Liyathafaza. Kancane nje sekuze kwama amanzi. UMfaniseni uhlezi ethubeleza kulemigwaqo yase Harrismith, aqombole aze akhombe uKhahlamba lana ngemuva kwakhe. Zihlezi zimheha zimbiza izintaba zeHarrismith.
Ithi ingafika nje iloli eNtabazwe ehle abhukhe ihotela. IBellas Hotel, kuthi kungathambama aphume abhacuze ezitidini zase Harrismith. Wayesaziwa nayisigejana sabaqwayizi esihlala lana emgwaqeni. Ame abuke lezizintokazi ezishaya ngezikete eziqhephuke emacaleni. Athi engasondela, bazikhwece sakumgabisela. Wasondela naye, aze ame buqamama.
“Sondela Qwabe! Kade sakugcina,” isho lentokazi iqhwabaza isondela kuyena.
Asondele uQwabe, uMfaniseni phela.
“Ngifuna uMakhosi, yimina uMfaniseni Qwabe ikhasimende lakhe eliqavile,”
Asho lamazwi uMfaniseni afake izandla emaphokothweni. Lesisigejana sabaqwayizi, saqhuma ngohleko sahlakazeka wasala emile uMakhosi, wasondela naye uMakhosi kuQwabe eqhwabaza.
Intombazanyana nje elinganiselwa eminyakeni enga-19. Yafika yema eduzane noMfaniseni, ixhegwana elilinganiselwa eminyakeni engama-52.
“Usuyikhasimende lokuqina ngempela, Baba!” isho imoyizele lentokazi zithi foco izihlathi, kuvele uthothwana lamazinyo adobeke sengathi abaziwe. Buchache ubuhle bukaMakhozi.
“Yebo Makhosi, ngihlezi ngifuna wena njalo mina mangiza lana eHarrismith. Ngibhukhe ikamelo eBellas ngicela ukuchitha ubusuku bami nawe.”
“Ah noma ngabe yini baba, ngincamela noma ngabe yini. Sengiyakwethemba kimina sewfana nomyeni.”
Bahamba uMakhosi noQwabe kwakungathi yinkunzi ihamba nesithole esisanda kukhwela. Wawubonakala umzimba kaMakhozi ukuthi usuthanda ukuqhumisa amabele obujongosi.
Bahamba njalo baze bangena eBellas hotela. Nanini nanini, uQwabe usehlezi ezidlela samthanyana ashaye esokhezo lomkhwekazi ashaye esokhezo lukamakoti.
Isikhathi sasingathi siyabaxosha babehlala uMakhosi noQwabe babambane ngezandla, babukane. Baqabulane.
“Kodwa Mfaniseni, yini lena eyenza ngikuthande kangaka. Wonke amakhasimende ami angilokothi ngiwaqabule kodwa wena…”
“Nami Makhosi ngivele ngiphenduke ijongo lomfana manginawe, phela mina manginomaZungu ngisheshe ngiphelelwe induku isivele ingiphoxe iwe. Lana kuwena kuyasa quthu!”
Bahleka babambana, baqabulana. Wathi noma esehamba ngakusasa uQwabe wathela umthelo wokugcina, wakhokha balalana futhi benoMakhosi. Sekuyinjwayezi nje impela, uQwabe wabe ethunywa ngumsebenzi esuka eNyukhasela elibhekisa eHarrismith njalo ngolezihlanu.
UmaZungu waze wanengwa yisenzo sikaQwabe.
“Baba kaSthembiso, ngifuna ukwazi ngabe senginomnewethu na. Sewuyinto nje ephoxayo. Awusangithathi njengomkakho,” asho umaZungu asule izinyembezi ngembebe yesandla, asikhihle. Akhale nje impela.
“MaZungu, khala kodwa mina wazi ngihlezi ngihamba ngomsebenzi, ngondla wena mfazi ndini! Ujika uzongethuka ngokuthi ngiqonyiwe.”
Kwavuleka umnyango kwangena uSthembiso, ehamba ecwabaza wawuzwa umsindo kanina noyise. Wafika wahlala phansi wababuka abazali bakhe.
“Baba ngabe kwenzenjani Qwabe, wenzeni umama?” ebuza uSthembiso eletha amashiya emehlweni.
“Angikhulumi mina nezingane, ungene ngaphi wena ezindabeni zami nonyoko!”
Asho uQwabe afuthe amakhala. Wathula uSthembiso wabhekisa ikhanda phansi. Walihlaba, uQwabe wangena ekamelweni wathatha isikhwama esisajosaka. Wabuya wasiqulela phezu kwetafula.
“Ngisaya eHarrismith, ngihamba ngomsebenzi. Kukhona enikudungayo kuMfaniseni, mtsheleni kuseyimanje.”
Kuthuleke, babukane uSthembiso nonina. Anikine ikhanda umaZungu kusobala uthi akadingi lutho. Asukume uQwabe aqukule umgodla wakhe.
“Baba ngicela ungilalele okokugcina Qwabe,” esho uSthembiso esukuma.
“Kwenzenjani manje?” ebuza ngesankahlu uQwabe.
“Ngifuna ukuganwa, ngithole umakoti. Ngicela ungikhulule Qwabe, ngifuna ukulethela umama umakoti,” asho uSthembiso azisonge, babukane benoyise. Aphefumulele phezulu uQwabe.
“Ngilinde, ngizengibuye eHarrismith sobe sesixoxa-ke,” waqukula imithwalo uQwabe washaya isishwapha sakhe wayithela. Wasala umaZungu wabuka uSthembiso, babukana.
“Konje uthe ngowakwabani umakoti wakwami Sthembiso?”
“Oh nguDladla mama. NguMakhosi igama lakhe uhlala khona eHarrismith, lapho kubabele khona ubaba.”
Wavele wachachamba ebusweni umaZungu wabuka umtanakhe maqede, wasukuma wahamba sakuxhoza egxawuzela ebheke ekhishini.
Noma kunjalo.
Yathubeleza njalo iloli elishayelwa nguQwabe, uhamba uyaninga uyamthanda uMakhosi ngenhlziyo yakhe yonke angamyekisa ngisho ukuqwayiza amakhele umuzi amane abe nemizi emibili.
Naphezu kwalokho, wayelokho eninga ngendaba kaSthembiso.
“Kodwa lomfana usefuna ukuthatha ngempela, ekazi ngeyaphi lengane esibone isoka kulenxibongo yami. Ngizoke ngizwe.”
Yathubeleza iloli. Zimhaqe izintaba zoKhahlamba, zimbize. Ivele iHarrismith. Angene phakathi nayo aze ayimise imoto emnango wehotela iBellas hotel.
Sengathi uyayiqabuka iBellas namuhla yabe inesizotha ishaya ngotshani obulihlaza cwe. Anebwe kancane eshaya. Ehamba sakuchwabaza. Ame abuke izindonga zeBellas Hotel afunde lamagama abhalwe ngesizotha.
Bellas Hotel since 1982
Wangena, ngaphakathi. Akudinganga nokuthi aze asho okuningi. Wamukelwa ngohleko.
“Obatla room? Ntathe for abantu ababili,” isho lentokazi yomsuthu ichoboze ikhomputha maqede imamatheke.
“Yebo kunjalo,” akhiphe imihwebesha yemali uQwabe anikeze lentokazi.
Lalicwathile, libekeka lizoba lihle. Waphuma uQwabe eBellas ehamba njengenjwayelo, uyabhacuza. Aze ame abuke isigejana sabaqwayizi. Bambuke besondele, asondele kubona.
“Ngicela uMakhosi!” ememeza, babukana odade laba. Baqede bahlakazeka. Kwasondela isidudula sentokazi seza sakuzinyeza.
“Baba sewufikile?” babambana, bahamba belinganiselene. Baze bayongena eBellas hotel.
“Qwabe, kungenzeka ukuthi ungaphinde ungithole lana eHarrismith. Ngithole umendo eNyukhasela. Kukhona osengithembise umshado kodwa akazi ukuthi ngiyaqwayisa.”
Lamazwi kaMakhosi avele ahlaba aphukela kuQwabe wambuka uMakhosi. Ngabe sekuphela izikhathi zakhe zobumnandi sekuzomele athole omunye ozomenelisa njengo Makhosi.
“Hawu Makhosi! Ngabe ngubani lona osengemunca wena?”
Athule uMakhosi, abuke uQwabe babukane abonakale uMakhosi echiphiza izinyembezi.
“Nginesilonda Qwabe, nginguDladla isibongo sami kodwa bekwenzeka ngithole sengithengwa ngumuntu wakwaDladla ze ngishiyelane ucansi naye. Namanje ngilele nawe nje lensizwa ezongishada ngeyakwaQwabe.”
Asukume uQwabe athwale izandla ekhanda, ambuke uMakhosi.
“Ngiyadabuka Makhosi, ngifisa sengathi ungaba nomuzi oqinile.”
“Khona ngiyenzile imali lana, angeke ngihlupheke nendoda yami. Ngiyothi noma ngibuka amandla ami ngicanange iBellas hotel, ngicabange wena.”
Kwaba ukugcina ukuwotawotana kukaMakhosi noQwabe. Ngalelo langa uQwabe wakhokha waze waphindelela. Bathembisana ukuthi bazozikhumbula izikhathi zabo bengcebeleka eBellas.
***
ISabatha lashaya, uSthembiso wahlala noyise kanye nonina, igceke lalicentiwe. USthembiso wahlala wabuka abazali bakhe, namuhla wabaqoqa bahlala njengomndeni. Uzobatshengisa umakoti wakhe.
“Hmm yazi bengisamangele ukuthi kanti mina ngizoziwashela kuze kube nini. Namuhla uSthembiso ungigeze ubebebe,” asho umaZungu achachambe ebusweni, abuke uQwabe. Bamoyizele bobabili.
Yahuntsha lemoto, yeza ishaya sakuhalazela, idume ize sakunyonyoba. Nci yema ebaleni, asukume uSthembiso.
“Mama lilizela nangu umakoti wakwakho engimgawule ezizweni zaseHarrismith,” asho uSthembiso alinganisele ukugiya.
Asukume umaZungu, akikize kudume imihosha, asukume uQwabe abize zonke izidalwa zakoQwabe. Imoto yayigqize ngamnyama bhuqe amafasitela. Ivuleke izicabha.
Ehle u…
Kwehla umakoti kaSthembiso eze ehamba sakuziqhenya, akhuze uQwabe ngezithakazelo zakoQwabe.
“Mnguni! Gumede, Malande…” akhicwe ngamathe, abuke umakoti wakwakhe. Hhayi bo! Aqhubeke umaZungu elilizela, abuke umyeni wakwakhe. Ubanjwa yiphika manje uQwabe.
Asuke uMakhosi, avoshoke phansi, athwale izandla ekhanda. Aquleke. Azwakale esesho ngezwi elinswininizayo uMakhosi.
“Hawu uzokuba ngubabezala wami!”
***
Namuhla uMakhosi, uwashela ubabezala wakwakhe nomamezala, njalo mayewasha uthola amapheshana aphuma ezikhwame zikaQwabe. Abhalwe ngamakhulu.
Room for 2 couple Bellas hotel since 1982
