UKhokhiwe ungaphansi kwengcindezi angakaze abe ngaphansi kwayo, uzwa ubuhlungu benhliziyo angakaze abuzwe. Uze uyajuluka, uvalo ulokhu eluzwa luphuma ngeziqu zoboya. Wayecambalele embhedeni wakhe ekameleni lakhe, kwamunyango wekamelo loyo wayengawuvalile.
Izinyembezi zazehla zilakanyana wena owabona impophoma. Umcamelo wawusumanzi ngenxa yezinyembezi. UMandisa udadewabo kaKhokhiwe wabona sekudlule isikhathi eside uKhokhiwe engabonakali egcaluza ekhishini ngakho-ke washaya esikaMangobe ubunono bekati wayolunguza ekameleni lakhe ukuth wenzani khona usaphila nje kodwa.
“Ngizokwenzenjani? Ngabe impilo yami isayophinde ifane nje? Ngizombhekelwa ubani ubaba?” Yimicabango efunze lena eyayimnakashele uKhokhiwe imunamathele wena owabona imali yensimbi inamathele kuzibuthe. Ucabanga nje uKhokhiwe akaboni ukuthi kunomuntu osemile phamb komnyango wekamelo lakhe lokhu wayecambalele ebheke phansi.
“Lokhu bekungafanele kwenzeke.” Washo waphumisela uKhokhiwe wayekuthanda nokuphumisela loko umntanomuntu.
“Yini le obekungafanele yenzeke?” kubuza uMandisa ethatha amagxathu aya phambili engena ekameleni likadadewabo. Avuse ikhanda ngokukhulu ukushesha uKhokhiwe, esekhohliwe nokusula izinyembezi ezazilokhu zigeleze njalo Nkosi yami.
“Ungithuselani kodwa? Ngike ngikwenze lokhu mina ekameleni lakho?” ebuza ngokukhulu ukunengeka lokhu uKhokhiwe. Athuke uMandisa uma ebona udadewabo ukuthi uyakhala. Ngempela ikhona inkinga njengoba kade ecabanga.
“Ngiyaxolisa ukukwethusa, yini kwenzenjani ukhalelani?” ubuza nje uMandisa umangele. UKhokhiwe wayeneminyaka eyishumi nesithupha, uMandisa yena eneminyaka eyishumi nesishiyagalolunye kanti lesi sikhathi ababekuso kwakunguZibandlela owaziwa kakhulu ngokuthu uDisemba.
Athi ukuthula uKhokhiwe angaphenduli abuke udade wabo ngamehlo agcwele izinyembezi, azisehli manje sezigcwele nje emehlweni nawo asephenduke abomvu tebhu kucaca ukuthi okusho ukuthi umuntu lona kade eqalile ekhala, into indlela azizwa ngayo manje isihlangene nokucasuka.
“Uhlanganaphi wena nokukhala kwami, uqale nini futhi wena ukuba uneni wami ukuth uzongthulisa uma ngikhala.” Adonse umoya abuye awudedele uMandisa, aphumule.
“Khokhiwe ngiyazi ungithatha kancane kodwa ngingusisi wakho omdala leminyaka onayo ngike ngaba nayo mina kepha wena le enginayo awukaze ube nayo ngakho-ke khuluma nami kwenzenjani?”
Abhekise ikhanda phansi uKhokhiwe athi ukuthula kancane sakubona ukuthi ngathi ubesephaphalaza.
“Ngyaxolisa, kodwa ungakhathazeki ngam anginalutho.” Asho azame ukuphoqa ukumamatheka uKhokhiwe kodwa kusokuhbala le kwezinqa zesele ukuthi lento ayenzayo uyayiphoqa umuntu lona.
“Khokhiwe agizalwanga izolo mina kodwa kulungile ngoba awufuni ukukhuluma nami mhlawumbe uzochaza kangcono kumama noma mhlawumbe yena uzoyizwa kancono le nsambatheka ongitshela yona, mina ayi cha ngiyahluleka.”
Asho afulathele uMandisa kucace ukuthi engathi umqansa uya ngokuqina manje kuKhokhiwe.
“Mandisa yima, ngicela ungamtsheli bandla umama, akukho lutho ngempela into nje ngikhumbule isoka lami,” asho sakuzincengela manje uKhokhiwe, inkukhu isiwusolile umgqakazo ukuthi engath izobhema la.
“Pho uma ukhumbule isoka lakho usungaze ukhale?”
“Ngiyakhala mina uma ngikhumbule uDuma ikakhulukazi uma ngikade ngamugcina, empeleni ngimukhumbule ngalendlela exakile.”
Kuwo lowo mnyama amemeze umama wabo, ufuna bazodla wayethanda kakhulu ukuthi badle ndawonye ikakhulukazi ntambama njengoba kwakuntambama, uKhokhiwe wayengakadli usuku lonke futhi engalambile. Wayenolaka unina kodwa wayelubona nje ulaka lukanina umuntu ayemusaba kakhulu nguyise.
Uyise wayesebenza futhi ehlala eGoli kwandonga ziyaduma, kwanyama ayipheli kuphela amazinyo endoda, bona behlala eMgungundlovu ondonga zibomvu, eMphithi ngokuphithizela.
Uyise kaKhokhiwe uSkhakhane wayebuya ekhaya uma evalile emsebenzini. Aphume uMandisa engasaphendulanga ukuthi uzosho yini kunina noma cha ukuthi uKhokhiwe uyakhala. Aqale asule amehlo awasulisise uKhokhiwe ngaphambi kokuthi aye etafuleni.
“Khokhiwe mntanam abomvu kangaka amehlo akho yini?” Kubuza unina kaKhokhiwe uMaZungu.
“Lutho ma abengiluma nje ngawacikica kodwa awasalumi manje,” kuphendula uKhokhiwe ahleke uMandisa. Anganaki uMaZungu.
“Awu ungaphinde uwacikice nawe amehlo buka nje asenjani. He yazi ngijabule kanjani bantabami njengoba uyihlo eza kusasa,”
Athi angakhunjuzwa eyokufika kukayise uKhokhiwe azizwe zishisa emehlweni izinyembezi, azame ukuzibamba kodwa ahluleke zehle zilakanyana, qatha…. qatha… qatha… qatha… qatha…
“Nansi imihlola, nansi ingane imane ibihlika nje ingashayiwe, ukhalelani wena?” kubuza uMazungu ngolaka.
“Lutho mama,” asho ngephimbo eliqhaqhazelayo uKhokhiwe.
“Uyabona-ke ngizokusakaza ngempama ukhalele into oyaziyo, ukhalelani mani? Doti!
“Ngi… ngi…. ngi…. ngi….ngi…” Azame ukukhuluma uKhokhiwe kodwa do ukuphuma amazwi.
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Sitshele: Ucabanga ukuthi uzothini uKholiwe?