besokolisa uNzwaki ngaphezu kwemfuneko. Hayi, wayengazukwazi ukuthetha nabo ngokuthandana njengokuba wayezimisele; wayeza kwenza loo nto ibekelwe imini leyo ezincwadini zabo.
Into emangalisayo kukuba abantwana babeziphethe kakuhle kakhulu, isifundo eso saqhubeka kakuhle kakhulu. ‘De wafumana iSMS. Kwakuyimizuzwana nje ngaphambi kokukhala kwentsimbi kwaye abantwana babebhala, uNzwaki wayihoya ke. Wazama ukucomfoza njalo kule Samsung Galaxy yakhe entsha wada wacaphuka. Yayilolu hlobo lusebenza ngeskrini esihambayo ngaloo ndlela kwakufanele ukuba lula ukuyisebenzisa. Kodwa le nto yayintsha kwaye ibuthathaka inengqondo yayo nje. Iklasi yakuqonda oku, yaza yaqala ukuhleka nokumqhula.
Kukhona oye wakhwaza wathi,”Leyo fowuni bekufanele ukuba yeyam. Bendizakwazi ukuba ndenzeni ngayo,” yaqhuzuka iklasi yimikhuzo nemikhwazo.
KwakunguAsanda. Omnye wamakhwenkwe wakhwaza wathi,”Yiba nentlonipho tyhini, le nto ethanda izisulu zemali ,” kodwa intsimbi yakhala uNzwaki engekeva ukuba uAsanda uphendule ngelithini. Le ntombazana yayinomlomo oshushu kwaye ithetha nakanjanina nabantu. Kwakumangalisa ukuba iseyilaa ntombazana uNzwaki wayeyiphethe njengentyatyambo xa yayiqalisa kwisikolo esiphakamileyo. Kwakutshintshe ntoni ngokuhamba kweminyaka?
UNzwaki waphuma esikolweni waya endlwini kaNora. Xa afika khona uNora wayesenza iisameji waza uNzwaki wakhumbula ukuba akakatyi oko kwangentseni.
“Bekunjani ekliniki? Uwafumene amayeza?” Wabuza uNzwaki, eluma kancinane kwisameji yakhe yejamu nebhotolo.
“Yazi Ma,” waqala incoko uNora, “E-Tsolongo abanayo le ngxaki ifana nale sinayo apha ngokufumana amayeza.”
“Njani njalo?”
“Uyabona, istoko sabo sanele nje kwaye bafumana amayeza abo ngexesha elichanekileyo qho ngenyanga. Nto leyo eyenza ukuba ndizibuze ukuba ingaba ubunzima obukhoyo apha buchaphazela ukufumaneka kweARV kuphela na,” watsho uNora. “Bathe ndingabuya ndizokuphaka iipilisi okokugqibela kule nyanga izayo, kodwa kuza kufuneka khe ndiphinde ndizame kweyethu ikliniki.”
“Ndiza kuthetha noJoe, Nora, khe ndive ukuba ndiza kusifumana na isizathu sokuba zinganeli iipilisi kule yethu ikliniki. Nguye osayinela ii-oda,” watsho uNzwaki, ejonge ipleyiti ehleli phezu kwkhe. “Kodwa andiqinisekanga ukuba loo nto iza kunceda ntoni na. Akasafuni nokuthetha nam kwezi ntsuku,”wawatsho la mazwi okugqibela ngelithambileyo kwaye etshonela. Intliziyo yakhe yayibuhlungu.
“Ma, uyazi ukuba ungathetha nam,” watsho uNora.
Abantwana bangoku – kulula kubo ukuthetha nangantoni na. Isizukulwana sikaNzwaki sasingathethi ngezi zinto. Nantoni na eyenzeka emtshatweni wakho yayiphakathi kwakho nomyeni wakho kwaye kungekho wumbi ongayingenayo. Amakhosikazi akuxelela loo nto xa utshatayo kwaye akucebise ukuba ligcinwa njani na ikhaya. Kodwa uNzwaki wayekudinga nyani ukuthetha. Kukhona into eyayingalunganga, engaqhelekanga nje ngoJoe.
“Ufika nje ekhaya kwaye akasahlali nje nakuhlala. Ubukhulu bexesha uyaphuma ndilale ndingamazi nalapho akhoyo nokuba uza kubuya nini na apho. Uyayazi indlela ehlupha ngayo emphemfumlweni wenkosikazi loo nto, isoloko icinga ukuba kunokuba kukho into eyehlele umyeni wayo?” Ipleyiti yayisephezu kwakhe kodwa ngoku wayemana esihlokohla nje isonka ingqondo ikude, sekuphele naloo mdla wokutya.
“Ukhe wathetha naye ngale nto? Wamxelela indlela oziva ngayo?” Watsho uNora, esiva ke noko ukuba lo umcimbi ungaphezu kwakhe.
Wanikina intloko uNzwaki. Kodwa impendula yakhe ayizange ibe ngu ‘hayi’. Yaba kukuvuma ukuba woyisakele. Wayezamile ngamaxa amaninzi ukuthetha noJoe kodwa wayesuka amngxolise qho ezama ukuthetha naye. Wayelahlekile; selephelelwe nangaloo macebo kakade.
“Akayiphenduli ifowuni xa ndimfowunela, kodwa isoloko isesandleni sakhe,” watsho uNzwaki emva kwexesha. “Andazi nokuba ubendithengela le fowuni ngasizathu sini. Andikwazi nokuyisebenzisa,” watsho, ekhupha ifowuni engxoweni yakhe eyibeka phezu kwetafile. Wayefuna ukubona ukuba akafowunanga na mhlawumbi uJoe, okanye wathumela iSMS, ukuqonda ukuba wayephi na.
Wayefuna isiqinisekiso sokuba usakhathala.
“Yho! Intle, Mama. Yeyona fowuni intsha le kwiimakethe ezikhoyo,” watsho uNora, esethembeni lokuba le ncoko yabo iza kuphambuka ekuthetheni ngezinto angazaziyo.
“Abantwana beklasi yam bangavumelana nawe. Kukho le ntombazana, uAsanda, ude wathi le fowuni ifanele yena kuba ubeza kwazi ukuba enzeni ngayo,” watsho ehleka uNzwaki.
“Kakade nje,” watsho uNora, ephakama ngokungxama ukususa izitya. Kodwa akasukanga ngokungxama okwenze ukuba uNzwaki angawaqwalaseli amazwi akhe arhuqa umrhaji. UNora waziva engonwabanga. Ingaba kwakuyinto ethethwe nguNzwaki? Kwakukhona into amfihlela yona uNora?
“Uyinkathazo ke ngamanye amaxesha, lowa mntwana. Usoloko enetshiki kum mva nje,” watsho uNzwaki, ejika ejonga uNora osekhitshini. UNora wema phambi kwesinki, wakha umoya. Kuphela komqondiso uNzwaki awayewulindile. Kukhona into uNora awayemfihlela yona. Kwaye yayinento yokwenza noAsanda.
“Uyazi, kuthiwa uthandana namadoda amadala. Kwaye uxelela nabanina ngezinto amthengela zona,” watsho uNzwaki, esethembeni lokufumana impendulo.
“Mama, kukho amarhe,” wadubuleka uNora. UNzwaki wamjonga ngamehlo athi, ’Qhubeka’. “Kungo … myeni wakho.” Kwathi cwaka, kwakhona. UNzwaki weva intliziyo yakhe ibetha ngamandla; wayengaqinisekanga ukuba uyafuna ukuyiva le nto. “Kodwa ke asiyondaba yam leyo kwaye ngamarhe nje,” watsho ngokukhawuleza uNora, ilizwi lakhe lifile ziintloni.
Kulungile. Ukuba le ntombazanyana iza kude iyichaze le nto iyithwele nzima, kuza kunyanzeleka ukuba ifumane ukuqinisekiswa.
“Kulungile wethu, Nora. Kubhetele ukuba ndiyive ngetshomi kunokuba ndiyive ngabantwana esikolweni behleba ngexesha lokutya,” watsho uNzwaki, ecinga ngabantwana ebebehleka bemjongile. Kodwa mhlawumbi oko ibikukudibana nje kweziganeko; akunakuba bebethetha ngaye.
“Unomntu athandana naye, igqiyazana – enyanisweni mandithi nje i … intombazana.”
Nantso ke. Ihlebo liphumile. Waqala waqonda uNzwaki ngamanakani abekade enawo nabesoloko ewoyika lonke eli xesha.
Wabulisa wabulela uNora ngokumthemba nokuba ngumhlobo kuye. Waqinisekisa uNora ukuba kuza kulunga, naxa wayeziva efuna ukusitsho esofelweyo. Wahamba esiya ekhaya eziva elilolo, edinga ukucinga nokwetyisa ezi ndaba.
Ngeli xesha ahamba endleleni yomhlaba engenabantu esiya endlwini yakhe ingqondo yakhe yayithatha ibeka yimibuzo. Ngokuba kutheni? Wayengayenza kanjani uJoe into yokuba phandlapha? Wayengasamlingananga na yena? Kwayewayeqale nini, wayeqale nini uJoe ukuba phandlapha? Umtshato wabo wachitheka nini?
Kwaza, ngokungathi umbize ngeengcinga zakhe, wambona.
UNzwaki wayeyazi kakuhle imoto kaJoe. Yayikuphela kweMazda 323 elalini eyayisahamba ngamavili. Kodwa kwakutheni ipakishe ematyholweni nje ecaleni kwale ndlela? Wayefuna ukusondela azibonele ngawakhe ukuba kuqhubeka ntoni. Wayefuna ukubona ukuba unentombazana kusini na.
Wema – nankuya uJoe, ephuma esiya ebhutini yemoto, eyivula ekhupha enye into kuyo. UNzwaki wayekude kakhulu ukubona ukuba kwakuyintoni leyo, kwaye ke nokukhanya kwakusiya kuba mfiliba nanjengoko ilanga lase lisiya kutshona. Kwaba khona indoda ephuma kwicala lomkhweli yalandela uJoe. Yajonga ipasela yaza yanikezela ngento, okwenza ukuba uJoe ancume ngolo ncumo uNzwaki wayekhe walufumana lunomtsalane. Indoda leyo yahamba waze uJoe wakhwela emotweni yakhe wayibetha yancinane ebhekisa kwicala elingelona eliya ngasekhaya.
Nokuba yintoni na eyayiqhubeka apha yayinkulu. UNzwaki wayedinga ukwazi ukuba kwayipasela yaluhlobo luni na le eyayincumise umyeni wakhe ngokungathi yinkwenkwana eneminyaka elishumi elinesithandathu ethandanayo. Wayeza kuyifumana inyaniso.
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Khawusichazele ukuba ucinga ntoni: Wayelungisile uNora ngokuxelela uNzwaki ngamarhe? Ungayixelela na wena itshomi yakho ukuba umntu ethandana naye uphandlapha?