Kungomhla wamashumi amabini anambini kweyoMqungu, kulo uphelileyo. UNosisa uhleli nomyeni wakhe, uNdumiso, kwindlu yabo abayifumana ngesibonelelo kurhulumente. Kungokuhlwa, kanye xa kuza kuqala ibali likamabonakude. UNdumiso lo ungumntu othuleyo, kwaye akathandi ukuxabana namntu. Umsindo wakhe uza kade, kwaye xa enomsindo akanqandeki emlweni.
Aba babini banomntwana omncinci oyintombazana, uLisa, oneminyaka emithathu. UNdumiso uxelenga njengo mfundisi-ntsapho kwisikolo samabanga aphezulu sakwaLanga. Ukuncedisana nomvuzo wakhe, uqeshisa ngegumbi kummi wangaphandle okwelilizwe ngentsebenzo. Sekuzinyanga zintandathu kuhleliwe ngalendlela.
Namhlanje kuhleliwe kwigumbi lokuhlala kujongenwe emehlweni. Umntwana udlala ngonopopi wakhe emadolweni kayise. Umfo wasemzini uzivalele egumbini lakhe.
“Nosisa! Ibingekho enye indlela onothetha ngayo kum xa unento ongayiqondiyo? Khona, ungxole ngeengxaki zethu zomzi phambi komntwana nabantu basemzini?” watsho uNdumiso ethethela phantsi.
“Wazi ntoni khona lomntwana undixelela ngaye? Phendula umbuzo qha wena, uyadyola na kwesasikolo?” watsho uNosisa ephakamise ilizwi lakhe.
“Uphengulula unomyayi wam mihla le, uwutsibeleka kuqala xa ndingenelwa ngumyalezo, ndihlala apha endlwini xa ndingaphangelanga. Ndingalifumana phi ixesha lokudyola? Khona, sasivumelene ukuba sichithe zonke impelaveki njengosapho apha endlwini? Wena, usoloko uzula apha esithubeni nabahlobo bakho bangamantombazana. Kanti eyona nto wawukhutshwa kuyo ngezaziyalo yintoni?” wabuza uNdumiso, ebufudumala naye ngoku ngumsindo.
“Uthetha ukuba andibonakali ukuba ndingumfazi? Ezilokhwe zinde nalomsesane wona uthetha ntoni?” wabuza watsho uNosisa.
“Andizazi ukuba zithetha ntoni kuwe. Kodwa kum azithethi nto, xa umntu ozinxibileyo engazihloniphanga. Nokuba zinganxitywa ngumntwana ongemva apha kuwe, ukuba yena uzihloniphile uba nesidima. Wazi lento ke ntomb’enkulu, isidima sendoda yakho sixhomekeke kuwe,” watsho uNdumiso evula umabonakude.
“Ungandidiki ke mna. Ndonwabe imini yonke ufike wonakalise imini yam,” waqwela ngelitshoyo uNosisa. Labangathi kukungena kwekrele emphefumlweni kuNdumiso ukuva lomazwi. Waphakama, wafunqula uLisa waphuma naye ukuya endleleni.
“Lisa, masike sibethwe ngumoya kancinci nje singekadiki unyoko,” watsho ephuma nomntwana uNdumiso, esabindekile ngalamazwi. Bamshiya uNosisa egqibezela ukupheka ebukele nomabonakude.
Waphuma nje uNdumiso wadibana nomhlobo wakhe uNdinga.
“Sihlobo segazi. Gazi lam. Kunjani mfondini?” watsho uNdumiso.
“Kuhle ntang’am akukho zimbi, kuwe?” watsho uNdinga ethatha uLisa ukuba amnxule.
“Hayi mfondini. Akukubanga kwaphela wena mfondini,” watsho uNdumiso ezolula umqolo.
“Mfondini, kutheni wangathi awonwabanga kwezintsuku? Uyagula? Khona, umsaphi umntwana ebusuku?” wabuza uNdinga emana ukumjonga ebusweni umhlobo wakhe.
“Ndisaphumza ingqondo mfo kabawo,” watsho uNdumiso ejonga kuLisa, owayejonge ngemva emana ukudlala noyise.
“Kubi loo mhlobo na mfondini?” wabuza uNdinga.
“Ndifela umdyolo endingawenziyo mfondini. Kanga ngokuba ingase ndivele ndidyole, ze ndityholwe ngento endiyenzayo. Kunini ndizama ukumbonisa ukuba andidyoli?” watsho uNdumiso ebudinwa yiyo yonke lento ngoku.
“Mfondini, ungaze wenze into ongazange wayenza kuba unomsindo. Iyakuchithela umzi ungaphinde wonwabe,” watsho uNdinga.
“Andonwabanga kungoku mfo kabawo. Yintoni endinothi ndiyayilwela kulomtshato ngoku? Maninzi amadoda awondla abantwana awo engaphandle emtshatweni, abe onwabile,” watsho ethatha uLisa ukuze ambeke emagxeni. “Mfondini ngase undinike amabali ngalomcinga wam (memory stick), ndifike ndibukele,” waqhubeka uNdumiso.
“Kwekh! Kunzima ukuhlala nomntu odibene naye enamazinyo asibhozo. Qina mfo kaMchenge, kuzolunga ngenye imini. Mas’ambe siye phaya endlwini, kukho amatsha amabali esilungu, akulowa wam umcinga,” watsho uNdinga etshintsha intetha.
Kwancokolwa ngamabali de kwayofikwa kwaNdinga. Bafika uNozibele, inkosikazi kaNdinga, ehlamba izitya.
“Hayi mfondini maan. Kutheni ulusebenzisa kabuhlungu nje ubambo lwam?” atsho ebhekisa kuNdinga. “Sthandwa sam, mhla wamshiya lo unguQhinebe, sizotshata. Qha ngoku usandibambele indawo yam,” watsho esothula umntwana exhawula uNozibele.
“Unqabe okwezinyo lenkukhu wena Bhut’Ndumza. Uyakuvalela na uNosisa?” watsho uNozibele esosula izandla, evula ikhabhathi ukuze akhuphe iqebengwana, anike uLisa. Ukhuphe isiselo esihlwahlwazayo kwisikhenkcezisi wasibeke phambi kukaNdumiso, wazisa negilasi phambi kwakhe.
“Bafondini! Ndikucinga ngeezi zinto keNozi xa ungekho. Lentwana yakho uNdibz sendiyigcine nje ngenxa yakho qha.” Kuyahlekwa ngumntu wonke endlwini, kukhala nomculo opholileyo.
Basela isiselo esibandayo, bephulaphule uMichael Leans. ULisa yena ibe lixeshana nje elapha walala esingathwe nguyise. Wamthatha uNozibele wambeka phezu komandlalo wabo ukuze abe ephumla ngoku kusancokolwayo. Konwatywa kwayiloo nto, kumnandi kumntu wonke, sekulityelwe ngezitya ngoku nguNozibele. Waqhotsa amaqanda kwatyiwa, kudityaniswa nesonka nesiselo.
Kwahlalwa ubusuku bahamba uNdumiso elibele ngezakhe iingxaki. Kuthe xa kuza kubetha intsimbi yokuqala wacela indlela kwesisibini. Bamcela ashiye umntwana ukuze amthathe kwakusa ngomso. Wavuma naye wabashiya besahleli bencokola ngezamhla mnene, besafunda eJalamba eXhora.
Wahamba uNdumiso wafika endlwini kumnyama, wavula ngesakhe isitshixo wangena. Wafika wakhanyisa nje wakhulula ukuze alale naye.
Sixelele okucingayo: Ucinga ntoni ngentlalo kaNdumiso nomkake? Ungenza njani ukuba unokuzifumana usezihlangwini zikaNdumiso?