UNkosazana wayeshesha kakhulu ukufika esikoleni, ngomsombuluko uMkhathi asheshe naye ukufika esikoleni. Amubone uMkhathi uNkosazana engena esikoleni amulandele, akhuphuke izitebhisi uNkosazana naye uMkhathi azinyuke. Angene kwelinye lamakilasi uNkosazana noMkhathi angene naye.

“Hawu, uyangilandela kanti Mkhathi,” amoyizele uMkhathi,

“Ngiyajabula ukuthi awulikhohlwanga igama lami okusho ukuthi nawe kanti ubungicabanga njengoba nami bengikucabanga,” amoyizele uNkosazana ngemuva kwalokho abuke uMkhathi emehlweni.

Asondele uMkhathi aphulule uNkosazana ngesandla sakhe esidlathini, acimeze uNkosazana akhombise ukuyithokozela lento eyenziwa uMkhathi,

“USfiso Nkosazana ungitshele ukuthi uyakuthanda futhi wena ukuthanda ngokweqiniso bengiqala ukumuzwa ethi uthanda intombazane ngeqiniso,”

Athi ukuthula kancane uNkosazane abuke uMkhathi acwayize. Yilokho nje kuphela okwakufanele akwenze uNkosazana ukuthi acwayize nje uma enza kanjalo yonke into yayibukeka ilungile kuMkhathi.

“Angimthandi mina uSfiso ngebhadi elikhulu nje,” aqinise iphimbo uNkosazana lifakazele lento ayeyisho.

“Inkinga isekutheni uma nginawe uMhlaba uyasondela unciphe bese uhlala la entenden yesandla sam. Konke engikudingayo nengikufisayo nengisake ngakufisa kusuke sekula esandleni sami uma nginawe,” athophele ngomzuzu uNkosazana abe bomvu ngomzuzu, aphelelwe amazwi.

“Ngikubona phakathi ezinhlamvini zamehlo akho amancane ukuthi uzizwa ngendlela efanayo.”

Amoyizele uNkosazana kodwa angaphenduli abuke uMkhathi nje engathi uxhunywe kugesi. Kube khona into emtshelayo uMkhathi ukuthi njengoba ethule kanje uNkosazana ucela ukuthi amuqabule. Asondele kakhudlwana kuye, aphefumulele phezulu uNkosazana engath njalo uma uMkhathi esondela kuye uyafudumala.

UMkhathi aqale amubambe ngemuva efigeni uNkosazana noNkosazana enze okufanayo basondelane kancane, kuhlangane imilomo baqabulane eside isikhathi kungajahiwe ndawo.

UNkosazana wayengazi nhlobo ukuthi uthando yinto enjani, eyingane nje futhi engakaze aqabule umfana empilweni yakhe. Wayenokubabona abantu beqabulana kodwa wayengazi ukuthi ukuqabula yinto emunandi kangaka. Kwakufudumele kakhulu ukuqabulana kwakhe noMkhathi, kunomlingo phakathi.

UMkhathi waqala ukuba yiqhawe lakhe, inhliziyo yakhe yashayela yena. Bath beqeda ukuqabulana zagcwala amehlo izinyembezi kuNkosazana. Umuzwa ayewuzwa wawumangaza engazi ukuthi angawufanisa nani, ukukhombisa ukuthi uMkhathi angemuqhathanise nalutho emhlabeni, ingekho neyodwa into esondelayo ngisho ukusondela kuye. Wakhombisa ngezinyembezi, izinyembezi zenjabulo yothando olujulile kakhulu.

UMkhathi waqala ukuba uhafu womphefumulo wakhe bobabili baba umuntu oyedwa, umphefumulo wakhe ukwazi ukunakekelwa okaMkhathi nokaMkhathi ukwazi ukunakekelwa uyena uNkosazana.

Waqala manje uMkhathi ukuthi nsuku zonke ayogibelela e-unit 18 eNkulu, nantmbama aphelezele uNkosazana ngaphamb kokuba aye kubo. Lokhu kwagcina sekubangele uSfiso isikhwele esikhulu wakhwela wadilika kuMkhathi ngesibhakela esikoleni. Indaba yakhe ayangakhulunywa wavele waxoshwa esikoleni. Wavula udede webanga okufanele lihanjwe uMkhathi noNkosazana othandweni lwabo.

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“UMkhathi kufanele anqandwe, kodwa kunentombazane athandana nayo uNkosazana. Le ntombazane ingamandla akhe ayikho into angeke ayenza uma isekhona nje empilweni yakhe. Ngakho ke kufanele ahlukaniswe nayo kuqala. Lokho ngeke kuze kube lula, laba bantu bobabili bahlanganiswe izingelosi ngoba zenzela ukuqinisa uMkhathi zimunike amandla ngoba zazi ukuthi sizomhlupha. Kufanele ahlukaniswe nale ntombazane, indlela elula ukuthi ibulawe le ntombazane ngakho ke kufanele nisebenze seniyakwazi okufanele nikwenze.
UNkosazana akafe.”

Omubi wayenze umhlangano wakhe emkhathini neqembu lakhe lesatanism. Wayefuna ukusebenzisa uMkhathi ngakho ke efuna ukugudluza uNkosazana.

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Ntambama UMkhathi noNkosazana bezitendela bebuya esikoleni uMkhathi ephelezele uNkosazana behamba e18 eNkulu, bezodlula ngasesikoleni samabanga aphansi iFezokuhle Primary School, bayaxoxa.

“Yazi ukuthi senginezitha sthandwa sam esikolen, amantombazane angizonda ukufa ngoba nje wena ukhethe mina sthandwa sami. Mhlawumbe nam bengizoba naso isikhwele ukube wakhetha omunye umuntu ngakho ke angibasoli, phela umuhle wena sthandwa sami. Angimaz omunye umuntu omuhle ukudlula wena,” babehamba kancane ubona ukuthi cha kumnandi impela lapha, ungafunga ukuthi umhlaba ungowabo.

“Uwena omuhle Chines Angel yam, ngangingeke ngikhethe omunye umuntu ngaphandle kwakho. Akekho ofana nawe la iningi labafana nawe bagcwele eChina, Korea naseJapan kodwa kubo akekho omuhle njengawe.”

Bahleke bobabili. Cha kumnandi impela la, abanake lutho sebezithela ezinsizweni ezinhlanu abahlangana nazo, zivale umgwaqo lezi zinsizwa.

“Sanibona,” kubingelela enye yazo. Bathule uNkosazana noMkhathi kuntambama akukho muntu lapha emgaqweni, vele le ndawo yase 18 eNkulu ithule kakhulu ithi ayizenze amajalidi.

Boy, usungajika manje noma uqhubeke, usisi usala nathi,” isho iqinise amehlo le nsizwa kucace ukuthi ayidlali. Abambelele kuMkhathi uNkosazana, asho kancane uMkhathi.

“Shhh, I got this,” UMkhathi amdudule kancane uNkosazana amubuyisele ngemuva kwakhe.

Isondele le nsizwa ebikhuluma imuthatha nje kancane uMkhathi yona izibonela umfana omncane nje. Adedele isibhakela esinenkosi phakathi uMkhathi, idiyazele le nsizwa iwele lapha, beze abanye, ofike kuqala kube uselahlile. Alwe uMKhathi, uNkosazana ushokhekile ngemuva kaMkhathi ingqondo yakhe ngathi ididekile okuduma ekhanda lakhe ukuthi oyedwa kulaba bfana uyamazi uhlala ngakubo.

UMkhathi ushaya isibhakela esenza indoda ibone izinkanyezi kudume upotiyane. Zibone lezi zinsizwa ukuthi ayingangazo, zidle phansi. Baqhubeke bahambe uNkosazana noMkhathi.

“Kanti ulwa kanje,” Kubuza uNkosazana ekhombisa ukumangala. Ahleke kancane uMkhathi.

“Yaz angikholwa ukuthi angikaze ngiyixoxe le, ngineqiniso lokuth ngeke uyikholwe le,” asho maqede athi ukuthula kancane uMkhathi.

“Ngilalele,”

“Umah usake wangtshela ukuthi ngisemncane wahlangana nendoda angayazi yathi ithunywe ezulwini ukuthi izomutshela ukuth angiphathe kahle ngoba nginesiphiwo esikhulu. Yath yona ihlale ingigadile uthi yayinjengoba ubona mina nje. Okungenzeka ukuthi iyona engipha amandle, phela iziphiwo zabantu azifani,” athule uNkosazana angaphenduli, kwenzeka lokhu nje uNkosazana sekusele nje ukuthi angene kubo, uMkhathi ajike.

“Kulungile sthandwa sami ngizokubona ksasa,” Bavalelisane bethembisene ukubonana ngakusasa ekuseni.

UQeqebula inyanga enkulu, uguduza ehlathini lezimanga nonkosakazi wakhe, uzobheka ukuthi ngeke azithole yini izintingo kuleli hlathi zokwakha omunye uguqa kwakhe.

Azwakale esehayiza uMaKheswa unkosikazi kaQeqebula.

“Baba, umuntu uyalenga esihlahleni,” uMaKheswa ubona uMkhathi. Agijime uQeqebula afike amuqaqe. Bahambe naye ke baye kwabo. UQeqebula lona wayehlala eMoiriver, eyinyanga edume njengosuku lukakhisimusi.

“Baba, waze wamuhle kodwa umntwana. Asimuthathe baba lo mntwana kusale sekuba ngowethu. Qeqebula Omkhulu, qeqebula iziqhwaga zijike zifane namavaka athuka njengenyoni. Mshayi wezinyoni ezimbili ngohafu wetshe. Mehlo mane abona ngaphambili nangemuva,” ahleke uQeqebula,

“Awu wangihasha mkami, uyazi ngezwa kuthi cosololo ngaphakathi kodwa lento oyishoyo uyabheda, sizoyithatha kanjani ingane? Angithi inyanga ayizelaphi, usufuna ngibhadle ejele, ayi uyabheda MaKheswa. Thula okuncono.”

“Uxolo baba, bengisho nje ngikhangwa ubuhle bengane. Uyadela unina oyizalayo inkosi impela ngiqinisile.”

UQeqebula wayezizonda kakhulu izibhedlela, engakwazi nokumela iphunga lakhona, engazethembi futhi.
Wayenenkolelo yokuthi uma umuntu eke waya khona akabuyi, uyashona ngakho ke wanquma ukumelapha yena uMkhathi owayesesimeni esibi kakhulu. Wamqala ngemihlabelo eyayizopholisa izilonda ngaphakathi.

UMkhathi wafunwa kubo lutho ukumthola, ekhishwe nasemaphepheni. Pho ke uQeqebula wayengalubhadanga esikoleni olwakhe unyawo, engakwazi ngisho ukubhala igama lakhe, amaphepha lawo wayegcina ngokusonga ngawo imithi yakhe.

Wahlala isonto elilodwa kwaQeqebula uMkhathi. Ngemuva kwalokho uQeqebula esebona ukuthi usenconywana impela kwayima emusa esibhedlela. Khona lapho esibhedlela uQeqebula akabange esashiya mininingwane, wayezizonda izibhedlela. Wamushiya ke uMkhathi esibhedlela I-Edendale hospital engaziwa ngisho igama lakhe.

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UNkosazana waphuma esibhedlela esengumqemane, ezizwa ukuthi unamandla impela ngathi kukhona into ahamba nayo, waphuma kunguMgqibelo ntambama. Uma efika ekhaya wathola izindaba ezimuncu zokulahleka kukaMkhathi. Okwafika kuqala engqondweni yakhe izinsizwa ezashaywa uMkhathi. Wanquma ukuthi ngoba eyodwa yazo uyayazi lapho ihlala khona uzovuka ekuseni anikele kuyo azame ukuyisenga izimpendulo. Nebala ngakusasa ekuseni wanikela khona.

Wafika kahle bengekho lapha ekhaya beye esontweni kukhona yona kuphela le nsizwa. Ithithibele emnyango wena owabona umuntu ebanjwe yiwunga noma elangazelele yona. Angene uNkosazana vele nesango lalivuliwe.

“Sawubona,” kubingelela uNkosazana.

Ithule nje le nsizwa, ixakwa ukuthi yona noNkosazana kusuka nini sebengabangani. Aqhubeke uNkosazana. “Ngingakumosheli isikhathi sakho nje, ngabe uphi uMkhathi?” abuze eqinise amehlo uNkosazana.

“Nansi imihlola yami bo! Usake wangiqasha wena ukuthi ngibe yiphoyisa eligade uMkhathi? Ungangivuseli ikhanda mina ngivele ngizihlanyela uyezwa?” Iphendule ngolaka le nsizwa ogama layo kwakungu Sanele.

Abone emehlweni ayo nje ayebomvu tebhu uNkosazana ukuthi kukhona ekwaziyo, angabe esaphendula. Asondele kuyo ayiphushele edongweni, iyaziphephukela vele, agcinezele amazambane iklewulise okwembuzi ihlatshwa le nsizwa.

“Uphi UMkhathi?”

“Okhey, okhey, ngizokutshela konke,” athi ukuthambisa kancane uNkosazana. “Samubulala uMkhathi ehlathini ngaseHilton, samushaya waze wafa,” amudedele ngokushesha uSanele uNkosazana, ajike aphume ngesango, le nto akayikholwa kahle.

Avuke ngakusasa aye esikoleni uNkosazana, esephumile esikoleni aqale kulo ihlathi lelo, afice isikibha ayesigqokile uMkhathi ngalelo langa, asaziyo ukuthi unaso negazi elase lomile. Akhale kakhulu uNkosazana, nokho ahambe anikele ekhaya. Emqondweni wakhe kufika ukuthi uMkhathi wadliwa yizilwane zasendle. Wayengeke akwazi ukuphila ngaphandle kwaMkhathi ngakho ke wanquma ukuduka nezwe. Wafika kubo ephuma esikoleni wakhumula wagqoka ezasekhaya, wabe esengena indlela naye wayengazi ukuthi uyaphi, wayeduka nezwe.

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Sitshele: Ucabanga ukuthi kuzokwekwenzeka ni ke manje?