Esixukwini esingaphandle esangweni kukhona isalukazi esikhuluma nephoyisa.
“Yena lomlisa ongaphakathi kukhona akwaziyo,” kusho isalukazi esime eceleni kwephoyisa.
“Uboneni, mama, njengoba usho njalo?” kubuza umseshi uMbhele elindele ukubhala. “Uyamazi yini lomlisa ongaphakathi?”
UDlokwakhe, uPhakamani kanye noFunukwazi bathatha amagxathi ambalwa besondela esalukazini nomseshi uMbhele ngenhloso yokuzwa ukuthi sithini isalukazi.
“Cha, angimazi,” kuphendula isalukazi. “Ngesikhathi efika lapha bekukhona vele obekushaya amanzi ngaye. Ufike wavula isango, wabe esebheka enzansi nasenhla – kuhle komuntu obevele ezoganga. Ube eseyifaka ngaphakathi kwegceke imoto yakhe lena emhlophe evulwe ibhuthi. Wama lapha esicabheni segumbi likaSipho, wabe esesuka eyopopola efasiteleni. Ilokho-ke okungenze ngamsola kakhulu ukuthi uzoganga. Ngaphuthuma kumakhalekhukhwini wami. Ngithe ngiqeda nje ukubiza amaphoyisa, ngabe sengimbona esephethe insimbi.”
“Insimbi yani, mama?” kubuza umseshi uMbhele.
“Insimbi le agqekeze ngayo egumbini likaSipho,” kuphendula isalukazi ngezwi eliphansi. “Ube esengena ngaphakathi, ngathi ukewawa nokuwa. Ngisho ngendlela asidudule ngayo isicabha. Ngibe sengimbona kuvela izinyawo kuphela – ingakho ngithi uke wawa. Uhlalile imizuzu emningana njengoba esephuma sekufike nina lapha.”
“Awuthule, besuyeka ukuhlehla ngoba uzolimala!” kusho uMncube ebe ekhipha ozankosi, esondela kuSanele.
“Wena ubungathula yini uthweswa icala ongalazi?” kubhavumula uSanele. “Ngimsulwa mina, angimazi umbulali! Nenza iphutha uma nibopha mina! Anifunde ukulalela, ngiyanitshela angithi ukuthi ngiyafika lapha! Akukapheli nehora ngifikile, ngingakwenza kanjani konke lokhu?”
“Mnumzane, ngicela ungasimosheli isikhathi!” kuthetha uMabaso, emshaya ngenqindi. “Ukuzikhalisa kwakho angeke kusakusiza. Usuboshiwe! Usazonya induku wena!” esho ngolaka. Uphenduka abuke amanye amaphoyisa, athi, “Mthatheni! Indaba yakho sizoyixoxa phambili, Mnumzane. Unelungelo lokuzitholela ummeli! If you don’t have a lawyer, the state will provide you with a laywer that will represent you.”
“O Nkosi, kanti ngoneni kangaka?” kucabanga uSanele, amehlo egcwele izinyembezi. “Nanti igama lami lizongcola”
Ambambe kabuhlungu uMncube njengoba emfaka ozankosi.
“Nkulunkulu wami, Nkulunkulu wami, ungishiyelani na?” kubuza uSanele ngezwi eliphansi ebe ebuka isibhakabhaka. “Kulungile.”
“Hawu, kanti sibophe uJesu Kristu omnyama?” kumemeza uMncube ehleka. Uphenduka abuke umseshi uMabaso, athi, “Mabaso, usuvele waphenduka uPilatu.”
“Awuyeke ukubheda wena, ufake lowodoti evenini,” kuphendula uMabaso ngezwi eliphansi, emamatheka. “Ngizonifica esiteshini.”
“O Nkosi, nakhu ngizothweswa icala engingalazi nhlobo,” kucabanga uSanele ehamba kancane njengoba beyomfaka evenini lamaphoyisa. “Yiba nami Mesiya olungileyo. Ngicela ukukhululwa nguwe kulamaketango. Mangiyekelelwa nguwe, ngiyophalala njengamanzi emhlabathini. Uze ungangishiyi Nkosi yamakhosi.”
Zehlela ezihlathini izinyembezi njengoba ebuka abantu. Abanye bayamthuka, abanye bayamkhafulela, abanye bayamshutha ngomakhalekhukhwini babo. Alibuke iphoyisa livula isivalo seveni.
USanele ucabanga amazwi ebeshiwo nguMabaso: Ngiyafunga ngiyagomela, uyobolela ejele.
“Uze ubathethelele Nkosi yamakhosi, ezandleni zakho ngiyayibeka impilo yami – ngicela kwenzeke intando yakho manje!” uSanele uthandaza sakuhleba.
“Ibhadi lethuke leli. Sesikhalelwa indoda endala kangaka pho!” kumemeza uMncube ehamba eceleni kwaSanele ukuze umphakathi ungambeki isandla. “Hamba ndoda, ukukhala kwakho angeke kusakusiza! Awuzange ube nalo uzwelo kuye ngesikhathi ekhala umbulala, kodwa ufuna thina sikuzwele!”
“Hhayi bo!” kubabaza uSanele, ame. “Angikaze ngibulale muntu mina! Ngithole sekunjena.”
“Thula!” kusho uMncube, amsikaze ngenhlanekela. “Ngena, ungalokhu ungicefezela!”
Amfake evenini uMncube, amkhahlele ezinqeni uMbhele njengoba engena evenini uSanele. Aphenduke awabuke amaphoyisa evala umnyango weveni. Umphakathi usamukolodela. Kusondele ubaba osemdala kwizisefo zeveni.
“Kuhle ukukwazi ekugcineni…” kusho lobaba, ephefumulela phezulu. “Namuhla uyokuvuna obuhlale ukutshala! Ngenxa yakho, unkosikazi wami wokuqala akekho emhlabeni,” acwebe izinyembezi. “Ngingena ngiphuma esibhedlela ngenxa yakho. Ingabe ubusuyephi unembeza wakho? Impilo kathumbu wami incikinciki ngenxa yakho. Wayisaphi inso yakhe?”
“Baba,” kusho uSanele.
Amngene emlonyeni lobaba. “Angisiyena ubaba wakho mina!”
“Baba, ngiyaxolisa ngakho konke osekukwehlele, kodwa mina angazi ukuthi ukhuluma ngani,” kusho uSanele, abuke amaphoyisa esusa lobaba evenini njengoba esazama ukuchaza.
Iyaduma iveni, isuke ihambe. USanele ubuka amathafa nezihlahla, amehlo egcwele izinyembezi.
“Nkosi Nkulunkulu, Mdali wami,” usho evale amehlo. “Uma uthanda susa lesi sitsha phambi kwami. Nokho uma kungenzeki eyami intando, kodwa makwenzeke eyakho.”
***
Sitshele umbono wakho: Uthini ngendlela amaphoyisa amphatha ngayo uSanele? Wake waba sesimweni sokubhekana namaphoyisa? Kwakwenzenjani? Akuphatha kanjani?
