“Uyabonake, DK!” kumemeza uPhakamani, ebuka uDlokwakhe. “Akasaphumi lomlisa. Mhlawumbe usefonela amaphoyisa manje.”

“PK, yekela ukuxhamazela!” kusho uFunukwazi ebuka uPhakamani esibukweni. “Kunento ongayinaki, bafo. Ukungena nje kwethu ngaphakathi, kuyinkinga kwakhona. Ukhumbule, asisodwa isidumbu esingaphakathi.”

“Kodwa ngubani obulele uSipho kabuhlungu kanjena?” kukhala uSanele, ekhothama, izandla zibambelele emadolweni. “Ubesenzeni aze abulawe kabuhlungu kanje? Ngiyazisa ngoSipho, umuntu obezilungele kangaka!”

Uyahlehla kancane lapho ahlanze khona. Uzwa kukhala umsindo wamaveni amaphoyisa. Ukhalela kude lomsindo. Kumthuse ukubona insimbi yokujeka imoto isegazini likaSipho. Uthatha amagxathi amabili, ehlehla lapho ahlanze khona. Ulula ingalo yakwesokudla, afinyelele ensimbini yokujeka imoto – ayithathe. Amaqupha athinta igazi. Ubuka igazi likaSipho esandleni sakhe, alisule ebhulukweni. Inhliziyo yakhe ishaya mawala. Uqunga isibindi, asibuke isidumbu sikaSipho.

“Kulungile, Bhungane…” kusho uSanele, edangele. “Uma ukudlula kwakho emhlabeni kube yintando kaBaba uNkulunkulu, kulungile. Noma intando yakho Baba isingiphule inhliziyo, kulungile.”

Ubheka phansi, ahlanganise izandla, athandaze. “USipho ubengowakho vele, Mdali. Uma usumbiza, esabela naye – kulungile. Hamba kahle, Bhungane, siyobonana kwelizayo. Okubi nje yikho ukuthi umphefumulo wakho, nenyama yakho, akuhlukananga kahle, ubuzwile ubuhlungu obungakufanele.”

Usula izinyembezi, athuke ezwa umsindo wamaveni amaphoyisa sengathi useduzane. Kuyacaca ukuthi amaveni angaphandle kwegceke lakwaKhumalo. Kumthuse ukuzwa ukukhala kwezivalo zamaveni njengoba ephuma emavenini amaphoyisa.

Agobisa amakhanda amadoda akwi-Condor njengoba amaveni amaphoyisa ema ngendluzula esangweni. Kwehlika inqwaba yamaphoyisa emavenini amathathu.

USanele ubeka umakhalekhukhwini kaSipho phezu kombhede, abuke ngefasitela. Ngempela yiwo amaphoyisa.

“Kwangcono kwafika amaphoyisa,” kusho uSanele ephuma endlini.

“Mnumzane, yima lapho!” kusho umseshi uMabaso ekhomba uSanele ngesibhamu. “Ungalinge ucabange ukubaleka!” kuqhubeka uMabaso engena egcekeni lakwaKhumalo namanye amaphoyisa. “Wanyakaza, uzowaswela lawomadolo akho!”

Ngaphandle kwi-Condor abalisa abathathu abaphakathi balunguza kancane.

“Uyabonake, PK?” kubuza uDlokwakhe. “Ukuxhamazela kwakho ngabe sekusifake obishini manje. Kungcono ukuthi siphephe kunokuboshwa ngenxa yezidumbu esizicwiyile.”

“Asheshe aqhamuka lamaphoyisa,” kusho uPhakamani edangele, ebala amagama. “Awavamisile ukuba afike ngokushesha okungaka! Ayasididisa manje ngoba lesi esinye isidumbu somuntu wesifazane asisicwiyanga!”

“Kanti ngubani obize amaphoyisa?” kubuza uFunukwazi ngezwi eliphansi ebe ebuka egcekeni lakwaKhumalo. “Kwenzekani kanti? Nakhu esemkhomba ngezibhamu amaphoyisa lomlisa.”

“Ibhadi lamike leli!” kucabanga uSanele, emile ngasesicabheni. Uvevezela amadolo njengoba ephethe insimbi yokujeka imoto enegazi. Usondela emaphoyiseni kuxega imilenze. Njalo uma ecwayiza ubona isidumbu sikaSipho.

“Izandla phezulu, Mnumzane!” kusho umseshi uMabaso ngezwi elinonya. “Uthi ubaleka uyaphi njengoba uphuma endlini?”

Umphakathi usuphume ngobuningi bawo ngoba ubona amaveni amaphoyisa. Kwehla amadoda amathathu kwi-Condor – uDlokwakhe, uPhakamani noFunukwazi. Ungafunga ukuthi izelamani, bayalingana ngokomzimba. Izintshebe zabo ngathi nguKhaphela, owayengumlingisi kumdlalo kamabonakude i-Generations. Bayanyenya bame emuva kwesixuku sabantu.

“Cha maphoyisa,” kusho uSanele ephakamisa izandla. “Angibaleki, bengi…”

“Shut up!” amngene emlonyeni umseshi uMabaso. Ubuka insimbi yokujeka imoto esesandleni sikaSanele, athi, “Usuyosixoxa phambili. Usuboshiwe manje!”

“Hhayi bo!” kubabaza uSanele, emangazwa amazwi aphuma kuMabaso. “Angenzanga lutho mina, ngimsulwa! Ngifike sekunjena lana! Angazi ukuthi bekwenzekani.”

Amangale uMabaso. Abukisise uSanele.

“Ngiyanicela, ngenani ngaphakathi nibuke,” uSanele ubancenga ngomoya ophansi. Ubuka uMabaso ezinhlavini zamehlo. “Ngicela usondele… I’m harmless… angeke ngikwenze lutho, ngiyakuthembisa.”

“Shut up!” kubhavumula uMabaso.

“Ukube yimi umbulali, bengingeke ngikwazi ukwenza konke lokhu ngemizuzwana nje. Selokhu ngazalwa, angikaze ngikubone okunje. Futhi angisoze ngakwenza,” kuqhubeka uSanele ngezwi eliphansi. “Kubi, phoyisa, kushaqisa umzimba. Angiyazi into enje.”

“Mnumzane, ngithe ungabe usanyakaza!” kusho uMabaso, ewaphimisa ngokushesha amagama. “Lahla phansi leyonsimbi! Kuyokusiza ukuthi uthule!” esho ngezwi elinonya, athathe amagxathi amathathu esondela kancane ngasesicabheni.

Umseshi uMabaso ulunguza ngaphakathi egumbini lapho kulenga khona uSipho. Kubonakala ehlahla amehlo uMabaso, ediyazela. Kuzwakale eqandula ethi, “O Nkosi, Mdali wezulu nomhlaba! Buya Nkosi yamakhosi nanti izwe lakho limosheka liyaphambili.”

UMabaso uthatha imizuzwana embalwa ekhokha umoya. Ufela amathe phansi, abuke uSanele ngamehlo agcwele ukucasuka.

“Isihluku esingaka pho!” kusho uMabaso enemba uSanele ngesibhakela esihlathini.

USanele uyazibukela nje, angaviki futhi angabuyiseli ngoba uMabaso ungumuntu womthetho. Ukhafula amathe anegazi phansi.

“Ebekwenzeni uze umbulale kabuhlungu kangaka pho?” kubuza uMabaso ngezwi eliphansi, ebuka uSanele emehlweni.

“Iyona lena indoda yejazi! Uyena lona umsocongi osebulele inqwaba yabantu!” kusho uThabani, ibhungu lensizwa eliyilunga lomphakathi. “Iyekelwani ingabulawa yona?” abuze ngolaka ebe ebuka umphakathi. “Iso ngeso!” esho egoba ngokuphuthuma ecosha amatshe phansi – asondele esangweni lakwaKhumalo. “Vele lamaphoyisa awawazi umsebenzi wawo,” esho emjikijela ngetshe uSanele. “Makabulawe naye!”

USanele udidekile ezwa lokhu, uyayibona imbokodo iqonde ngqo ekhanda kuyena kodwa akunyakazeki.

***

Sitshele umbono wakho: Ngabe kulungile ukuzithathela umthetho ngezandla uziphindiselele?