Wafika ekhaya uKhokhiwe wama ebaleni wakhuleka, ehamba nengane yakhe ifake izibuko zelanga. Waphuma emnyango uSkhakhane wacikica amehlo.
“Khokhiwe ngabe uwe ngempela lona ngane yami?” wayebuza lokhu esame khona emnyango uSkhakhane izinyembezi seziqalile ukwehla.
“Yebo imina baba,” wasondela uSkhakhane wafike wayibamba ingane yakhe isikhathi eside kakhulu, zehla izinyembezi nkosi yami kubo bobabili. Wama nje uMkhathi wabukela, ngesikade badedelana.
“Hawu ubani lo? Akasemuhle.”
“Ingane yami lena baba, engahamba ngiyikhulelwe lapha ekhaya, uMkhathi igama lakhe. Bingelela kumkhulu Mkhathi.”
“Sawubona mkhulu,” wake wathi ukushokheka uSkhakhane umzuzwana.
“Mfana kamkhulu woza kumkhulu,” amubambe uMkhathi uSkhakhane amuphathe angene naye endlini, alandele noKhokhiwe.
“Baba yoma kangaka indlu, uphi umah, uphi uMandisa?”
“Unyoko usesibhedlela mntanami akaphilile neze kuzofanele siyomubona kusasa. Kanti uMandisa yena usahlala phesheya usebenza khona,”
“Hawu kwakubi ke lokho ngomama,”
Nangempela ngakusasa balibangisa khona esibhedlela, bafika ephathekile yena uMaZungu kodwa kungekubi kangako. UMkhathi wathi abelungu abehlala nabo bebelala futhi bavuke ngomkhuleko ngokho ke ucela ukuthandaza yena.
UKhokhiwe wakhumbula indoda ayibona uma uMkhathi ekhuluma kanjena. Nangempela akudlulanga zinsuku ezingakanani waba ngumqemane uMaZungu wabuyela ekhaya.
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UDuma wezwa ngandlebenye ukuthi uKhokhiwe ukhona, nakuba ayengakukholwa lokhu uDuma kodwa wafuna ukwenza isiqiniseko. Ngenkathi uDuma ekhulelisa uKhokhiwe ngalokusoma kwabo wayenza ibanga leshumi nambili uKhokhiwe yena enza ibanga leshumi nanye. Nokwathi lapho enyamalala khona uKhokhiwe washayeka kakhulu uDuma wahamba naye walibangisa eGoli.
Nalapho afika khona washushumbiza izidakamizwa ezazibiza imali eshisiwe, ehlangene nabantu bokufika kuleli. Wayengadenandaba ukuthi kwenzekani empilweni yakhe uDuma noma uyafa noma uyaboshwa kwase kulungile ngoba nesithandwa sakhe ayethembele kuso sasimushiyile.
Okwakubuhlungu kunakho konke ukuthi uMandisa wayemutshele ukuthi uKhokhiwe uxoshiwe ekhaya ngoba ekhulelwe.Wayengazi ke uDuma ukuthi leso sisu esikabani. Okwakumuxaka ukuthi uKhokhiwe akamutshelanga lutho ngalokho okwakungenzeka ukuthi wenze njalo ngoba azi ukuthi isisu akusiso esakhe.
Wazishushumbisa izidakamizwa lezo uDuma waze wafunda bonke olayini bakhona nemikhoshosho yakhona, nalapho aqala khona wakhwabanisela ozakwabo imali phezu kwemali ayeyithola. Iningi kakhulu imali ababeyenza ngazo izidakamizwa ezehlukene.
Kwathi lapho esenze khona omkhulu umonakalo uDuma emalini wabanjwa ozakwabo ukuthi uyakhwabanisa nalapho bamudubula khona amahlandla amahlanu bemushiya bethi ufile kanti lutho. Watholwa ngabantu uDuma bamubizela I-ambulensi nalapho aphuthunyiswa khona esibhedlela watholwa ukwelashwa nokwathi ephuma esibhedlela wabuyela eNatali, ngemali ayeseyenzile waqala ibhizinisi lamatekisi.
Ufika nje uKhokhiwe uDuma usengusomatekisi. Wayethi njalo ntambama uDuma ayopaka imoto yakhe ngakubo uKhokhiwe ethi uzomubona kodwa angamuboni. Nanoma eseyingane uKhokhiwe wayevele engakukhonzile ukuzula. Ngelinye ilanga uDuma usebona okuyinganyana yomfana kudlala ebaleni kubo uKhokhiwe, akubize kungananazi kuze ngokushesha kuzwana inkaba.
“Sawubona mfana,”
“Yebo sawubona,”
“Ngabe ukhona uKhokhiwe?”
“Yebo ukhona,” amamatheke uDuma uma ezwa lokhu.
“Ngicela ungibizele yena mfana wami, uthi ubizwa uDuma,” agijime umfana angene endlini, isikhashana kuphume uKhokhiwe. Acikice amehlo abhekisise uKhokhiwe. Ehlise ifasitela lemoto uDuma enzela uKhokhiwe ukuthi abone ukuthi nguye omubizayo. Nangempela eze uKhokhiwe.
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Sitshele: Ingaba uthando lusekhona kuDuma? KuKholiwe yena?