Waphala ukuya emnxebeni wacofa uncedo olukhawulezileyo. Wathi esamamele njalo ukukhala kocingo weva ukutharhaza kwamanzi emva kwendlu. Waya efestileni wakroba, wabona uMava equbha kwelichityana lisemva kwendlu. Wabeka phantsi umnxeba wehla ngathi akanyatheli phantsi ukuyojikela ngemva.
Wafika lentwana idada futhi isemdleni walonto.
“Wenzani emanzini kusabanda nje?” wabuza ehleka kusihla neenyembezi zovuyo.
“Uyafuna ukungena sidade?” wabuza uMava.
“Hayi kaloku mntwan’am kufuneka silungisele ukuhamba lingekade liqine ilanga,”
“Andisahambi mna ngoku, Sisi. Kutheni lento ndizoyozithandisa kutata ongazange akhathale nokuba ndiphila njani? Ukuba ufuna ukuyondilahla kulamntu ndingamaziyo, kungcono siyigqibe ngoku. Utata ebeneminyaka elishumi elinesihlanu ukuba andifune, wakhetha utywala nobugewu. Ngoku angalinda eminye iminyaka de mna ndifune ukuya kuye. Ndilinde nje ndigqibe ukudada, ndingayenza yonke ofuna ndiyenze kodwa andiyi kulamntu mna!”
“Mava! Sondela apha kum. Yiza…” watsho emkhombisa ecaleni kwenyawo zakhe.
Weza obizwayo wema ezantsi kwakhe emjongele phezulu. UNomonde wambeka isandla ebunzi nasentanyeni ngathi ngugqirha.
“Wenzani?” wabuza uMava.
“Ndikuva ubushushu, ingathi kanti esisigezo usithethayo sibangelwa ngalamanzi. Mhlawumbi utsarhwe ngamanzi kwataka amagama angalunganga,” watsho enkxuza iinyawo emanzini naye ecaleni koMava. “Phaya andikusi kutata wakho, ndiyokubonisa apho ndizalelwe khona mna. Xa sihamba thina sizophinda sibuye sobabini. Ukuba kungenzeka nto kum, kumele wazi ukuba uzalwa phi na.”
“Ukuba utata ufuna ndishiyeke mna ndizothini ke?”
“UMava undoyika ekulandawo akuyo. Ukuba ndingaphakamisa umnxeba yena akasokuze aphinde alibone ilanga ubom bakhe bonke,”
“Ukuba andifuni ukuthetha naye akukho mntu uzondinyanzelisa?” wabuza uMava.
“Zonke zidlula kuwe kuqala. Ukuba uthi masibuye, kumkiwe sithi kuloondawo,”
“Hamba ke ulungise sihambe sigoduke kusekusasa,”
Wavuya uNomonde wakhawulezisa ukulungisa, eqokolela zonke ezithengelwe oluhambo. Wathi ephuma akugqiba wabe egqibile naye uMava.
“Yhuu! Awabisabamhle mntwan’am. Ufanelekile zezizinto uzinxibileyo,”
“Ndiyovala ikhasi lokugqibela kubom bam obudala nentsokolo. Kufumeka ingabonakali ezimpahleni imeko endiphile phantsi kwayo. Andizukuvumela intlupheko indixelele ukuba mandiphile njani na,” watsho uTshawe ezibhenca ngokukhulu ukuzidla. Wamanga uNomonde akugqiba wamjonga emehlweni.
“Ndiyazingca ngawe mntwan’am. Ngoku masihambe ungekandigugisi ndimtsha kangaka. Ugqibile?” Wanqwala ekubuzwa kuye ebunxubarha kodwa.
“Ukuba bangandigxotha phaya okomshologu? Wena ungandilahla?” Wangena kabuhlungu lombuzo kuNomonde.
“Unyukwa bubushushu kwakhona? Kwelihlabathi ndim nawe qha ababalulekileyo ebomini bam. Ndiya apho uya khona nawe,” watsho emjonga ngoncumo olwafika lawuphendula umbuzo womfanyana.
Baphuma ke babakanti bayahamba ukuya ezilalini eQoboqobo, kwaNtozaphukayo eMnyameni. Endleleni kwakumnandi kuncokolwa ngento yonke emhlabeni.
Bahamba ke bonwabile kumnandi kuyiloonto. Wayiqhuba yancinci ke uNomonde ingqondo yakhe ithatha ibeka.
Umsindo wakhe wawubhekise kumnakwabo uMava ngokulakha inzala yakhe. Imoto yayingathi iyabhabha ukubaleka oku. Indlela abazange bayive, ngendlela le babencokola ngayo. Kwathi kubetha eyesithathu, ukuqhekeka koms’obomvu, wabe ekumhlaba wokuzalwa kwakhe.
Uthe akungena edolophini yaseQoboqobo, wamisa phambi kwe-ofisi kaMasipala. Bakhe baphuma emotweni bolula imizimba, besosula nobuso ngesizityana sabakhenkethi. UMava wawela indlela ukuze oyamise ngomthi. Uthe akugqiba waya emotweni waziqotha kuba bekubanda ngumoya wasekuseni.
UNomonde yena wayesehla enyuka ecaleni kwemoto, ingqondo isehla inyuka. Ngelingeni, ude wangena emotweni ebonakala ukuba ingqondo ikude ezingcingeni.
“Mava, make ndithi ngqwa. Ndifuna ukufika sele bevukile ekhaya,” watsho uNomonde.
“Nam ndicinga njalo,” watsho lomfana ecinga ngendawo abaya kuyo. Babiwa bubuthongo ke besacinga njalo bemamele unomathotholo.