[Emva kweveki ezine uSihle uye wakhululwa esibhedlele. Uphume waya kwaZolile ufike uZolile esa lungisa into etyiwayo.]

Sihle: Nkqo! Nkqo! Nkqo!

Zolile: Wamnkelekile!

Sihle: Tyhini! Molo mfo wam.

Zolile: Molo tata kunjani?

Sihle: Kumele kubendim obuza impilo kuba ndingumhabi.

Zolile: Xa ulapha awusinguye umhambi.

Sihle: Ndiphilile kunjani kuwe?

Zolile: Kuhle Tata. Sele bekukhululile na?

Sihle: Kunjalo mfo wam, ntonje andinazo impahla.

Zolile: Noko tata asiyo ngxaki lonto, ndizakuthi xasele ndiphuma emsebenzini ndidlule eDolophini.

Sihle: Eyi! Zolile nyana wam, ndiyabulela ngayo yonke into ondenzele yona ukuba ubungekho ngoku ngendiphantsi komhlaba.

Zolile: Ndiyathemba ukuba tata usifundile isifundo. Ngomso ndizakukugodusa kuba ndiyathutha nam kule veki izayo. Ndiyokusebenza eMount Frere.

Sihle: Kungolwesingaphi kanene ngomso?

Zolile: Kungolwesihlanu Tata.

Sihle: Uthanda ukusebenzela kufuphi nekhaya?

Zolile: Kunjalo Tata. Liphelile elam ixesha ngoku xa ufuna ukungqengqa ungene kwela gumbi (Esolatha ekunene).

Sihle: Kulungile nyana wam.

(Waphindela emsebenzini uZolile.)

Sihle: Hayi ngeke ukuba uZolile undixolele. Khona kutheni engandibuzi namnye nje umbuzo? Inokuba likhona iyelenqe alizamayo lomfo. Nam ndizakwenza elam iyelenqe ecaleni. Soze alunge ndinama – 35 eminyaka ndiphila kulomhlaba. Hayi make ndiye kungqengqa. (Waphaka waya kungqengqa.)

(Ngengomso uZolile uvuke walungiselela uhambo ekhapha utata wakhe. UZolile unkcokola kunye noyise endleleni).

Zolile: Tata kengoku baphi abantwana? Kuba khange uze kuvele kwa nangomnye esibhedlele.

Sihle: Abantwana base Gxaku kumama wabo.

Zolile: Ngubani umama wabo?

Sihle: Ngu Noluhle.

Zolile: Kakade tata kwasuke kwathi ukuze undilahle?

Sihle: Bendicinga ukuba sidlulile nje apho.

Zolile: Tata ndikuxolele ngayo yonke intliziyo yam. Bendirhalela ukuba undicacisele kabanzi.

Sihle: Eneneni mntwana wam awuzange uvele ngendlela eyiyo.

Zolile: Uthetha ukuthini kengoku tata?

Sihle: Umama wakho wayemhle ethandeka. Ndazama ukuzithethela wandikhaba ngawo omane.

Zolile: Ngoku ke wathini?

Sihle: Ngelinye ilanga ndambona ephethe ingxowa yemilimili esinge entabeni ndamlandela engandiboni. Yabe iqalisa nokuvela inkungu. Ndamchwechwela ndamvala amehlo ndamwisela phantsi ndamdlwengula.

Zolile: Intoni? (Wamisa imoto wavula ucango waphuma ngoku khawuleza.)

Sihle: Uxolo mntwana wam.

Zolile: Yho! (Emzuzwini wangena phakathi emotweni wayicima.) Tata wadlwengula umama wam kanti?

Sihle: Ndicela undimamele Zolile ndifuna ukukhupha yonke inyani elapha esifubeni sam.

Zolile: Qhuba.

Sihle: Ndakugqiba ndathi ukuba ukhe walinga waxelela namnye umntu ndizakumbulala. Wahamba uNosakhe wagoduka. Emva kweenyanga ezintathu waya ekhaya. Wafika wacela ukubona mna. Ndambona ukuba ukhulelwe, ndamthatha ndaya naye kwigumbi endandilala kulo. Ndafika ndambetha kanobomi ndimxelela ukuba ukhe walinga wabuyela kum ndizakumtsibisa amafu.

Zolile: (Enesingqala.) Wathini?

Sihle: Andizange ndiphinde ndimbone ukusukela ngoko.

Zolile: Kanti yena umfo wenu undazi kanjani?

Sihle: UVelile ebemane eyokumbona kwezantsuku ebesando kubeleka wena, emane ekuphathela iimpahla.

Zolile: Kungcono sihambe.

(Wadumisa imoto bazeka mzekweni. UZolile wathula endleleni de walala uSihle. Ilanga laselimathumbantaka.)

*****

[Emva kweminyaka emihlanu uZolile esebenza eMadzikane Kazulu Hospital. Wenza isibhazalala setheko esenzela uMondli, uDilika, uNoluntu kunye nomfo wabo uSongezo.]

(Ngosuku olulandelayo uZolile uncokola nomalume wakhe kunye noMondli.)

Dilika: Kwewu! Mtshana waze wasonwabisa nathi kweli khaya.

Zolile: Ndithanda lonto Malume, ukuba nonwabe xandisaphila. Kakade Malume isipho sakho usonwabele?

Dilika: Kakhulu mtshana. Igusha kaloku yeyonanto ndiyithandayo. Nam ndizakutsho ndonwabe phakathi kwamanye amadoda.

Zolile: Uyakwazi ukubala phofu Malume?

Mondli: Ungake ulinge udlale ngomntu omdala apha Zolile. (Bahleka bonke kuloondlu.)

Dilika: Kunjalo mtshana sudlala ngam.

Zolile: Ngokubuza nje qha mhlobo wam sele ndidlala ngaye?

Mondli: Hayi sele ilixhego eli, ngoku xa sele wena umdala kangaka ntanga.

Zolile: Hayi, mdala nyani ngoku uxhego.

Mondli: Usakhumbula Zosh, sidlala iinkomo zomdongwe? Usithi wena ufuna amathokazi odwa?

Zolile: Hayi wena Mondli ukhumbula izinto zakudala. (Kwafika uNoluntu)

Noluntu: Mzala niqhathana nithini apha?

Zolile: Noluntu, wenda nini kakade? (Bahleka isiqhazolo sentsini.)

Noluntu: Tyhini! Sele udikiwe na ndim mzala?

Zolile: Anditsho njalo kaloku. (Ehlebeza.) Ndifuna ukulilizela mhla utshata kaloku Mongikazi.

Noluntu: Alisandidiki eligama ulibizayo Zosh. Ingase lingakhe liphunyuzwe xa ndingaphangelanga.

Mondli: Nguwe nje owazikhethela lomsebenzi, okanye ufuna sithi Nesi?

Noluntu: Yeke! Utsho khona kanye Mondli. Kufuneka kucace ukuba ndifundile.

Zolile: Inokuba nakuwe Mondli ufuna sithi dithekthiv’ kucace ukuba usezintweni.

Mondli: Uyabona ke Noluntu? Kudala ndisithi ndizakumbetha lo Doktha ndidikiwe nguye.

Zolile: Wandikhumbuza ntonye mfondini. Uphi uSipho?

Mondli: Nakuya ngasemotweni. Ufuna ukuthini pha kuye?

Zolile: Ndifuna ukuncokola naye. Zange ndakhe ndaxoxa naye oko ndabuya eMelika. (Wakhwazwa.)

Mondli: Hamba Melika.

Noluntu: Hayi mntu wabantu unebhongo.

Mondli: Nanku Zolile esiza uSipho. Uncede mhlobo ungavusi izinto zakudala.

Zolile: Ungaxhali. (Wafika uSipho wahlala phantsi.) Tyhini molo Sipho.

Sipho: (Ejonge phantsi.) Molo bhuti.

Zolile: Hayibo! Kukho into elahlekileyo na?

Sipho: (Evusa amehlo ngokukhawuleza.) Kutheni undibuza lonto?

Zolile: Lento ujonge phantsi Uyaphila phofu?

Sipho: (Waphinda wajonga phantsi.) Kuhle kunjani kuwe?

Zolile: Uyandoyika lo mfo Mondli, kutheni ejonga phantsi nje?

Mondli: Uxakwe sesisidudla sithetha naye engasazi.

Zolile: Hayi Sipho nguZolile lo.

Sipho: Hayibo! Zolile nguwe lo? Pho kutheni wamkhulu kangaka, utya ntoni?

[Yaba lolo lonwabo kudibene iinkulunzi. Konwatya loomini kumane kuhanjwa ngenqwelo mafutha zodidi oluphezulu. Wafunda isifundo uZolile sokuba ubomi ngamahla ndenyuka, buyatshintsha tshintsha, uyonwaba namhlanje ulile ngomso, uphinde utshongesiqhazalo sentsini ngathi akwenzekanga nto. Wayiqonda kakuhle into yokuba ukufa kunye nentlupheko akubizwa ntonje akunamkhetha. Kufika emzini womfo njengesela kodwa lonto yayingathethi ukuthi umelwe kukusokola, ulale esitalatweni kuba eyinkedama ubomi bakhe bonke. Ntonje wamisa ingqondo wazazi ukuba ufuna ntoni ebomini kwaye waphumelela emagqabini ngaphandle kwentandabuzo kuba kaloku lento ububomi ngumzamo.]

Isiphelo

***

Yitsho: Uzifanisa nabani wena kweli bali?