“Nkosi yam! Hlisani imimoya,” watsho uNkskz. Tshuma ngeli xesha uTheresa eqhubeka ebonakala ekhathazekile.
“Owu Tixo wam! Andizange ndicinge ukuba ngenene ndingamazi umoni wenkolo yabanyelisi!”
“Jussus Theresa, hlisa umoya. Utheni? ‘Owu Nkosi Yam, Yesu Krestu esi sifundo siyadika.’ Ngamazwi nje kuphela sibhanxa.” UNgcebo otjatjarag wayeqhwaya inkathazo kwakhona.
“Ngcebo, khawuphinde kwakhona ugqabhuke ngento ekrwada uya kuhluthelwa amanqaku. Antonia, uthini?”
U-Antonia wazama ukubonakala enendelo, kodwa wayenexhala. “Ndithe, andikholelwa kwi, ndithetha ukuthi, ndiyi … eh … ndingumntu ongakholwa kuTixo, Nkskz. Tshuma.”
UTheressa waqhwaba izanda phezu kweendlebe zakhe. UMagdalen wakhwaza kancinane: “Hayi! Wenza njani umntu angakholelwa kuTixo?”
“Kwaaaa! Useriaaaas, ntombi? Ayingomdlalo lo?” wahlahlamba ngelo uNgcebo ngeli xesha abahlobo bakhe bembhantsa. Uninzi lwabafundi eklasini bajongana, bexoxa kumnandi.
Yaxhuma intliziyo ka-Antonia, amadolo akhe engcangcazela kwaye wayecinga ekhathazekile: Ngoku ndiyazi bendinyanisile xa ndingayithethi le nto. Kanye le nto bendiyoyika yenzekile. Abasoze baqonde. Baya kucinga ukuba kukho into ethile ngam. Aga maan – mhlawumbe noSindi noTanya baza kundilahla! Mhlawumbe no-Andile uqobo uza kuyeka…
Akakwazanga kuzibamba webisa emthi qwayi ngeliso. Wayondele kuye, othukile. Wakhawuleza wajika, imihlathi yakhe iqinisiwe, ngexesha amehlo abo akhawuleza adibana. Ukulahlwa nguye kwenza intliziyo yakhe yacutheka isentlungwini.
Kanye emva kwakhe, uRefiloe wayemjonge kabukhali, ebuncuma ephakamise iinkophe zakhe. U-Antonia wawuqonda umyalezo wokuthi cwaka: ‘Uyazi ukuba usandula ukwenza ntoni, ntombi? Undinike ngesitya u-Andile omhle – esepleyitini.’
Wajonga uSindi, owayehleli enga ubethelelwe, ejonge ngqo phambili, ngokungathi akazi ukuba makabonakalisi yiphi imvakalelo ebusweni bakhe. Kufuphi naye – yay! yayinguTanya sele enguye ke. Amehlo akhe ayekhazimla engqukumba kukothuka, isandla esibeke emlonyeni, ezama ukungaphumelelisi ukugigitheka kwakhe kule meko ingafanelekanga.
Emva koko ilizwi likaSolomon lavakala ngaphezu kwalo ngxolo: “Ingaba u … ingaba si… sihlala nomtyholi?!” Waqalisa ukuthandaza, “Nkosi, ndiyakucela, sikhusele kule ntombazana elahlekiswe nguSathana, umthathele eluthandweni…”
Abanye abafundi baqalisa ukuhleka, kodwa abanye baqalisa ukumbombozela imithandazo. Abanye babakhwaza beaxelela ukuba bayeke ukubaxa izinto bathi cwaka.
Kanye ngelo xesha kwagaleleka iSekela Ntloko: “Inzolo!” Wonke umntu makathi cwaka ngoku.
“Kanye kanye kwenzeka ntoni apha, Nkskz. Tshuma?”
USolomon wangenelela ngokungxama: “Mnumzana, yena – u-Antonia – usandula ukusixelela ukuba akakholelwa kuTixo! Ilungile lo nto… ndithetha ukuba, andazi. Ingaba ivumelekile?”
UMnu. Dube wothuka. “Nyani? Oh Nkosi yam ntombam, awukho mncinane ukuba ungenza … eh … ingxelo … ecace kangako? Awuthethi ukuba usengxakana yethutyana nenkolo?”
U-Antonia waphakama edlalisa usiba lwakhe, enqwenela ukuba angavele anyamalale emoyeni, abhabhe engabonakali aphinde adibane abuyele esiqwini sakhe ekhaya. Ndizisola njani ngokuthetha, wacinga njalo. Kutheni, kutheni kutheni kubekho lo mnqweno ukhawulezileyo wokuba ndichaze inyaniso eyenzekayo?
“Umm, ya, mhlawumbe Mnumzana,” wambhombhozela, emva koko wabulela ethe cwaka xa kukhala intsimbi yokugqibela.
“Ngoku kuba sele ufumene kwakhona intlonipho yakho, linda uthe cwaka de kugoduswe wonke umntu,” watsho uSekela. Phambi kokuba ahambe wathi ngelizolileyo kuNkskz. Tshuma: “Mhawumbe sincokole bucala. Ingaba kukho iingxaki ekhaya?”
Wanqwala. “Antonia, ungahambi. Wena Magdalen no-Theresa, nawe Solomon, ndiyanicela, yehlisani imimoya.” Bakhangeleka bengonelisekanga bakhawuleza baphuma, behlebelana izinto ezithile.
U-Andile wathi tshe ephuma eklasini, engazange abajonge nokubanjonga ngelokuvalelisa, elandelwa kufuphi nguRefiloe.
Zampompoza iinyembezi emehlweni ka-Antonia; umqala wakhe womile. Ingaba yayiphelile yonke le nto, ngaphambi kokuba ibe iqalisile ngenene nalo mfana uyinzwana kangaka? Akusoze kubekho kuya ekhaya enyonyoba? Babengekaphuzani nokuphuzana.
Waqhwanyaza waginya amathe, wajika wajonga kutitshala wakhe. UNkskz.Tshuma waziva engaqinisekanga ukuba athini. “Antonia, uqinisekile ngale nto? Manditsho andizange ndidibane ndisazi nomntu ongakholelwa kuTixo. Akuqhelekanga apha. Ingaba oku kukungathobeli imithetho kokuba mtsha? Ingaba yonke into ILUNGILE ekhaya?”
Ukunyaniseka kukatitshala wakhe nelizwi elinovelwano kwenza u-Antonia waziva engcono kancinane. “Ewe Ma’am. Ngenene yonke into ilungile ekhaya. Ndikhetha ukungakholelwa kuTixo ngenxa yabo ndiyakholwa. Umama akakholwa, kwaye utata wam yena, ewe, unguMkatolika owaphelelwayo.”
Wayengafuni ukuchazela uNkskz. Tshuma ngesinye isizathu sakhe sokungakholelwa kuTixo; isizathu asitshixele ngamandla entliziyweni yakhe. Kwakusebuhlungu kakhulu nangoku.
UNkskz. Tshuma wasijonga isithunzi esililolo sika-Antonia sihamba. Kazi ukuba u-Andile uza kuyithatha njani le nto, wazicingela. Wayelilungu kanye leNkonzo kaNkskz. Tshuma eyi-Loving Sheperd Family Church.
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Khawusichazele: Ucinga ntoni ngabantu abangakholelwa kuTixo? Ukuba ulikholwa, ingaba ungangumhlobo/ungumhlobo womntu ongakholelwa kuTixo?