“Ngiyabonga kakhulu, Mshengu. Uyilamulile, mfwethu,” kusho uSanele ngezwi eliphansi, axhawule uSiphamandla. “Bengingazitsheli ukuthi uzoshesha ukufika.”
“Ungithinte sengiya ekhaya vele uMvelase,” kusho uSiphamandla, “Ngihlala la ngakwaDumakude,” amchazele ngezwi eliphansi. “Uyaphila kodwa, mnumzane?” ambuze ebe ebuka ingalo evuvukele.
“Cha, nginethemba lokuthi konke sekuyohamba kahle njengoba sengiphumile kulendawo esabekayo.”
“Kuzomele ungakuboni umphakathi uma ungena emotweni yami. Singafa nokufa uma bekubonile ekudedela amaphoyisa. Namanje amalunga omphakathi asame ngaphandle. Izingqwembe abaziphethe zikubeke kwacaca ukuthi bakufuna ufile.”
“Inkinga impela lena,” kusho uSanele, edangele. “Imoto yakho ipake ngakuphi?” ambuze ngezwi elincane, “Amaphoyisa kuzomele athole indlela yokuchazela umphakathi.”
“Uqinisile, kodwa okwamanje sizocela amaphoyisa akufake emotweni yawo. Uma sesibona ukuthi sekuphephile, uzongena emotweni yami siyolanda eyakho.”
“Kuyezwakala, Mshengu. Ngibabonile abantu, abangifuni nhlobo,” kusho uSanele. “Angazi ngempela ukuthi konakalephi. Ngimsulwa kepha sengijeziswe kuhle komuntu onecala. Kodwa onecala uyacanasa ngaphandle, mina ngithwala izono zakhe. Sengiphenduke uJesu ngingazimisele.”
“Khululeka, Mnumzane Ndlovu. Ngiyawubona umonakalo,” esho ebe embuka engalweni. “Bazokukhokhela bona ukulungiswa kwengalo yakho. Bazokukhokhela lokhu abakwenzile kuwe abomthetho,” kusho uSiphamandla ebe evuma ngekhanda. “Uyangixaka uMabaso, akufani naye lokhu akwenzile. Uwazi kahle umthetho, akavamisile ukuthatha izinqumo ngokuxhamazela. Uyawucubungulisisa kahle umsebenzi wakhe. Kodwa ukuchaza kwakhe ezindabeni ekuseni, kunginike isithombe sokuthi ebesethokozele ukuliphetha lelicala. Kubi ngoba akekho yena aziphendulele ukuthi usexhamazeliswa yini kangaka. Ubuphetheni ngesikhathi ufika?”
“Umakhalekhukhwini wami sengathi usale emotweni, ngifike ngigqoke iwashi. Bangikhumule ibhande, bathatha nezintambo zezicathulo, kade bengishaya ngezimpama, bona laba!” kusho uSanele ekhomba amaphoyisa amabili ahlezi egumbini lokusiza umphakathi. “Uyephi uMabaso?” uSanele ebuza amaphoyisa ahlezi phansi, avele angamnaki. “Angikaze ngibone umsolwa engavunyelwa ukuthi aphendule imibuzo uma sekukhona ummeli wakhe.”
“Yena wenze kabi impela lapho,” kufakaza uSiphamandla edlala ngokhiye bemoto. “Kodwa bonke banjalo, basuke bekuthusa ngenhloso yokuthi ubatshele iqiniso.”
“Ngubani isikhathi manje?”
“Kusele imizuzu eyishumi kugamanxe ihora lesithathu,” kuphendula uSiphamandla ebuka uSanele ethatha izinto zakhe ephoyiseni.
Kungene uMdlalose ongumphathi wesiteshi, “Sanibonani?” ebabingelela ebe esondela kubo.
“Nyanda yephahla!” kusho uSiphamandla ngezwi elikhulu.
“Yebo, Mshengu. Wangibiza kamnandi, mfwethu,” esho emamatheka uMdlalose, abuke uSanele. “Ngibone kuzoba kubi ukuthi ngingaveli kini ngizoxolisa,” esho ema ngaphambi kwabo. “Sengibikelwe ukuthi umseshi uMabaso uye waba nehaba namhlanje ekuseni.” kuqhubeka uMdlalose ebuka uSanele. “Kepha ningabuki kabi, angimsoli kangako uMabaso. Khona akwenzile kubi kodwa nami ukube bengisezicathulweni zakhe, bengingalenza leliphutha.”
“Ubengangilaleli ngani?” kubhavumula uSanele ngezwi elinonya. “Bengimchazela, wangafuna ukuzwa! Ngize ngamtshela ukuthi akabheke umnini wegceke, kodwa akalaleli,” kusho uSanele ngokucasuka. “Ngingabulala umuntu ngize ngimcwiye ngemzuzwana nje, akasebenzise umqondo. Uqede uzongivalela neziboshwa, ngishayelwe into engekho! Bayabuka nje o-bra bakhe, bayahleka!” esho ebuka amaphoyisa.
“Ngiyakuzwa, Mnumzane,” kusho uMdlalose. “Sicela uxolo ngaleso sigameko. Ngengikuzwile ngaye uMabaso, isimo akuthole ukuso, besivele sikubeka njengombulali. Indlela otholakale ungayo, ayimuniki umuntu isithombe sokuthi ubumsulwa ngempela,” kuchaza uMdlalose ngezwi eliphansi. “Yobe, Mnumzane Ndlovu. Ayidle izishiyele, siyaxolisa kakhulu ngokwenzekile namuhla.”
“Akunankinga. Kodwa qeqesha abantu bakho ngendlela eyiyo. Umuntu aze angiphenye engekho ummeli wami, uyithathaphi imvume yalokho?”
“Yena unayo, icala kumele liphelile. Ubumchazelile ukuthi unaye ummeli?”
“Cha Nyanda, akunjalo,” kusho uSiphamandla ngezwi eliphansi. “He is my client! He can’t be questioned without me being present!” agwinye amathe. “Akumele nhlobo kwenzeke lokho ngoba ningcina nibavumisa necala elingekho abasolwa, ngoba nibathusa.”
“Asambe, Mshengu. Akesiyobheka imoto yami kwaKhumalo,” kusho uSanele efasa ibhande. “Ebesetholakele uMaKhumalo?”
“Ubani uMaKhumalo?” kubuza uSiphamandla ngezwi eliphansi.
“Kuzomele uphume ngapha, Mnumzane,” kusho uMdlalose emkhomba ephasejini eliphumela emavenini amaphoyisa. “Kukhona abakulinde ngezilimazo la ngaphambili. Ukuze uphephe uzohamba namaphoyisa, akufake evenini.”
“Kuyezwakala,” kusho uSanele ebuka iphoyisa elimlindile emnyango ophumela ephasejini. “UMaKhumalo ngumnikazi womuzi,” kuphendula uSanele ebuka uSiphamandla. “Ngike ngazama ukunokha emnyango wakhe, kwathuleka nje, kwangacaca noma ukhona noma cha.”
“Cha, bengingakezwa lutho mayelana nomnikazi womuzi,” kuphendula uSiphamandla. “Kodwa bekungathi naye utholakale eseshonile ngoba zintathu izidumbu ezitholakele egcekeni lakwaKhumalo.”
“Hhayi bo! Kanti bekwenzekani?” kubuza uSanele, ema ebuka uSiphamandla. “Izidumbu ezingaka pho!”
“Yebo ingakho kunomphakathi ongaka la ngaphandle,” kusho uSiphamandla. “Thina asisamangali uma sizwa izindaba ezinje, sekuwukuthuka nje kuphela. Empeleni, sesahlalela ovalweni ngaso sonke isikhathi, ingakho nemizi uyibona seyabiyelwa kanje. Akusaphephile nhlobo. Lokhu okwenzekile, sesikujwayele kodwa bekuqala ukuthi ngizwe kuthiwe zonakele izidumbu. Bezitholakala zisashisa izidumbu uma kuwukuthi uphazamisekile umenzi walokhu. Uma kungekho okumphazamisile, angeke usithole isidumbu saloyomuntu ambulele. Umndeni kaSipho ube nenhlanhla ngoba uzokwazi ukumfihla.”
Kuqhubeka uSiphamandla ngezwi eliphezulu. “Akuphephile neze ukuhamba ebusuku lapha. Kanti nabantwana besikole abaphephile. Lendoda abakade bezitshela ukuthi uyiyo, ibaqedile abantu,” kusho uSiphamandla ebuka uSanele engena evenini. “Imizi eminingi isele yodwa, izindonga sezasala zimile. Ubuzothwala icala ebelizokuvalela ungaphinde uphume ube ungazi lutho.”
“Sebephinde bawuthatha umzimba kaSipho!”
“Hawu, bengithi uthe besebesicwiyile isidumbu sakhe?” kubuza uSiphamandla, emangele.
“Kunjalo, besicwiyiwe,” kuphendula uSanele. “Lomuntu owenza lento, owenza konke lokhu, uyinyanga yini?”
“Cha, angazi Gatsheni,” kuphendula uSiphamandla ngomoya ophansi. “Angeke ngakwazi lokho ngoba angikaze ngimbone umbulali, kodwa ngendlela okwenzeka ngayo kuyasolisa ukuthi uyiyo inyanga,” kuchaza uSiphamandla ebuka amaphoyisa evala isivalo seveni. “Sesobonana e-Five Star, kobe sekuphephile lapho,” esho ebhekise ephoyiseni.
Sitshele umbono wakho: Ukube nguwe uSanele ngabe uthatha ziphi izinyathelo manje?