Amahhovisi akude futhi uGogo ukhathele uyagodola.
“Gogo, kungcono sigoduke. Lolu daba sizolilungisa ekuseni,” kusho uBathandwa esiza uGogo batotobe baye erenki yamatekisi.
“Kodwa sizokwenzenjani ngokudla? Sizodlani namhlanje? Akukho lutho ekhaya,” kusho uGladys ekhathazekile.
“Ungazikhathazi ngalokho, Gogo, nginayo imali. Sizokuthenga ukudla endaweni yezitolo ngaserenki.”
“Wena ngakulethelwa uNkulunkulu, mntanami. Bengingazi ukuthi ngizodlanganisa ini nani. Waze wamuhle, kodwa uzacile. Awudli lapha esikoleni noma ukudayethi yakho?”
“Ngiyabonga, Gogo. Kodwa ugcine nini ukudla?”
“Ngigcine ngephalisi ekuseni. Ngendlela engikhathaze ngayo le ndaba yaleli khadi ingenze ngakhohlwa ukuthi kufanele ngidle.”
“Sizobamba esizokudla. Gogo, kwenziwa yini usebenzise leli khadi? Akufanele ngabe usebenzisa ikhadi lakwa-SASSA? Wenziwa yini uye kwa-EasyLoans?”
“Ngathatha leli khadi ukuze ngikwazi ukuboleka imali ngezikhathi ezinzima. Leli khadi liyasiza uma sekuphele imali. Bayangiboleka imali bathathe emholweni wami we-SASSA lokhu engibakweleta khona. Bayayithatha imali yabo kodwa iba khona njalo imali esele ekhadini lakwa-SASSA. Lokhu kokuthi ngingasali nalutho ngikuqala manje. I-EasyLoans yona ngiyayikhokhela imali engiyikweletayo.”
“Ingakanani imali oyikweletayo isiyonke?”
“Angazi. Ngezinye izikhathi kuba amakhulu amabili amarandi, kokunye kube amakhulu amathathu amarandi. Kuya ngokuthi ngidinga malini. Leli khadi langisiza ngaboleka imali yokuthenga othayela ngesikhathi uphahla luvuza.”
UBathandwa uzama ukuyibala ngekhanda lemali. Ubuyelwa isithombe senqwaba yabantu abadala beklelile bezothatha izimali-mbolekho ehhovisi lika-Andy. Uyazibona naye ehleka ebabhalisela ukuze bathathe izimali-mboleko ezizoqeda yonke imali yabo. Uzwa isisu sixukuzela futhi, kungathi angaphalaza.
“Ha! Usumude kangaka sisi omncane? Belinjani iphepha obulibhala?” usho kuNoluthando, obalinde erenki. Sekuyahwalala. Intuthu yemililo yabantu abadayisayo ivimbanisile.
“Iphepha lesibili leziBalo libukhuni. I-Calculus ne-trigonometry isilingo nje, ngiyakutshela,” kusho u Noluthando.
“Kuhle ukuthi belibukhuni. Iyona into ezokwenza uzimisele ekuhlolweni kwasekupheleni konyaka. Kungcono ngoba manje uyazi ukuthi kufanele ulindeleni ekuhlolweni komatikuletsheni. Konke obukubhala sekuhlangene nosazokufunda kwithemu elandelayo,” kusho uBathandwa. Kodwa uNoluthando akamlalele.
“Usiphatheleni eGrahamstown?”
“Linda sifike ekhaya. Kufanele ngiye esiteshini samaphoyisa, ngibhale incwadi engigunyaza ukuthi ngithole izitatimende zikaGogo. Ngidinga amaphoyisa ayigxhivize khona ngizokwazi ukuthola ukuthi kwenzakalani ngemali kaGogo.”
“Ungayilungisa lento, Bathandwa?” kubuza uNoluthando. “Asinamali. Nokudla kuphelile.”
“Ngizozama,” uBathandwa uzithola enqikaza. Kodwa ubona ukukhathazeka ebusweni bomndeni wakhe athi, “Ningakhathazeki, ngizoyilungisa le ndaba.”
Uhambe usuku lonke esuka eRhodes University. Ukhathele ufisa ukugoqana ezingalweni zikaChe alale ubuthongo obujulile. Ubecabanga ukuthi uzothola ukujabula nokuphumula ekhaya, hhayi izinkinga ezingaphezu kwamandla.
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Sitshele ukuthi ubona kanjani: Uma kungukuthi uGladys uyaqinisekisa ukuthi uyikhokhile imali ayiboleka, ucabanga ukuthi kwenzakaleni?