Into yokuqala awayenzayo uNzwaki xa efika ekhaya kukugqogqa endlwini. Wafuna kuyo yonke indawo, egqogqa nangasemva kwazo zonke iikhabhati neekona. Kodwa akazange afumane nto. Kwakungekho zipasile ziphuthelwe ngephepha elintsundu ezifana naleyo wayeyibone iphethwe nguJoe. Mhlwumbi kwakuyinto nje yosuku olunye. Kodwa ke wayengayichaza njani imali asoloko eyijula le nale mva nje, ethenga impahla entsha neefowuni zexabiso eliphezulu? Lwalukhona unyawo lwemfene kule nto kwaye wayedinga ukwazi.

Wajonga ixesha; kwakungaphambilana nje kwentsimbi yesithandathu. Kwakufanele ukuba uJoe selesekhaya ixesha elingaphezu kweyure ngoku. Oku kwakuthetha ukuba uphumile, mhlawumbi usendaweni yentselo esela yonke loo mali. Yayivela phi yonke le mali? Wanxiba idyasi yakhe uNzwaki waphuma.

Wathi xa asondela eshibhini waqala wakhathazeka ngento anokuyifumana apho. Enye inhliziyo yayisithi makajike alibale ngayo yonke le nto. Kodwa enye yayifuna ukwazi ukuba kwenzeka ntoni. Ngokuqinisekileyo, kwakuyimoto kaJoe leya imi ngaphandle kweshibhini.

UNzwaki wangena wema ngasemva kwabanye abantu ababedlala i-pool. Kwakulula ukuba ungaqondakali ngobusuku bangoLwesihlanu. Wambona uJoe kwenye yeetafile kudana phaya. Wayenentombazana – uAsanda ofunda uGreyidi 11, eklasini kaNzwaki! Babehleka besenza ngokungathi ubusuku obo bobabo. Kwaye apho, phantsi kwetafile, apho kubona khona wonke umntu, kwakunesandla sikaJoe, siphulula ithanga lentombazana leyo.

UNzwaki weva kunyuka umhlanzo umtshisa emqaleni.

Waphuma ngokukhawuleza wabhekisa ekhaya esezinyembezini. Wayebone ngokwaneleyo. Nokuba yintoni na uJoe awayenokuyithetha ukuchaza yayingasenamsebenzi ngoku.

Wahlala ekhala iiyure eziliqela ecinga ngale nto. UJoe wayephandlapha, wayephandlapha nomntwana wesikolo osesikolweni afundisa kuso – kanye ngaphantsi kwempumlo yakhe. Intombazana leyo yayinokuba ihlekisa ngaye zonke iintsuku neetshomi zayo – eli xhewukazi elingakwaziyo ukwanelisa umyeni walo. Eqhayisa ngezipho umyeni wakhe amphe zona.

UNzwaki wayenzakele emoyeni, kwaye enesicaphucaphu. Kwakwenzeke ntoni kwindoda eselula kwaye ethandekayo awayetshate nayo? Zonke izinto amakhosikazi amadala ayemcebise ngazo ngokugcina umyeni wakhe onwabile zazingakwazi ukwenzeka.

Wakhumbula indlela awayehleka ngayo ezifihle phantsi kwengubo ngemini yakhe yomtshato wesintu. Ubuninzi bamakhosikazi lawo babuthe amadoda aya kuhlala ingamadoda, kwaye aza kuba nebatha apha naphaya ukwenzela ukuba azive esematsha kwakhona. Inkosikazi kwakufanele ikuqonde oku kwaye ihlale endlwini ukukhusela umtshato wayo.

UNzwaki wahleka ezicingela, angekhe uJoe wam enze loo nto. Akanjalo tu. Aniyazi indlela andijonga ngayo ngokungathi ndim kuphela. Indlela ancuma ngayo xa ndingena endlwini. Indlela andibamba ngayo ngokungathi ihlabathi liyaphela. Hayi, ingasi uJoe wam.

Kodwa ngoku lowo uJoe wayengasekho. Le indoda atshate nayo uNzwaki wayengayazi.

Wazifumana selepakisha impahla yakhe eyifaka kwityesi yakhe endala. Wayengakhumbuli nokuba uphakame nini na kanene kwisofa ukuyimba phantsi kwebhedi, ingcolile luthuli.

UJoe wabuya ekhaya enxilile, wathi akumbona epakisha, wafuna inkcazelo.

“Ndikubonile, Joe. Ndikubonile nalowa – lowamntwana,” watsho uNzwaki emgilela le esiya ewadrophini. Wayemlinde ngabomvu ukuze amngqale, kodwa njengokuba wayeselekhona nje, wayengafuni ukuthetha naye.

“Andinakuhlala nendoda engandithandiyo nendidelela ngale ndlela, ngaphambi kwabo bonke abantu bale lali.”

UJoe wacenga, ethembisa ukutshintsha kodwa uNzwaki wayengafuni nokuva. Waqhubeka njalo ezama ukudlula kuye ukuze afumane iimpahla zakhe ewadrophini azifake etyesini. Njengokuba ityesi yayizala nje kwaye uNzwaki engemisanga, uJoe waya eba nomsindo.

“Yeka le nto oyenzayo Nonzwakazi ukuze ndikwazi ukuthetha nawe!” wabhavumla.

UNzwaki wanxifa ukuphendula. Oko kwamdibanisa nempama etshisayo ebusweni waya kuthi folokohlo phezu kwebhedi. Wajonga le ndoda eyayimi phezu kwakhe, iphakamise isandla ilungiselela ukumngomba kwakhona. Kwakungenguye uJoe lo. Le indoda wayengayazi.

Kodwa wathi naxa ayijongileyo nje waqala waqonda: Akukho ndawo ndinokuya kuyo. Hayi okwangoku. Hayi kule lali, endisebenza kuyo. Kodwa le into ayizi kuphelela apha. Kutheni le nto kufuneka ibe ndim oza kuphuma kwikhaya lam? Waphuncuka phantsi kwengalo yakhe waqalisa ukukhupha impahla yakhe etyesini ethe cwaka.

*****

NgoMvulo akazanga athethe namntu esikolweni. Wayefuna nokulova emsebenzini athi uyagula kodwa waqonda ukuba angayitshisa naloo ndlu xa engahlala ekhaya. Abantu babemqwalasela, bejonge eli bala lokubethwa elikwiliso lasekhohlo. Kodwa wayengakhathali. Ukuba uJoe wayengenazintloni zokubonwa nentombazana yakhe esecaleni ekuhleni naye ke wayengazokumkhusela. Abantu babeza kububona ubunyani bokuba uyindoda enjani. Wayesazi ukuba kuza kufuneka aye kutitshala omkhulu ngoAsanda, kodwa wayengenawo amandla – hayi okwangoku.

“Ningalibali ukuba namhlanje ukususela ngetsimbi yokuqala ukuya kweyesibini, sineendwendwe zasekliniki ezizokuthetha nathi. Ngako oko ke ndilindele ukuba nibe senihleli ngemizuzu emihlanu ngaphambi kwentsimbi yokuqala,” wabakhumbuza uTitshala omkhulu.

UNzwaki wayeselelibele ngale nto. Kanye okanye kabini ngonyaka isikolo sasiye sibe nezithethi ezivela ekliniki zize kuthetha ngezempilo nococeko. Iintetha zazisuka ekukhulelweni kwabantwana abaselula ziye kutsho ekucwangciseni. Bakha bathetha nangeetshefu zaxa amanenekazi esexesheni kwaye kwafuneka ukuba amakhenkwe ahlale amamele nawo. UMnumzana Manene wayeyindoda efundileyo eyayicinga ukuba kuyinto elungileyo ukuba bonke abantu bafundiswe ngazo zonke izinto ezichaphazela ubomi.

Namhlanje babethetha ngeHIV neAIDS. UNzwaki wayecele umcebisi ovela eTsolongo, uSiyabonga ukuba aze kuthetha nabantwana ngalo mcimbi.

Abafundi babengabethelwa nangu ‘doh’ ke bona – babevuyela nje ukuba basebenzise ixesha lesifundo sokugqibela bengenzi nto, behleli ngaphandle endaweni yomthandazo wesikolo. Ilanga lalikho ke noko ngale mini, kodwa lingatshisi kakhulu, lifudumeza nje kamnandi. Ngo 12:45 base besiya ngaphandle nezitulo zabo. (UMnumzana Manene wayeshumayela ukugcinwa kwexesha kwaye eligcina yena ngokwakhe.)

“Molweni nonke. Igama lam nguSiyabonga. Ndisebenza kwikliniki yaseTsolongo kwaye ndilapha ukuza kwabelana nani ngentetha emfutshane nje,” wazazisa kanjalo lo mfanyana oselula ngeminyaka owayecebisa uNzwaki. “Kwaye emva kwebali ndingakuvuyela ukuzama ukuphendula nayiphina imibuzo eningaba nayo.”

USiyabonga wabaxelela ibali elingendlela obaphela ngayo ubudlelwane bakhe nentombazana awayeyithanda. Wayehlala elalini enye naye. Kodwa kwathi xa esiya eMonti ukuya kufunda khona zaqala iingxaki zabo. Wayehlala esikolweni engafane ambone. Intombazana yadibana nomnye umntu yamxelela xa eze ekhaya ngeeholide.

Ngenxa yomsindo nokucaphuka ngokulahlwa kanjalo yintombazana awayethenjiswe ngokuyitshata, uSiyabonga waphuma waya kusela de wanxila wangaboni nangamehlo la. Walala nentombazana awayefunda nayo esikolweni apho, ikokokuqala ke oko ukulala kwakhe nentombazana.

“Yaba bubusuku obunye nje qha ndilele nomntu ngaphandle kwekhondom, iminyaka emine edlulileyo. Ngoku ndinentsholongwane yeHIV,” wagqibezela ngelitshoyo.

Yaba ngu “Yho! ngaxeshanye kwabamameleyo Yho! Yho!” otshiwo ephinda phindwa ngabafundi. Kwathi xa kuqala isankxwe bethetha ngomdla bebodwa uSiyabonga wakhwaza wathi, “Ndiyabona ukuba ninokuba ninemibuzo enifuna ukundibuza yona?”

“Uqinisekile ukuba uneZ3? Ujongeka ushushu gqitha,” kwabuza intombazana esiqhwini eso.

“Ewe, ndiqinisekile ukuba ndinentsholongwane yeHIV. Kodwa ke ndijongeka ndi – mh … ‘shushu’ kuba niyazisela iipilisi zam. Kufuneka ndisele amayeza kabini ngemini, yonke imihla, ngexesha elifanayo. Ngaloo ndlela intsholongwane iyalala, mna ke ndibe ngophilileyo.”

“Tyo, kabini? Kungaphezulu ke mos kunabo nabantu abaphethwe yi high – high,”

“Ewe –ewe, kwaye kuvakala ngathi kuyakudina oku xa kufuneka uye ekliniki inyanga nenyanga ukuya kuphaka iipilisi zakho. Ngoko ke, ukuba bendinini, bendizakuthi ‘zila’. Ukuba unobudlelwane obubandakanya ezesondo, sebenzisa ikhondom. Awuzikhuseli nje kwiHIV kuphela wena neqabane lakho.”

“Mxim, umalume uthi ikliniki yalapha ayinazo nezo pilisi kakade. Kunceda ntoni ke? Uza kufa ke mos? Ninazo iipilisi kweyenu ikliniki?” kwatsho enye intombazana waza uSiyabonga wanyanzeleka ukuba axelele loo nginginya ukuba ithule ukuze akwazi ukuthetha.

“Ewe, kubalulekile ukuba aqhubeke ukuzithatha. Angahlala ubomi obude obusebenza nje kakuhle. Siza kuzama ukufumanisa ukuba kutheni na le nto kungekho zipilisi nje kwikliniki yenu. Okwangoku ke kuza kufuneka nimzise kwikliniki yaseTsolongo ukuze afumane iipilisi.”

“Mhlawumbi kukhona umntu oba ezi pilisi kwikliniki yethu? Azikwazi ukuvela nje zinyamalale ngokomlingo, okanye zi-odwe ngendlela engachanekanga ixesha elide kangaka,” yabuza enye ititshala.

UNzwaki wayecinga loo nto kanye naye xa ugxa wakhe eveza eli nqaku.

“Siyazama ukufikelela engcanjini yale ngxaki. Ukuba kukho umntu ocinga ukuba kukho umntu oba iipilisi angamxela kwabasemagunyeni. Ungandithumelela i-please call me okanye umyalezo we WhatsApp kule nombolo ekwi phosta endiza kuzishiya notitshala wenu. Ungayenza loo nto ungadanga wazichaza ukuba ungubani na. Kunabantu abeba iARV ukuze benze iziyobisi ezifana ne whunga ngazo okanye bazithengisele abantu abakumaqela azibandakanya neziyobisi. Kufuneka sibanqande aba bantu.”

Kwaba yintswahla kuqhwatywa izandla akugqiba ukuthetha uSiyabonga.

***

Khawusichazele: Ungaphawula uthini ngomsebenzi obhatalwayo kodwa oba amayeza angahlawulelwayo afanele ukuya ebantwini abagulayo (kaninzi abantu abahluphekileyo), awathengise?