Uvuka andlule umbhede, ahlanze igumbi, ageze. Ibuya yonke imicabango njengoba ehlezi kubhavu. Akhumbule iphupho likayise: ethathwa imoto emnyama ijahwa amaphoyisa.

Uzwa umuntu exakazisa isicabha maqede angqongqoze. Asule masinyane uMary, agqoke ngokushesha.

“Ngubani lowo?”ubuza ethukile.

“Yimina”

“Ungubani igama?”

“NguNdlovu!”

“UNdlovu?” kubuza uMary. Avule ngezandla ezinedumbe, alunguze.

“Sawubona sisi, unjani?”

“Ngiyaphila.” Uzama ukubuyisa umqondo, uyamfanisa lo mlisa.

“Ngiyaphila nami, sisi. Wangibuka ngeso lokuhlola insimu nje? Usangibona mina?”

“Ngiyakubona kodwa angisakukhumbuli kahle”

“Ngingu Ndlovu. Bengihamba noRhino izolo ekuseni ngesikhathi unqaba ukugibela. Ngithunywe uRhino”

“Uthuma wena, yena uphi?”

“Use-Durban.”

“Kwenziwani e-Durban?”

“Usebenza e-Durban uRhino?”

“Usebenza msebenzi muni?”

“Ngathi kuningi okumele nikuxoxe naye. Akusiyo indawo yami ukutshela wena ngoRhino.”

“Ngiyezwa. Manje ukuthume ini?”

“Ungithume lokhu.” Amnike isipho esigoqwe ngephepha elihle.

“Ngeke ixazulule izinkinga zami lento. Ngingene enkingeni ngenxa yazo izipho lezi. Ngiyafunda mina. Ngifuna ukwazi ukuthi ngizoqhubeka kanjani nezifundo zami. Mi!” Ufumba uNdlovu ebusweni ngaso lesipho. “Phindela kuRhino umtshele ukuthi ngifuna ukubuyela ekhaya. Uyangizwa?” uyabitoza ngenxa yokucasuka.

UNdlovu ubuka isipho, abuke uMary, asondele ngesinono. UMary ubona isibazi abengazange asibone phezu kweshiya laNdlovu.

“Lalela, ntombazane, angikaze ngashawa umfazi mina. Uyangizwa?” ukhuluma sakumhlebela. Umdonsa indlebe ngesandla esineminwe egcwele uxhaxha lwamaring.

“Ngi. . .ngiyakuzwa, ngiyaxolisa, bhuti.”

“Good, ungangenzi unodoli mina. Uyangizwa?”

UMary uvuma ngekhanda. Luyambulala uvalo. UNdlovu ayidedele indlebe kaMary. Azithinte endlebeni efuna ukuzwa ukuthi isekhona noma uNdlovu uyisusile.

“Usale kahle.” kusho uNdlovu elahla phansi isipho.

Asicoshe uMary, angene ngaphakathi endlini, avule isipho. Akasijabuleli neze.

“Ha!” kusho uMary ehlahla amehlo, “Rhino na…, ey nkosi yami lndoda!” Ukhuluma yedwa aze agxumagxume.

URhino umthengele lokhu: Ingubo enoqhakaza esifubeni, ibomvu iyacwebezela. Incanyana ngathi ithungelwe emzimbeni kaMary. Kukhona nekhathoni elingaphansi kwengubo.

“Hawu! Mncwa!” Uqabula izicathulo azithola kuleli khathoni. Ziyacwebezela ngokuyisiliva. Zinezithende ezinde, ezincanyana.

“Lezi zinto zigqokwa amaceleb! Thanks Rhino,” ukhuluma ehleka yedwa, ungafunga ukuthi ungenwa umsangano.

Uthatha iselula, afonele uRhino. Luvaliwe. Anyanye, azijwibe embhedeni izipho. Naye azitshinge ngomhlane embhedeni.

“Kodwa ingenzani le ndoda? Iphi nje ngempela? Nx!”

Kunento emdidayo manje uMary. Uma ecimeza sibuya njengoba sinjalo isithombe sikaRhino emamatheka, ibohle intukuthelo. Azithole esemamatheka naye. Kukhona nepheshana ebhokisini lezipho. Alifunde.

‘Ngicela sizikhiphe tonight. Ngizophuma ngize kuwe’

Kuyamjabulisa lokhu okubhalwe nguRhino. Ugcina elele ngesisu ebuka izicathulo zakhe ezintsha, azumeke.

Uvuswa ukuduma kwemoto engena egcekeni. Alunguze ngewindi abone ukuthi ngumnikazi wendlu. Abhocobale uMary.

“Sawubona sisi.”

“Yebo bhuti ninjani?”

“Ay, siyaphila.”

“Awusho, ugcine nini ukukhuluma noRhino?”

“Nami bengithi ngizobuza ukuthi wena ugcine nini? Mina ngigcine ukukhuluma naye izolo kusihlwa.”

“Asithembe ukuthi uzofona kungekudala ngoba nami angifuni ukungena enkingeni. Kuzothiwa uthunjwe yimi.”

“Usebenza msebenzi muni uRhino?”

“Akaze akutshele?” Usehwaqile lo bhuti.

“Cha. Nalo mlisa obelapha ekuseni walile ukungitshela.”

“Umlisa?”

Akubone ukwethuka ebusweni bale nsizwa kodwa azishaye onganakile.

“Uthe unguNdlovu. Ngabe konke kuhamba kahle, bhuti?” Useqala ukwethuka uMary.

“Ngizosho njalo.”

“Ubukeka wethukile”

“Mary, e…”

“Yini?”

“Ayingithokozisi lento eyenziwa uRhino. Useyalela zonke izigebengu emzini wami.”

“Uyisigebengu kanti uNdlovu?”

“Wena umbuke wamethemba?”

“Yena ungethusile. URhino uzwana kanjani nezigebengu?”

“Asazi lapho-ke sisi. Wena nje kuzomele ubuyele ekhaya uyozehlisa kubaba wakho. Yilokho engingakubonisa ngakho.”

“Ucabanga ukuthi uRhino uyingozi?”

“Angazi, sisi.”

“Kanti ikuphi okwaziyo? Selokhu ngiqalile ukubuza, awazi. Yini kanti oyaziyo ngempela?” uMary unyusa izwi.

Aphendule ngolaka nalo mlisa.”Ufuna ukwazi ukuthi yini engiyaziyo? Uyafuna ukwazi?” Sebebukana ngqo emehlweni. Bami bakake itafula.

“Yebo! Ngifuna ukwazi.”

“Hlala phansi Mary siyixoxe kahle le ndaba.”

“Ngitshele, bhuti, kwenzakalani?”

“Kunzima, Mary.”

“Yini enzima?”

“Konke kunzima!” lo mlisa usebheke phansi.”Mary,” ebuyisela amehlo kuMary.

“Yebo.”

“Ngingakutshela izimfihlo? Ngingakwethemba?”

“Yebo. Khuluma”

Kuphazamisa ukuduma kwemoto. Basukume kanye kanye bebheke e-sitting room ngamajubane. Babuke ngewindi.

“URhino!” Basho kanye kanye. Aphume nezivalo uMary. Ufile injabulo.

“Ngingakutshela izimfihlo?” Ubuye lowo mbuzo. Ame, ajike aphindele endlini.

Ufica lobhuti eqoba u-anyanisi. Bame babukane.

“Ngicela ukukusiza, bhuti.” kusho uMary.

“Hhayi yekela, sisi, usefikile umuntu wakho. Naka yena.”

Akasemuhle nasebusweni, ngaphezu kwalokho kugeleza izinyembezi, uxhoshwa u-anyanisi. Ucikwe ilento kaMary yokuphuma andize aye kuRhino noma esezamile ukumtshengisa ukuthi kunenkinga. URhino ubafica bejabhile.

“Nadabukisa nje? Sekufe bani. Usale kahle Mary?”

“Ngisale kahle, wena uphumaphi?”

“EThekwini. Ngishilo nje!” Umenzeni uMenzi?”

“Ubani?”

“UMenzi, lo ohlezi naye. Ngimbona ekhala”

“Bengingalazi negama lakhe. Angimenzi lutho.”

“Ubungalazi?”

“Cha, akaze angitshele.”

“Pho nixoxani le ejule kangaka ningazani?”

“Asixoxi. Naye uyangena nje. Ufike ngiqoba u-anyanisi. Wacela ukungisiza ngoba ngiyisihambi. Nawe wangena. Ngiphume nezivalo ngibona ukuthi nguwe ongenayo”

“Ihlaya ke leli. Ukhaliswa u-anyanisi? Wena ubuye wajikelani ngoba ngikubonile ujika?”

“Ngizibone sengathi ngiyaphapha.”

Babhubhe yinsini bobathathu. Akuvumi ukuba asuse amehlo kuRhino uMary. Kanjalo noRhino. Kuqondana amehlo bamoyizele. URhino uyabona ukuthi uyathandwa la. NoMary ujabule ngaphakathi, uhluleka nokufihla.

“Sengathi ngiyaphazamisa la. Anginishiye.” kusho uMenzi.

“Cha, Menzi, ikwakho la. Khululeka. Kuzohamba thina,” kusho uRhino.

“Siya kuphi, Rhino?” kubuza uMary.

Noma emthanda uRhino kodwa kunovalo angaluqondi alumthwansulayo.

“Siyazikhipha nje, my love.”

“Sizikhiphela kuphi?”

“Wena ungathanda siye kuphi?”

“Bengifisa sibe nesikhathi sethu sobabili.”

Azincinze uRhino. Akayikholwa lento ayizwa ngezindlebe zakhe.

“Uthini?” udonsa indlebe sakudlala.

Ahleke uMary, “Ungizwe kahle, hawu Rhino!”

“Kulula phela uma ufuna lokho.”

Asondele kancane kuMary, amubambe isandla asiphulule.

“Uyazi ngingakujabulela kanjani ukuchitha ubusuku noma bube bunye nginawe? Uke ungibuke ngalawo mehlwana akho.”

“N-nami ngingajabula.”

“Ngempela, Mary?” usembukela eduze uRhino.

Anqekuzise ikhanda uMary.

“Bengishilo njalo ukuthi ngicela ukunidedela nisale nizijabulisa.” Kungenela uMenzi.

“Sesiyahamba, Menzi. Hamba uyogqoka ube muhle, Sweetheart. Sihambe endlini yesishimane.”

Basale uMenzi noRhino. Uphenduka esithubeni uRhino, ahline.

“Awusho Menzi, benixoxani nale ngane ngingekho?”

“Hawu, sifike kanye kanye nawe Rhino. Sibingelelene kuphela, kwabe sekungena wena”

“Uqinisile?”

“Ukuchazelile nje noMary?”

“Kuyoba kuhle uma kunjalo. Ngeke uthande ukuba isitha sami, right?”

“Ngiyazi, Rhino.”

“Good, ake ngiyobheka uMary ukuthi useba…”

Akabe esaqeda. Wakhamisa maqede wakhipha amehlo.

“Wow!” kubabaza uRhino.

“Cha umuhle nkosazane.” Kusho uMenzi. Naye uthathekile ilentokazi.

“Uyabona ke uma usunconywa izishimane”

“Ay cha umuqondile ubhuti u…” uMary uzama ukukhumbula igama.

“UMenzi igama lakhe.”

“Yebo ngisho yena. Kunini kodwa umqalile?”

“Menzi, sizokubona kusasa ndoda yamadoda! Sisabaleka.”

Akhangeze uRhino. Alethe isandla uMary. Asemukele maqede asiqabule. Amamatheke uMary. Baxhakane beyophuma ngomnyango.

Ame uMenzi, ababuke. ‘Cha inhle ingane yomuntu, inkinga nje ukuthi idlala isigebengu.’ Usho ngenhliziyo eqhubeka nokuqoba u-anyanisi.

***

Uthini umbono wakho: Iyiphi le mfihlo uMenzi afisa ukuyitshela uMary?