“Usafuna ukuya nam ekliniki ngomso?” Wabuza uNora ngexesha lesidlo sasemini eklasini kaNzwaki.

Yho! Mkhululi, sekudlule iveki? UNzwaki wayexakeke ngolona hlobo emoyeni kwezi ntsuku zidlulileyo kangangokuba iintsuku zakhawuleza ukudlula ngokungathi ziyaleqwa. Yayininzi into eyayisengqondweni yakhe. Wanqwala nje ngentloko ukuphendula.

“Ndiyabulela ngokuba ufuna ukuhamba nam, Mama. Undenzele into enkulu,” watsho uNora, ebamba isandla sikaNzwaki esiqinisa lo gama sona sasisokolisana nesiciko sebhokisana yokuphatha ukutya esasiphezu kwetafile. UNzwaki wancuma. Kwakukuhle ukuba uNora acinge ukuba uNzwaki wayehamba naye ukumqinisa idolo; uNzwaki akazange akwazi ukuxelela uNora esona sizathu.

Esona sizathu yayikukuba emva kweveki yokucinga ngoJoe nento abephezu kwayo, uNzwaki wabona kulungile ukuba ahlolelwe intsholongwane yeHIV. Kodwa wathi akuyithi tsuphe le nto, waphambana kwakhona uJoe, emshawuta emxelela ukuba akanasizathu sakuya apho, kwaye abantu baza kuthini xa bembona apho ekliniki eye kuhlolwa.

Kodwa ke wayeza kuhlolwa apha eTsolongo. Wayengazi kwazi uJoe.

“Molweni bahlali, molweni bahlali,” kwabulisa igqiyazana, limi ngaphambili kwigumbi lokulindela ekliniki. Abantu baphendula bonke ngaxeshanye bebulisa nabo. UNzwaki wayengazi noyedwa umntu apho ovela elalini yakhe.

“Abaninzi benu bayandazi, kodwa ke kwabo bangandaziyo, igama lam nguLolo kwaye ndinomlingane wam wasemsebenzini, uLizo. Singamalungu eTreatment Action Campaign, ephinde yaziwe ngegama lamavolontiya eTAC,” latsho eli gqiyazana. Bobabini babenxibe izikipa ezibhalwe igama elo.

“Niyazi ukuba kutheni na silapha nje, andithi?” labuza eli gqiyazana, lincumile. Igumbi lokulindela lagquzuka yimikhuzo nentsini uNzwaki awayeqhele ukuyiva esikolweni xa abantwana bexoxa ngento abangakhululekanga xa bethetha ngayo. Uchan’ucwethe, abantu abatsha babelapha ukuza kuthetha ngezesondo. UNzwaki weva igazi lakhe lifudumala.

“Lo ngumthondo,” latsho eli gqiyazana lingenazo neentloni, liphethe into ebukhunirha esandleni sasekunene, iyiphakamisele phezulu ukuze bonke abantu bayibone. “Kwakhona andithi siyazi sonke ukuba yintoni le?” watsho ephakamisa ikhondom ngesandla sasekhohlo.

Abahlali bagigitheka abanye bafihla ubuso xa inenekazi elo libabonisa ukuba ifakwa njani. Kwakubalulekile ukuba amadoda namabhinqa azi ngokufanayo ukuba ifakwa njani na, ukuze bancede amaqabane abo, watsho. UNzwaki wajonga ngenyameko engazifihli nakanye. Wayesazi ukuba isebenza njani; bonke ootitshala be-LO kwakunyanzelekile ukuba bazi, nangona yena buqu wayengakaze ayisebenzise noJoe.

“Kwaye bomama-makhosikazi-siyazi na ukuba yintoni le?” ULolo wayephakamise isingxobo esimhlophe, esingaphindwa kathathu ngobukhulu kunekhondom yamadoda. Kwakuyikhondom yamabhinqa. Wathi uLolo akubabonisa ukuba ifakwa njani, esenza inani elisisisbhozo ngayo, bonke abasetyhini bagigitheka, amadoda wona ajonga ecaleni. Kodwa amehlo kaNzwaki ayethe ntsho kuLolo. Kwakumangalisa ukuba abantu abadala bayakwazi nabo ukuziphatha njengabantwana xa kuxoxwa ngezinto abangakhululekiyo ukuthetha ngazo. Kodwa uNzwaki waqaphela kwakhona ukba abantu apha babezibandakanya ekubuzeni nasekuphendulweni kwemibuzo.

“Wenze ntoni ke xa esithi ‘hayi’? Ukuba uyanyanzelisa uza kuhamba aye kufumana omnye ongazi kumhlupha,”yatsho enye inkosikazi. Naxa kwabakho ukuhleka apha endlwini, uNzwaki weva ukuxakwa nentlungu elizwini lenkosikazi leyo.

“Ukukhuseleka kwakho kuza kuqala, Mama,” waphendula ngelitshoyo uLolo. “Ukuba iqabane lakho liyazi ukuba linabanye elithandana nabo kwaye alifuni kukukhusela, liyakuthanda ke nokukukhathalela ngale ndlela likuxelela ngayo? Thethani namaqabane enu, niya kumangaliswa kukuba aza kuziva ekhululeke kangakanani na ukuthetha nani.”

“Uthetha ngento ongayaziyo!” kwatsho indoda iphakama iphumela phandle.

UNzwaki wayevisisa. Wayecinga ngoJoe nokuba ubeza kuvuma na xa ebengamngqala. Igama lakhe labizwa nje xa uLolo aphendula omnye umbuzo.

Waya egumbini lomcebisi. Lalicocekile kwaye idesika ibekwe imfumba yamaphepha neefayili ngasekhohlo. Kwakukho ifayile evuliweyo phambi kwakhe. UNzwaki wahlala phantsi esitulweni esijongene nendoda leyo. Wayeselula ngeminyaka, engemdala kuyaphi kuNora, waqaphela ngentliziyo uNzwaki. Abantu kule ndawo bancinane bonke na?

Baqhubeka ngemibuzo neempendulo na loo mfo uselula, owazazisa njengoSiyabonga, wabuza ukuba uNzwaki utshatile na, kwaye ephi umyeni wakhe.

“Usemsebenzini, kodwa uthe uza kuzizela yedwa xa efumana usuku angasebenzi ngalo,” watsho uNzwaki exoka. “Kodwa ndilapha ukuza kuqinisa itshomi yam idolo. Kunzima ukuxhasa umntu xa ndingazi ngokwaneleyo kwa mna kuqala,” watsho.

Kwakucacile ukuba lo mfanyana kudala ekuva oku.

“Kuqhelekile ukuba ezi zinto zenzeke ngale ndlela ngenxa yokwenyeliseka – ukuhlazeka – okuhamba neHIV jikelele. Kuyahluka xa ujonga amadoda namabhinqa kwaye kwenzeka kakhulu kumabhinqa. Kuyenzeka kwakhona xa ujonga kubahlali beendawo ngeendawo. Yiyo ke loo nto abantu abaninzi bekhetha ukufumana uncedo kwiikliniki ezikude neendawo abahlala kuzo.”

Waphulaphula uNzwaki. Wayeyiqonda kakuhle le nto ithethwayo.

“Kodwa abantu kufuneka baqonde ukuba akukho mfuneko yokucekiseka kuba iHIV iyalawuleka xa inyangwa ngokuchanekileyo nangokungaguquguqukiyo. Kwaye abantu bangaphila impilo egqibeleleyo ngoku kuxhaswa. Ndiyayazi into endithetha ngayo, ndiphila impilo egqibeleleyo. Nditya iipilisi zam kwaye ndizihoyile,”watsho lo mfanyana.

“Bayayazi le nto abantwana abancinane? Iingozi ezikhoyo nonyango?” Wabuza uNzwaki.

“Yazi Ma, kunzima ukuthetha ngale nto ezikolweni. Noxa sinazo iinkqubo apho siphuma siye kuthetha ngayo nabantwana – ukufundisa ngezesondo – ngamanye amaxesha isikolo asikuvumeli oku kuba abazali bacinga ukuba sikhuthaza abantwana ukuba bazibandakanye kwezesondo. Isengumcimbii esisazama ukuwulungisa.”

UNzwaki waphuma eziva bhetele ngenxa yalo lonke olu lwazi wayelufumene. Umcebisi onobuntu wayemnike nenombolo yakhe yocingo ukuze amfowunele xa aneminye imibuzo afuna iimpendulo zayo okanye efuna nje ukuthetha.

UNzwaki weva izibilini zihlile xa ukuhlolwa kwakhe kubonisa ukuba akanayo intsholongwane. Naxa indoda leyo isithi maze abuye emva kweenyanga ezintandathu, akazange akhathale. Wayengenayo intsholongwane kwaye wayezimisele ukuba oku kuza kuhlala kunjalo!

Wayedinga nje ukufumana into enye, ukuze ingqondo yakhe iyeke ukuphala. Endleleni eya ekhaya wabuza kuNora ukuba yintoni enye ethethekayo ngoJoe, kuba wayembone etshintshiselana ngeepasile nenye indoda ngolunye usuku.

“Andazi, mhlawumbe kunenye ibhizinisi encinane ayenzayo?”

Ibhizinisi eyenzelwa ematyholweni? UNzwaki ke ngoku wayefuna nyani ukwazi. Yayinye kuphela indlela yokufumana ulwazi oluchanekileyo noluthembakeleyo; ukuba uzifumanele ngokwakho.

Malize ingomso, wayeza kuzenza umcuphi alandele uJoe.

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Khawusichazele: IHIV yinto ekhoyo kumazantsi eAfrika kususela kwiminyaka engama-30 edlulileyo. Kuyinyaniso na ukubaisacekiseka kangangokuba abantu abakwazi ukuthetha ngayo ngokuphandle nokuthetha inyani ngayo?