[Yiminyaka mine sahlukene noNomakhaya Manxele. KungeCawa, ngomhla wokuphela kwenyanga kwinyanga kaCanzibe. Sikwilokitshi yaseNyanga kumatyotyombe aseMpetha. Kungolwemivundla nangona ngungalelwanga ngumlisela nomthinjana oqhelene nezindawana zithengisa ngegqabi likalonji nomdiliya omfaxangiweyo. Sikwigumbi letyotyombe likaNomakhaya Claudette Manxele.
[Kweligumbi kumdaka ngathi bekuhamba isaqhwithi. Eqongeni lezitya akukho mbonakalo yamntu wasetyhini. Phantsi kungxushu-ngxushu ngathi bekukho intlombe yamagqirha. Isikhanyiso samafutha sitsho kaluzizi kubenzima nokubona oku. Esingqengqelweni kukho ozithe luqe ngengubo, egixa iinyembezi. Ngendlela alila ngayo wawunolindela ukuva umphanga.
[Kuthe kusenjalo kwavakala incwina yosana iphuma kwaphaya kulangubo ithe mbo. Wathuthuzela obelila kucaca nje ukuba intliziyo ilihlwili kukukhathazeka yemtyayo. Kunkqonkqoziwe emnyango ngolunya kucaca nje mhlophe ukuba ongaphandle akanamonde wakulinda. Wavuka othuthuzela umntwana waphosa ingubo ecaleni kukho noloyiko.
[Tyhini madoda! NguNomakhaya lo uzigqume apha – ungumdlezana. Utyhafe ngathi yimofu ebuthisayo. Amadolo ngathi zizagweba zezungu. Umqolo lona ngathi ngumqokozo kukutyhafa. Amehlo andwanyile ngathi sisibawu seenkomo. Intloko inkulu ngathi ngumgila xa kuvunwa. Inwele zagqityelwa mhla kwemka uYesu ukuhoywa ngamafutha.]
Nomakhaya: Ndiyeza! Yima!
Ongaphandle: Claudette! Vula lomnyango ngoku. Uzondixelela ukuba ngubani lo umvalele apha kulendlu.
Nomakhaya: (akuba evule umnyango) Ngena! Sukungxola Mandla umntwana ulele.
Mandla: Ndithini kemna ngaloo nto? Ndenze i-party? Ulala kum kakade lomntwana wakho?
Nomakhaya: Thethela phantsi kaloku angavuki umntwana.
Mandla: Ndimhoye ngantoni loo mgqakhwe wakho mna? Ngenye imini usaza kundixelela ukuba ngokabani na lomntwana ulilisela ngaye. Tyhini, undiqhela kakubi. Ucinga ukuba ungandosulela ngenqatha mna. Akukho mntwana unje ekhaya.
Nomakhaya: (elila) Kazi ndakwenzani na Mandla ndikuthanda nje? Kutheni undiphethe ngoluhlobo nje?
Mandla: Uyajola maan. Yekabani lento uzoyifukamela endlwini yam? Hamba nayo uyise kokwayo ingafeli apha, mna andiyontlambo yakufela amahashe.
[Waqabela esingqengqelweni uNomakhaya egixa ezentlungu yakhe.]
[Kuphelela phi uNomakhaya sasimgqibele esesikolweni efunda? Kutheni ukuze abe kobu ubugxwayiba? UNomakhaya ebefunda kakuhle elibona ikamva lakhe liqaqambile. Wathi xa akunyaka wokugqibela kwizifundo zakhe wathana qhwe nomfo webala obengumhlohli kwalapho. Balizula iKapa bengena nakwezabakhenkethi iinndawo.
[Wathatheka uNomakhaya nguKen ngendlela engathethekiyo. Wathi akubona ukufuma kwepokotho kaKen wasifulathela isikolo. Kwakukhutshelwana kwimizi yokhenketho ekudidi oluphezulu.
[Kuthe ngaminazana ithile besamboleka kwigumbi labo lengqesho, wafika umfazi walenqeberhu engabhungisanga. Wabiza oonogada ukuba bamkhuphe uNomakhaya. Bamkhupha ngolunya, wagqibezela ukunxiba sele engaphandle kwesakhiwo. Zahamba inyanga uNomakhaya engalali buhlayo yintlungu kaKen nokohlukana nesikolo. Wada waphangela nakumzi woonogada apho wadibana khona noMandla lo.
[Wathi akucinga ngonina uNomboniso namabhongo akhe ngentombi yakhe, zehla zingumqukuqelana inyembezi ekhumbula indlela awamphatha ngayo mhla ayombona de abe uyasweleka yintliziyo. Wathi akufikelela kwinto yokuba zange amzilele unina wakhala ngoku.
[Ebhitye engulo mcinga nje wayetyiwa yindlala kuba uMandla wayeyisela eyakhe imali. Amalaphu asevenkileni wayewafumana kwindawo ethengisa iimpahla ezindala.]
Mandla: Claudette! Niyafundekela maan nalento yakho. Phumani phandle maan ukuba nizawungxola apha.
Nomakhaya: Mandla ndifuna ukugoduka mna kulempela nyanga.
Mandla: Ndezentoni ke mna ngaloo nto? Ndenze i-party?
Nomakhaya: Ndifuna ukugoduka mna qha.
Mandla: Ndinganibolekela nezalayo imali, ndlela le nindidike ngayo.
[Ngobobusuku walala ehlatywa ngamazwi okugqibela kaMandla akugqiba ukumzalela umntwana oyintombi. Kodwa zange ilile intombi kaNomboniso ngoku. Yayicinga ukulungisa okwakushiyekile ebomini bayo ukuze ikhulise umntwana wayo. Yavuka xa kumpondo zankomo lentokazi yahlamba yonke impahla yayo neyomntwana wayo, yayoneka. Kwathi kusithi chapha ilanga wabe sele egqibile nokucoca indlu. Wathi xa athi makalale kwakhona kwavakala kunkqonkqozwa emnyango. Waphakama kwakhona waya emnyango, wavula.]
Nomakhaya: Molo tata. Ndingakunceda ngantoni?
Osemnyango: Molo ntomb’am. Ndifunisa ngoNomakhaya intombi kaNomboniso Manxele eXhorha.
Nomakhaya: (esothuka kukwaziwa ngumntu angamaziyo) NdinguNomakhaya Manxele tata. Ingaba ndenze ntoni?
Osemnyango: (lendoda imjonge imqala eluzwaneni inyuke naye ise elunweleni ingashiyi nandawo) NdinguSandiso Nkohla uyihlo ntomb’am. Ndandifunda nonyoko eJalamba eXhorha. Wathi unyoko akukhulelwa wa…
(wawa uNomakhaya evalwa ngumphefumlo)
*****
[Simshiye uNomakhaya elele ngencuma egadeni kukothuka uyise ovela eMpuma Koloni. Wath’akubona oku uSandiso ukuba uyaphela uNomakhaya watsiba ukuya entla ukuze amfefe ngamanzi. Wathi xa aza namanzi ukuba amfefe ngawo apha ebusweni. Weva ngento embetha enqentsu gqum, wagxadazela ukuya emnyango kolele phantsi.]
Mandla: Isela! Nanku umntu ebulala i-cherry yam. Madala! Awunantloni ukubulala umntu ube izinto zakhe?
Sandiso: Uxolo nyana andizang…
Mandla: Awuzange ubulale? Batsho bonke, uzakundazi namhlanje.
Sandiso: Ndize kuNomakhaya ndinguyise…
Mandla: Kengoku ukhangelwa apha loo Nomakhaya? Yizapha madala!
[Umbamba ngengalo akhuphe ibhoso phantsi kwesilamba ambethe ngenqindi ebusweni. Agxadazele uSandiso kunzima ukuma athethe kuba lenkwenkwe yayingamniki thuba. Wathi xa aphakamisa isandla ukuze akhusele ubuso yamhlaba engqosheni lenkewu. Wawa ngenqentsu waphela amehlo ejonge kuNomakhaya owayesalele phantsi. Waba uyasweleka ngaloo ndlela umfo kaNkohla ezama ukusindisa intombi yakhe.]
[UNomakhaya evuka esibhedlela eGroete Schuur. Uthe xa avula amehlo waqala wangathi unesiyezana kancinci. Kwafika umongikazi webala wamjonga-jonga emehlweni engabhekisi nelimdaka kuye. Wathi akugqiba wamnikela umva ukuya emnyango apho afike wavula ucango kwavela ipolisa lingena. Lamjonga uNomakhaya lingenalusini ngakuye.]
Nomakhaya: Uxolo mhlekazi. Kwenzeka ntoni apha? Uyayazi ukuba ndizenjani apha? Ndiziswe ngubani?
Polisa: Jonga wena nontyintyindini, ungakhe ulinge undiqhele kakubi ngemibuzo yakho. Wena lala apho uvale umlomo wakho de ndithi wuvule. Siyavana?
Nomakhaya: (ebubhideka yile yepolisa elisisibhongobhiyane lifuna kuye esiqwini. Wathula kenoko wajonga phezulu elindele onengcaciso yakhe. Kusenjalo, kwangena ugqirha waya kuye wamxilonga wamkhanyisa ngesibane emehlweni)
Gqirha: Uyalazi igama lakho?
Nomakhaya: Ewe. Ndingu Claudette Mnxele.
Gqirha: Uyayazi ukuba yeyiphi lemini?
Nomakhaya: Kuzoxhomekeka ukuba ndinexesha elingakanani ndilapha. Mna ndigqibele kungeCawa. Khona uphi umntwana wam uAndrea?
Gqirha: (emnikela umva ethetha nepolisa ebelimile emva kwakhe ngalo lonke elixesha) She is okay sir and all yours. (Uphile qete, mnumzana, kwaye ungazenzela kuye.)
Nomakhaya: Excuse me? I can speak English. I’m all his? Excuse me!! I’m talking to you. Where the hell is my daughter? Andivanga? Ndiyasithetha isiNgesi. Angazenzela kum? Uxolo? Ndithetha nawe. Khona, uphi yena umntwana wam?)
Polisa: Nomakhaya Manxele uyabanjwa ngokurhaneleka kwisenzo sokubulala uSandiso Nkohla eNyanga ekuseni namhlanje. Unelungelo lokuthula de kufike igqwetha lakho. Ukuba uyathetha sizoyishicilela intetho yakho isetyenziswe enkundleni.
Nomakhaya: Hayi bhuti ngutata wam lowo. Ndimsulwa mna.
Polisa: Batsho bonke. Ukuba awuphakami ngoku ndakufana ndikurhuqe. Phakama sifede!!
[Waba kanti uyabanjwa uNomakhaya uyovalelwa eFlakeni. Walila elilile kwezizisele ubusuku nemini ecinga ngontwana wakhe uAndrea.]
Nomakhaya: (ethetha yedwa) Oh! Ukuzenza akufani nokwenziwa. Ndixolele ntombi kaGaba, kaNgqosini. Ndandingazi ukuba isono sam sakundileqa sindenze lento. Oh. Yini ukulahla oyena mntu obendenze umntu. Ndixolele mama ngeempazamo zam. Undigcinele umzukulwana wakho uAndrea xa ndikulengxokolo. Ukuzenza! Ukuzenza!! Ukuzenza!!
[Walila uNomakhaya intliziyo ilihlwili yindlela unina awasweleka ekuyo.]
IPolisa: Uyangxola Manxele! Ukuba ndike ndeza apho kuwe ndakuqhwaba ngempama.
Nomakhaya: Bhuti, ayikho onokuyenza engandingcungcuthekisa ngaphezulu kokufa kukamama ngathi akazelanga. Wandikhulisa ebunzimeni endakhela ikamva eliqaqambileyo, mna ndamophula intliziyo wafa ngenxa yam. Kodwa! Kodwa! Ndazenza ngokulahla umzali wam esihla enyuka ukuze ndingasokoli ebomini. Namhlanje ndilibanjwa, intliziyo yam inamachaphaza egazi. Ukuba bendinofumana nokuba lithuba elinye lokucela uxolo kuye.
IPolisa: Uqhunyiwe wena Manxele. Ndizocima izibane ngoku, hamba uyolala ke uvale umlomo, bayozela abanye.
(UNomakhaya ngoku usenkundleni ngokufa kukayise.)
Umtshutshisi: Mhlekazi, sibuvile ubungqina bukammangalelwa wa athi kwafika uyise evela eElliotdale. Wathi akumxelela ukuba ungubani yena Nomakhaya waqhawuka isiqaqa. Uthi kengoku akayizi ukuba kwenzeke ntoni emva koko. Kunjalo Nkosazana Manxele?
Nomakhaya: Kunjalo mhlekazi.
Mtshutshisi: Mandikuxelele ke mna ukuba kuqhubeke ntoni phaya. Kufike utata wakho wakuxelela ukuba ungubani. Wena ubungamthandi utata wakho kuba wanishiya nina nomama wakho. Akunjalo?
Nomakhaya: Kunjalo kodwa ke mna…
Mtshutshisi: Yima kaloku Nkosaza Manxele andikagqibi. Wena uthe akufika utata wakho wamhlaba ngebhoso kuba uphindezela umama wakho.
[Kwaphela egwetywa uNomakhaya ngetyala lokubulala uyise. UMandla wathi yena ufike belele phantsi wabiza amapolisa. Wathatha umntwana wamsa kunontlalontle ukuba bamkhulise. Kuthe kwinyanga yesithathu emva kwesi sehlo wadutyulwa emqolo kuphango apho aphangela khona. Inkampani yakhe zange imbhatale kuba kwafunyanwa utywala emzimbeni. Ngoku usalindele imali yenkam-nkam, nesihlalo esinamavili. UNomakhaya wagwetywa yalishumi linesihlanu. Usatsale yamibini eGoodwood.]
[Iyaphela.]
*****
Nceda umbhali akhule: Uwonwabele lomdlalwana? Ngoba?
