UBathandwa usephambili kulayini wase-EasyLoans. Wehlisa ulaka ngokudonsa umoya kakhulu awukhiphe kancane.
“Sawubona, sisi, ngingakusiza ngani? Ufuna ukuthatha imali-mboleko?” kusho intombazane emsizayo.
“Cha angizile ngalokho. Bengicela izitatimendi zezinyanga ezintathu zaleli khadi,” kusho uBathandwa ekhipha ikhadi likaGogo.
“Ikhadi ngelakho?”
“Cha, elikaGogo.”
“Kulungile. Ngicela uhlale phansi ngikulandele umuntu ozokusiza,” kusho intombazane.
Kuphela ihora elindile kuqhamuke umphathi acele uBathandwa angene ehhovisi lakhe.
“Ngicela uhlale phansi, Nks. Ngingakusiza ngani?” kusho le ndoda.
“Nginenkinga la. Ikhadi laGogo le-EasyLoans alinayo imali, nele-SASSA nalo alinayo imali kodwa imali ingenile izolo ekuseni. Ngidinga izitatimende ukuze ngibone ukuthi kwenzakalani ngemali yakhe,” kusho uBathandwa. “UGogo ungitshele ukuthi useqedile ukukhokhela isikweletu sakhe ngoba sekuphele izinyanga eziningi esikhokhela.”
“Nkosazane, asinayo imishini nelungelo lokukhipha izitatimende. Kuzofanele ufonele inombolo esekhadini ukuze uthole lokhu okufunayo. Fonela isikhungo samakhasimende.”
Amehlo kaBathandwa ajika abebomvu enziwa ukuthukuthela.
“Umuntu ulithatha la ikhadi, nemali uyiboleka la kodwa izitatimende akazitholi la? Wena ukubona kunengqondo lokho!? Kuthetha uBathandwa.
“Nkosazane, iyona ndlela…”
“Ngicela ukugcinele othize ozowukholwa lodoti ocabanga ukungitshela wona.” uBathandwa uthatha isikhwama sakhe asukume. “Abantu baluthola kanjani usizo kule nambolo njengoba belindiswa isikhathi eside kangaka? Ubani omaziyo ongaba nomoya wesikhathi omningi ngaleyo ndlela?”
“Nkosazane, ima kancane ungahambi,” kusho umphathi ecwebise ubuso.“Wena awuyidingi imali-mbolekhoyokukhokhela izikweletu zikaGogo? Kulula. Ugcwalisa leli-”
“Angikukholwa lokhu!” kusho uBathandwa esukuma eganklaza isicabha ephuma.
Uphuma ehhovisi lase-EasyLoans abone abantu abaningi abagugile beklelile kulayini. Abanye sebeyabhalisa ukuthatha imali-mbolekho. Ufisa ngabe bayalwazi lolu bishi abazifaka kulo. Ufisa ngabe le ndlela okwenziwa ngayo ayibafaki abantu abavele behlupheka ezikweletini.
Uzibona yena kule ntombazane esebenza kuleli hhovisi ngoba yenza lomsebenzi awenza eGrahamstown. Ukujabula ebusweni nayo njengoba ibhalisa abantu kuyafana nokujabula uBathandwa akade enabo eGrahamstown ngesikhathi naye ebhalisa abantu.
Uyaphuma abone ezinye izalukazi namakhehla bengena ehhovisi le-EasyLoans. Uyazibuza ukuthi ukuhlupheka okungaka kungaxazululwa kanjani. Uyazi ukuthi bonke labantu, njengoGogo wakhe uGladys, bayiswele okwangempela imali. Umoya wakhe ushona phansi ephethwe inhliziyo ebuhlungu.
***
Sitshele ukuthi ubona kanjani: Kufanele yini ukuthi uBathandwa adinwe ukuthi izitatimende zitholakala esikhungweni samakhasimende hhayi ehhovisi le-EasyLoans?