Wafika kukhala ibhungane kumagumbi onke, kodwa kucaca ukuba kusathiwe tshelele nje kancinci. Wavula kwelagumbi lomfana ongunobangela wengxabano, wafika kungekho ntshukumo icacisa ukuba kuyemkiwa apho. Wajika waqokelela konke okuthi yena wakubeka ngase mnyango. Wakhe wahlala phantsi ecinga umntu anokumtsalela umnxeba ngoku.

Eyona nto yayimtya kukuba wayengenamntu amaziyo anokuya kuye xa kunje. Zange abone sizathu sinokubangela ukuba ahambe elala kweminye imizi. Uthe esahleli njalo kwangena uNdinga eze kumkroba ukuba uqhuba njani na, wafikela kulomba.

“Kwedini yentang’am. Kwenzeka ntoni mfondini ebomini bakho?” wabuza uNdinga ephakamisa uLisa ukumdlalisa angaqapheli nto ngokunxuba kukayise. UNdumiso umxelele konke ekwenzekileyo ukufika kwakhe apha endlwini ukuza kuma ngoku.

“Hamba uye phaya endlwini yam mfondini, ngumzi wakho lowa. Ungathini mfondini ukuhlala apha ucinga kodwa uyayazi ukuba mna ndafikela kuwe kweliKapa. Ndafunda kuwe ukuziphatha kulendawo, kwaye noNozibele ndadityaniswa nguwe naye. Ibuhlungu kum into yokuba awunakuza kum xa uxakekile,” watsho uNdinga ebeka impahla emagxeni engalindelanga mpendulo.

“Lili! Masihambe mntwan’am siye endlwin’am,” watsho ephuma elandela uLisa owayehamba phambili. Washiyeka ethatha ezinye uNdumiso elandela naye.

Kwathi kuphela iyure ezimbini babe sele begqibile ukuthutha apho. Wahlala uNdumiso kwaNdinga iintsuku zambini. Watsalelwa ligqwetha lakhe ukuba kuyiwa phambi komantyi ngoMvulo weveki ezayo. UNosisa zange azixakekise nangoLisa ukuba uhleli njani na. Eyona nto yayiphambili kuye wayefuna ukuqhawula umtshato noNdumiso kohlulwe izinto, ze atshate nomfo wakhe wasemzini.

Kaloku kwathi kwakuphuma uNdumiso umfana wasemzini wacela umtshato, yaphinda yadilika imali ukuphuma isiya kuNosisa. Wahlala uNdumiso emana evuka ngentseni esiya empangelweni, abuye xa litshona ilanga.

Inkundla yagqiba ekubeni kwahlulwe izinto zabo ngentengiso kuze bohlulelane ngemali. Wabukela uNdumiso umntu awayezimisele ukufa naye emchuba okombona phambi kwesizwe kuhleliwe. Umfo wasemaTolweni wayempatsha-mpatsha okungathi uvuke ethuthwini.

Wothuswe kwiingcinga zakhe ngumbuzo ovela kumantyi othi, “Singaqala ke ngoku ukohlula impahla ezilapha kulendlu?” wanqwala ke uTolo, noNosisa owayenxibe ezimbeje-mbeje yena namhlanje.

Wajika umantyi wajonga kumchwethezi wemizuzu wanqwala.

“Kuza kubekwa inkampani yabucala eza kuthengisa ezizinto ze kwahlulwe loo mali apha ngomhla esiza kuwubeka,” watsho lomfo akugqiba wajonga kubo efinge iintshiya.

“Nkosikazi! Okwangoku sisawuphethile owethu umsebenzi. Umtshato wenu uphelile ngoku, kwaye kushiyeke ukuba nityikitye lamaphepha. Wena nkosikazi kuzakufuneka uphumile kulandlu ukuphela kwaleveki. Mfondini, ungabuyela endlwini kamama wakho ukuba kulungile kuwe oko,”

“Yindlu yethu leya mhlekazi, ayiyo kamama wakhe,” wangenelela uNosisa.

“Mhlekazi, lendlu besihlala kuyo yekatata wam ondizalayo. Ngoku isegameni likamama wam ohlala ezilalini okwangoku. Mna bendikade ndihambela nje izinto zayo kuba ndilapha eKapa, kodwa yona ingeyo yam. Izikhenkcezisi, umabonakude, izihlalo ezintofo-ntofo, nemandlalo ophaya nayo ngowakhe. Thina besiza kuzithengela eyethu indawo ukufika kwakhe apha. Ukuba ungajonga kulamaphepha ndikunike wona uzawubona ukuba ndithetha inyani,” watsho uNdumiso encumile.

“Mhlekazi! Ayiyo nyani lento ithethwa ngu…”

“Mfondini, thetha nommelwa wakho afunde ukuziphatha. Okanye ndizakumkhupha ngaphandle, sithathe izigqibo ngaye engekho,” watsho umantyi etyityimbisela umnwe igqwetha likarhulumente elimele uNosisa.

Lona laphakamisa nje isandla ukuxolisa, lafunda lamaphepha etyala aphambi kwakhe. Laphethwa ke ityala libashiya bengasatshatanga aba babini.

Masiqale kulengxaki yendlu ukuba yeka mama kaNdumiso ukusukela nini na. UNdumiso wathi akubona ukuba uNosisa uhamba ngeyakhe indlela, waqonda ukuba makanyamezele umvambo. Ngalo lonke elixesha uNdumiso ukhuphela indlu egameni likanina, ukuze ingaphumi egameni likaLisakhanya.

Wathi isakufika incwadi ethi isicelo sakhe siphumelele, wathenga isikhenkcezisi esitsha phantsi kwegama likanina, nalafenitshala yakhe intsha wayithatha ngomama wakhe, nemandlalo yayo.

Wavala umlomo emva koko akathetha nto kuNosisa. Ukusukela ngoko wanika uNosisa ixesha lokutshintsha. Ezampahla zikwaNdinga ziquka zonke ezi afuna ukuzifihla ukuba zingathengiswa. Impahla esengxakini yokuthengiswa yekaNosisa, nenye nje yakhe ayishiye ngasemva. UNosisa elibele kukutatsalaza nje, yena wayelungiselele into engekehli.

Izinto ezathengiswayo zafika nje kancinci kumawaka angamashumi amathathu anambini. UNosisa wagunyaziswa ukuba aphume endlwini, de afumane isigunyaziso esivela kumninindlu. Kwakungekho kuthini kuba zange azazise kulomyeni esenethuba.

Waphuma ke ephethe imali nempahlana ngepasilana, naleya kwakufuneka ahlawule ngayo ifenitshala. Wabaleka nayo lomali ecinga ukuba uNdumiso uyilibele. Kanti yena uTolo wayethiyisele impuku ukuze ingabuyi isoyika ityala. Ngalo lonke eloxetsha yena noLisa bazakonwaba benga phazanyiswa ngumntu. Kudlule inyanga yanye nje watshata uNosisa notata womntwana wakhe kwaNontsumpa.

Yiminyaka mithathu uNdumiso noNosisa bohlukanayo. UNosisa uhlala ePhillipi etyotyombeni lakoo gobityholo. Wohlukana kunyaka ophelileyo noTafadzwa owemkayo waya eNgilane ekuqaleni kwalonyaka.

UNosisa wabona kungabuywa emsebenzini, kanti kumkiwe. Ngeloxesha babehlala eGreenpoint endlwini yomlungu, beqeshe igumbi apho. Ngoku uNosisa wayeme ngenkqayi elangeni kusekud’eBhakubha. Wayetyhafe apha esiqwini ngathi uhanjwe lizulu, okanye ucelwa yimpundulu.

Umntwana yena wayengu mzwabuluka egulela ukufa nanini. Nalapha wayengazi mntu, kuba apha wafika esenazo iisentana waphakamela abantu balendawo. Kungoku nje akanamva, engenawo nomphambili lo. Wayengenayo nemali yokugoduka aphindele kowabo eSbangweni eMthatha.

Sixelele okucingayo: Ucinga ntoni ngokonz’we nguNdumiso malunga nendlu? Ungavuma umlingane wakho akufihlele izinto ngomtshato wenu?