[Emva kweminyaka esixhenxe uZolile uphumelele kwiDyunivesithi yase England apho ebesenza izifundo zakhe zobuGqirha. UZolile uthetha no Gqirha Johanes.)
Johanes: Mr Jongilang, ngoku uzakungena emsebenzini. Kwaye uze uncede ungaphuli namnye umthetho (eyalelwa.)
Zolile: Kulungile mnumzana, kwaye ndiyathembisa ukuba soze ndikuphoxe.
Johanes: Ndikuthembile ke Jongilanga ukuba soze undidanise.
Zolile: Ndingxamile mnumnzana Johanes, ingaba ndizakuqala nini?
Johanes: Kwinyanga ezayo, kodwa ndizakwazisa namhlanje kubasebenzi balapha.
Zolile: Yho! Mnumzana Johanes kwinyanga ezayo?
Johanes: Ikufuphi na?
Zolile: Ikude. Ndingakhe ndizivolontiye ukuze ndiwuqhele umsebenzi?
Johanes: Hayi ke mhlekazi wam kukuwe ukuba wenzani. Nam bendingayonwabela into yokuba uzivolintiye ukuze uwuqhele umsebenzi.
(Kwfika inyanga yakhe uZolile sele enamava ngomsebenzi wakhe. UZolile uthetha nomongikazi asebenza naye.)
Zolile: Nontle, kudala ndisebenza nawe kodwa andikwazi imvelaphi yakho.
Nontle: Nam ngokunjalo Gqirha.
Zolile: Kulungile ke mandizazise okokuba ndingubani. Mna ndiphu…
Nontle: Nhoko gqirha andicinga ukuba isengumsebenzi lo uwenzayo. Baninzi abantu ezitulweni.
Zolile: Kulungile Mongikazi, masisebenze.
(Basebenza de layakutshona ilanga.)
*****
[Sele kuziinyanga ezine uZolile esebenza kwisibhedlele saseMthatha. Kugaleleke uVelile esuka eMonti. Ufike sele uZolile egoduka.)
Velile: Uxolo! Mongikazi.
Nontle: Ewe tata ndingakunceda?
Velile: Nhoko andimdalanga olohlobo ukuba ungade undibize ngoTata.
Nontle: Ndingakunceda bhuti?
Velile: Mna ndinguVelile, ndicelala ukuxoxa noZolile.
Nontle: Akakho, sele egodukile kungcono ubuye ngomso bhuti.
Velile: Andiguli ntonje bendinqwenela ukuxoxa naye, kubalulekile.
(Bathe besa thetha kwangena uZolile.)
Zolile: Molo bhuti kunjani?
Velile: Tyhini molo mfo wam, uphilile?
Zolile: Kuhle bhuti. Ndikuqhelile kodwa andikukhumbuli ukuba ungubani.
Velile: Eee gqirha bendicela siye kwakho, kukho into endifuna ukuyithetha nawe.
Zolile: Kunganjani xa sinokuvele sihambe ngoku? Kuba besendigoduka.
Velile: Kulungile gqirha.
Zilile: Nontle, wena awufuni kuhamba?
Nontle: Ndiyahamba gqirha.
(Baphuma besingise apho uZolile axhwarhe khona ngenxa yomsebenzi. Bafike nje endlini uZolile wenza into ephungwayo baphunga).
Zolile: Ngoku ke ndingakwazi?
Velile: Kulungile, ndinguVelile Dimbaza mna.
Zolile: Ungowaphi. (Etsho ephakama).
Velile: Ndisuka eMonnti.
Zolile: Ngoku usingise phi?
Velile: Zolile ndithunyiwe.
Zolile: Bhuti yide uphume egusheni.
Velile: Kahle kaloku Zolile mna ndingu Velile. (Entantazela.)
Zolile: Bhuti, kudala uzichaza, phuma egusheni!
Velile: Kowu! Ndithunywe nguSihle Dimbaza. Uthi ndizokumcelela uxolo ngayo yonke into ewayenzayo kuwe.
Zolile: Uphi yena?
Velile: Usesibhedlele akakwazi kuzenzela nto.
Zolile: Bendithe ndakhe ndakubona, ndandikubona phi?
Velile: Sadibana eMonti ukhangela utata wakho.
Zolile: Waye wathini wena kum xa ndandibuza utata wam?
Velile: Ndixolele Zolile, mna ndandikuhlangula kwenye into.
Zolile: Bhuti, ndineengxaki ezininzi kakhulu. Ntonje ndicela uphinde apho usuka khona.
Velile: Ngeli xesha Zolile?
Zolile: Tyhini madoda! Ngelixesha ubuthetha umlibe wento ubungaboni ukuba kuyahlwa?
Velile: Hayi bhuti yima kaloku.
Zolile: Andingo bhuti wakho mna, ndicela uphume. Ngoku phuma!
Velile: Kulungile, bendicela inombolo yakho yomnxeba ukwenzela xa kusweleka uyihlo ndikwazise.
Zolile: Kulungile. (Wambhalela inombolo yomnxeba.) Thatha nantsi, hamba ke ngoku.
(Waphuma uVelile ngobobusuku waya kungena emotweni yakhe waphindela eMonti.)
*****
(Kusasa uZolile uvuke waya emsebenzini.)
Nontle: Hayibo! Zolile, wafika ekuseni kangaka namhlanje kutheni?
Zolile: (Waguqa phantsi ngedolo lasekunene.) Nontle Dingiswayo, kudala ndizibambile. Kudala ndizulisa. Kodwa ngoku ndifuna ukukwenza unkosikazi wam.
Nontle: Zolile phakama, bazakuthini abantu? Phakama. (Emcenga.)
Zolile: Andinandaba nabantu mna, Nontle ndiyakuthanda.
Nontle: Ndicela undiphe ithuba Zolile ndicinge ngalento. Phakama.
Zolile: Kulungile Nontle.
(Emalanga, uNontle uzenzele into etyiwayo wakugqiba waya egumbini lakhe lokulala, uthetha yedwa.)
Nontle: Kowu! UZolile undixelela into ebendinga yilindelanga ke namhlanje. Ndiyamthanda uZolile kodwa hayi umtshato. Xa sinokutshata mna ndizakumelwa ngubani? Ukuba ebesazi into yokuba andinabazali. (Zehla zilandelana iinyembezi.) Indlela endagxothwa ngayo ngumama notata andiqondi ukuba bazondamkela ngenxa yokuba nditshata.
*****
Dilika: Yintoni le iseMonti?
Zolile: UTata kuthiwa ugulela ukufa ngoku bendicela ukuba siyomvelela pha esibhedlele?
Dilika: Kulungile mtshana wam. Khange ubesabuza nempilo le!
Zolile: Kowu! Uxolo malume wam ninjani kodwa?
Dilika: Kuhle mtshana, nawe uyasibona ukuba sonwabile kunjani kuwe?
Zolile: Kuhle nakum malume. UNoluntu ufunda phi?
Dilika: UseKapa uNoluntu wenza unyaka wakhe wokugqibela.
Zolile: Tyhini! Inokuba uyintombi ngoku ndoyika nokumbona ngoku. UAbongile yena?
Dilika: Kowu! Yinkathazo ke lowo. Ubona nje uyafika andimazi nokuba uvela phi.
Zolile: Uthetha ukuthini malume xa usithi uyinkathazo?
Dilika: UAbongile wasiyeka isikolo esenza ibanga leshumi. Into ayenzayo ngoku uyeba uqhekeza imizi yabantu.
Zolile: Kowu! Malume ndiswele amazwi okuthetha ke ngoku. Ndizakukhe ndimzamele itorho eMthatha.
(Bathe besahleli njalo kwangena uMavambane ephethe ukutya.)
Mavambane: Naku ukutya sele kulungile, ndicela nize kuhlala etafileni.
(Baphakama baya kuhlala etafileni).
Zolile: Yho! Malumekazi, inokuba kumnandi ukutya kwakho ndiva ivumba?
Mavambane: Kunjalo mtshana. Kunjani emsebenzini?
Zolile: Kumnandi Malumekazi, kodwa ngoku bendirhalela ukuzosebenzela ngapha ngase khaya.
Mavambane: Asinaso nje isibhedlele thina apha eNcome.
Zolile: Hayi kaloku Malumekazi, ndifuna ukuzokusebenza apha eMount Frere esibhedlele kulonyaka uzayo.
Mavambane: Kuyevakala ke mtshana.
Zolile: Bekumnandi ukutya bethu. Ndirhalela ukungqengqa ke ngoku.
Mavambane: Kulungile ngena kweliya gumbi uzakulala kulo.
Zolile: Kulungile, nilale kakuhle malume.
Mavambane: Kulungile. Tata uZolile ubekwa yintoni apha?
Dilika: Nkosikazi uZolile ufuna ukuba ndimkhaphe aye kuthenga imoto ngomso.
Mavambane: Halala! Waze wasiphendula Yesu nathi.
Dilika: Yitsho uphinde nkosikazi.
(Bazunywa bubuthongo balala. uMavambane wavuka ngenja ixukuxa walungiselela uDilika noZolile.)
Zolile: Waze wangumtshakazi Malumekazi namhlanje.
Mavambane: Yintoni le yakho yokubhoxa Zolile?
Zolile: (Ehleka). Nditsho into yokuba usebenzile namhlanje. Malumekazi ndifuna ukubulela thatha nantsi imali (emnika ama3000 eeRandi). Uze uthenge ukutya.
Mavambane: Enkosi Zolile, yanga iNkosi ingakubabala.
Zolile: Ndiyabulela Malumekazi.
Dilika: Masihambe Zolile.
(Baphuma baya esitophini, yafika ibhasi bangena yahamba. Bafika ngentsimbi yesibhozo eMatatiele.
Zolile: Malume masiqale ngalomba sizokwazi ukuthenga ezinye izinto.
Dilika: Kulungile nantsi ke ivenkile yezithuthi ekhona kule dolophu.
Zolile: Ingxaki Malume ndisafuna ukwakha umzi ka mama ndizokwazi ukuthenga imoto ebhetele.
Dilika: Masingene.
(Bangena ngaphakathi. Wakhangela uZolile kwaphela iyure engayazi emakayikhethe.
Dilika: Yenza mtshana ndilambile ngoku.
Zolile: Hayi mandithathe le. (Ekhomba iToyota Yaris ebomvu).
Dilika: Sele ulivile ixabiso mtshana?
Zolile: Kowu! Umntu omdala kaloku zibhaliwe Malume.
(Wayihlawula uZolile lomoto bayoyifaka amafutha bazeka mzekweni. Uthe xa sele ekufuphi eMonti watsalela uVelile umnxeba.)
Zolile: Halowu!
Velile: Thetha Zolile.
Zolile: Bhuti sisendleleni eza apho.
Velile: Uthetha ukuthini xa usithi nisendleleni?
Zolile: Ndithetha ukuthi siyeza. (Wacima umnxeba uZolile.)
(Bahamba ke bade bafika apho babesingekhona sele belindelwe.)
Velile: Molweni.
Zolile: Ngena emotweni siyeni esibhedlele.
Velile: Nam kaloku ndineyam imoto.
Zolile: Ngoku ke ucebisani?
Velile: Ndizakuhamba ngeyam imoto.
(Bangena ezimotweni besinge esibhedlele kwangalo njikalanga. Bafike esibhedlele baqonda kuloo wadi ibino Sihle.)
Velile: Nanku ke uyihlo mfana wam kudala ekufuna apha.
(Wasuke walila uZolile endaweni yokuba aphendule).
Dilika: Uziswe yintoni yena apha?
Velile: Unesifo sephepha tata.
Dilika: Sele enexesha elingakanani elapha?
Velile: Unenyanga neveki enye.
Dilika: Ngoko ke niyalubona utshintsho?
Velile: Hayi tata ufike enje kodwa uyazama ukuthetha.
Zolile: Tata!
Sihle: Mntwana wam, nguwe lo? (Ezama ukuvusa intloko).
Zolile: Ndim tata.
Sihle: Mfana wam ndixolele, bendingakwazi ebendikwenza. Bendihlohlwa ngabahlobo kodwa ngoku abasekho. Ngoku ndingafa nanini na kuba apha andihoywanga, ndixolele nyana wam. Ndenza impazamo enkulu kakhulu mntwana wam.
Zolile: Uthetha ukuthini xa usithi awunakwanga apha?
Sihle: Oko kusile khange ndiyifumane into etyiwayo.
Zolile: Hayibo! Sisibhedlele esinjani kanti esi? Bhuti bendicela ukuxhela impuku nawe.
(Waphuma UVelile kunye noZolile.)
Zolile: Bhuti bendicela ukumthatha utata ndimse apho ndisebenza khona eMthatha.
Velile: Akukho ngxaki Zolile, ungenza njengoba ucinga kuba nguyihlo lo.
Zolile: Ndivele ndothuka xa ndimbona. Hamba ke uye kumcela koo gqirha.
(Wahamba waya kumcela uVelile.)
Sihle: Wena tata ungubani?
Dilika: NdinguDilika umfowabo Nosakhe. Ndingu malume ka Zolile.
Sihle: Kowu! Tata ndiyacela ngentliziyo yam yonke nindixolele. Ndandingaziqondi ukuba ndingaze ndibelapha.
Dilika: Hayi Sihle thina asinangxaki ntonje singase silandele isigqibo sika Zolile.
(Kwangena uZolile eqhuba isitulo esinamavili sezigulani.)
Zolile: Malume, ndigqibe kwelokuba ndimthathe utata ndimse eMthatha. Ngejongo zokuba afumane uncedo olungcono.
Dilika: Kulungile mtshana.
Zolile: Tata siyahamba siya eMthatha.
Sihle: Zolile sukuzikhathaza ngam. Ndilungile nokuba ndingalapha.
Zolile: Tata siyahamba ngoku.
(Bathatha uSihle bamfaka emotweni.)
Zolile: Ndizakumane ndukutsalela umnxeba ndikwazise ukuba kuqhubeka ntoni.
Velile: Kulungile Zolile uyindoda mfo kabawo.
***
Ucinga ntoni: Ingaba ungaxolela ngoluhlobo uZolile axolela ngayo?