UBathandwa uvuka ekuseni ngovivi, apakishe avuse uChe baqonde emabhasini eTranslux. Abaxoxi kakhulu noChe, balokhu bebukana emehlweni bobabili befisa ngabe abagoduki. Ngathi bangahlala bendawonye.
Bafika emabhasini bathole ukuthi kuzothatha ihora lingakafiki ibhasi. Bayazungeza khona esikhumulweni samabhasi uChe amkhethise ifoni kwesinye sezitolo esiwadayisayo. UBathandwa uyithenga ngemali ayihole e-EasyLoans le foni.
“Ngizokukhumbula,” kusho uChe uBathandwa esekulayini wokugibela ibhasi.
“Nami ngokufanayo, Che. Wena uzogibela nini ubuyela eThekwini?”
“NgoMsombuluko. Ibhasi lizosuka ebusuku lifike ngale ngoLwesibili ekuseni.”
“Ninempelasonto yonke ningenzi lutho nalabangani bakho abahlanyayo. Ngiyathemba nizoziphatha kahle.”
“Nakanjani.”
“Ngiqinisile njalo, Che. Ningabhiyozi kuze kweqe. Noma usugodukile ungalahleki ebumnandini baseThekwini.”
Bashayana ngokwangana nesinqandi uBathandwa agibele ibhasi.
Ibhasi liyashosholoza libheke eKokstad. UBathandwa uyajabula ngoba uyagoduka uzobona uGogo noNoluthando kodwa futhi uphatheke kabuhlungu ngoba ushiya uChe. Uziba ngokuzijwayeza ifoni yakhe entsha. Ukuba nemali kumsizile ngoba esanazo zonke izinhlelo zokusebenza zezokuxhumana zomphakathi. Ubuka ibhayisikobho ebhasini, azithengele ukudla okumnandi endleleni azibukele nobuhle bezwe ibhasi ishosholoza.
Ungenelwa imvula yo-‘please call me’ bevela kuGogo wakhe sekusele ihora afike eKokstad. Lokhu akujwayelekile ngoba uGogo akaze athumele u-‘Please call me’ ngaphambilini. Uhleze efona. UBathandwa ushaywa uvalo afonele uGogo.
“Gogo, unjani? Konke kuhamba kahle?”
“Akuhambi kahle neze, mntanami,” kusho uGladys izwi livevezela.
“Kwenzenjani, Gogo? Ngabe ukhohliwe ukuphuza amaphilisi akho?”
“Inkinga yekhadi lami le engigulisayo.”
“Kwenzenjani, Gogo?”
“Ikhadi lami lempesheni, mntanami. Alisebenzi.”
“Abakutshelanga ehhovisi le-SASSA ukuthi inkinga ikuphi?”
“Bangitshele ukuthi anginamali ngoba imali yami ithathelwe ukuze ikhokhe izikweletu enginazo. Kodwa bengihleze ngizikhokhela lezikweletu, ngicabanga nokuthi ngiziqedile manje.”
“Ukuphi uNoluthando?”
“Usesikoleni ubhala iphepha lokugcina namhlanje.”
“Ukuphi wena njengamanje?”
“Ngisehholo lapho kuholelwa khona impesheni.”
“Ngizoza lapho, ibhasi seliseduze. Unganyakazi.”
“Kulungile, mntanami. Ngikulindile.”
Imicabango iyagijima ekhanda kuBathandwa. Mhlawumbe uGogo ukhohlwe iphinikhodi? Kodwa futhi ezindaweni zokuhola impesheni basebenzisa iminyatheliso yeminwe. Kungenzeka ukuthi ikhadi lilimele? Mhlawumbe uphethe ikhadi okungelona? Kodwa uGogo uyacophelela; izinto zakhe zihlezi zime ngomumo.
Esandizelwa imicabango enjalo kungena umlayezo ovela kuChe.
Lunjani uhambo?
Kuhamba kahle kusele imizuzu engu-45 ngifike ekhaya. Ugogo unenkinga
yekhadi lakhe lempenshini.
Sizokhuluma ngemva kwesikhathi. Kulungile
Amehlo kaBathandwa abuka umhlaba ngaphandle kwewindi. Ufisa ngabe uChe useduze kwakhe.
***
Sitshele ukuthi ubona kanjani: Kufanele uBathandwa akhathazeke ngokubhiyoza kukaChe noma udlala isikhwele?