Zahamba izinsuku ehlezi yedwa uMary. Kwaphela amasonto amathathu uRhino engatholakali ocingweni.

UMary uzwa kuvuleka isango, kungena imoto.

“Nkosi akube nguye uRhino. Amen,” ushaya umkhuleko omncane.

Ulunguza ngewindi, abone ukuthi akusiye uRhino owehlika emotweni. Akaze ayibone lendoda ephethe isaka, esondela ngasesicabheni. Akhumbule ukuthi akakhiyanga esicabheni. Acashe. Esacabanga ukuthi uzokwenzenjani, angene lo mlisa. Kuyathuleka isikhashana, emveni kwalokho amemeze lo mlisa.

“Rhino! Nqo nqo! Rhino!”

Akhululeke uMary. Kusho ukuthi ungumngani noRhino lo mlisa.

“Akekho uRhino,” kusho uMary eqhamukela e-sitting room.

“Ohho. Ushiye wena lapha?” kusho lo mlisa ebukisisa uMary.

“Yebo.”

“Bengilethe lento yakhe uRhino.” Uphakamisa isaka aliphethe.

“Yini yona leyo?”

“Imali, ngizocela ukuyishiya kuwe.”

“Imali esuka kuphi?”

“Ebhizinisini. Please uyibheke okwezikhali zamaNtungwa. Uyifake kwi- safe phezulu. Uyakwazi ukuyivula?”

“Cha angiyazi kwaleyo safe.”

“Ngingadlula ngiyoyibeka?”

“Yebo, kulungile”

Angene kuleli gumbi alala kulo uMary. Asuse isithombe esisodongeni, kuvele i-safe. Ayivule lo mlisa.

“Ha!” kuphunyuka uMary.

“Ubabazani, sisi?”

“Imali engaka?”

“Awukaze uyibone?”

“Cha, ngiyaqala.”

“Lalela lana ke, ntombi. Angizanga la ukuzoveza izimfihlo zendoda yakho. Ungamtsheli uRhino ukuthi ngikukhombise i-safe?”

“Ngoba..?”

“Ukufihlele ngesizathu.”

“Manje umufonela kanjani uRhino ngoba mina angimtholi?”

“Ngenombolo yomsebenzi.”

“Ngicela unginike yona.”

Anqekuzise ikhanda lo mlisa, enqaba.

“Ibhizinisi lakhe lisebenza kanjani uma inombolo yakhe iyimfihlo?”

“Basebenzisa i-Email.”

“Ngicela unginike yona.”

“Angiyazi ngekhanda.”

Asuke ahambe lo mlisa. Amlandele uMary, behle izitebhisi.

“Bhuti, uze umtshele uRhino ukuthi kunabantu abafike bama lapha esangweni eside isikhathi. Basuke lapho bahambe.”

Akhombise ukwethuka lo mlisa, “OK, angihambe sisi. Usale kahle. Ngizotshela uRhino akuthinte uma engithinta”

Iphuma ngokushesha le ndoda, ingene emotweni, isuke ngethayi. UMary ukhiya isango nesicabha abone ifoni yakhe ikhanya phezu kwetafula. Ayiphendule.

“Hello, my love. Kade ngikufuna!” kusho uRhino.

Athule nje uMary. Ufisa ukumthethisa. Kuningi okumcasulile.

“Mary!”

“Yebo.”

“Ungizwile?”

“Ubuthini, Rhino?”

“Hawu, ngithi kade ngizama ukufona. Ubukuphi?”

“Bengikhona.”

“Ngizwa kuthiwa usemzini wakho? Hahaha!”

“Yebo ngisendlini yakho. Uzobuya nini, Rhino? Uyangicabangela kodwa?”

“Ngisendleleni njengoba ngikhuluma nje. Ngidlula eVryheid.”

Kuthi akandize injabulo. Kodwa ayiphelele.”Ngempela usendleleni, Rhino?”

“Kuzoshaya ihora leshumi sengilele ezandleni zakho. Njengamanje ngitshele ukuthi ngiphatheni?”

“IPizza.”

“OK, my love, ungalali.”

“OK, my love.” Kusho uMary.

Aphinde ahleke yedwa uMary. Akakholwa ukuthi namhlanje uzolala eduze kukaRhino.

“Kuzomele ngishaye phansi ngonyawo. Phela nami ngiyasidinga isikhathi sami naye. Le yokuputshuka njalo sengathi ukhishwa yisisu kuzomele ngimyekise,” uhleka yedwa ezibuka. Usekujwayele ukukhuluma yedwa, ukuhlala yedwa lokhu okumenza ngathi iyahamba ingqondo.

Ziyahamba izikhathi, agcine ezumekile uMary. Kukhala i-bell phakathi kwamabili, avuke.

“Hawu usulele, Mary? Vuka ungivulele.” Kumemeza uRhino emi esangweni.

Ingene nangempela imoto. URhino uphuma ephethe inqwaba yoplastiki. Bangene egumbini lokuphumula.

“Ngicela uhlale phansi, sthandwa sami, ngiyabuya. Hlala la unganyakazi,” kusho uRhino.

Uphuma ngejubane eshaya umzwilili. UMary uhlala asonge izandla. URhino ubuya namapuleti amabili, i-pizza kanye neziphuzo. Abeke konke phezu kwetafula.

“Woza uzohlala la,” uRhino uzimbambatha ithanga.

Agone kuRhino uMary. URhino aqale amufunze. Umufunza i-Pizza bese emphuzisa i-juice. Amufunze aqede, amsule umlomo. Athi manqa esihlathini kuMary.

“Usuthile?”

“Yebo, my love,” kusho uMary.

“Awazi ngijabula kanjani uma ungibiza kanjalo. Nginezindaba ezimnandi,” kusho uRhino emamatheka.

“Ndaba zini lezo, Rhino?”

“Ngibathumile abakhongi kini ngesonto eledlule.”

“Serious? Rhino ngiyabonga.” Ujabula abuye nganeno uMary.”Ubaba utheni?”

“Unekhanda eliqinile ubaba wakho. Ubengafuni ukwamukela ilobolo wena ungekho. Ngize ngamthembisa ukuthi uzomfonela.”

“Ubize ilobolo elingakanani?”

“Ima ngikukhombise.”

Akhiphe ipheshana lasebhange, alinike uMary, athi, “Mi, zifundele wena.”

“R50 000 Rands?” Ahlahle amehlo uMary.

Avume ngekhanda uRhino emamatheka. “Empeleni izinkomo seziyabiza, Mary, kanti ukufundisile ubaba wakho. Usenzele umusa ngoba bekumele angihlawulise ngesenzo sami.”

“Rhino.”

“Yes, baby”

“Ngiyabonga. Amade anginawo, sithandwa sami. Awazi ukuthi inkulu kangakanani lento ongenzele yona.”

“Mina ngibonga wena, Mary. Ungenze umuntu ebantwini. Sengizoba umnumzane ngenxa yakho. Incane kabi lemali, ufanelwe yinani elikhulu.”

Acwebise amehlwana uMary, akhale.

“Hawu, usudliwa yini manje, Mary?” umsula izinyembezi.

Amamatheke uMary, athi, “Ngiyakuthanda Rhino.”

“Ngiyakuthanda nami. Nansi iselula, fonela ubaba wakho.”

Ayamukele uMary. Asibambe isandla sikaMary uRhino, asiqabule. Afone uMary, lungene.

“Sawubona mkhwenyana,” kuphendula ubaba kaMary.

“Sawubona baba, yimi”

“Hawu ndodakazi! Ukuphi kodwa ngane yami?”

“Ngise Aboretum.”

“Uyihlo umshiye nobani?”

Athule uMary. Usalalele injabulo kayise. Umuzwa ekhuluma ukuthi weneme.

“Mary?”

“Ngikhona baba.”

“Uzobuya nini? Uyazi uyasala ezifundweni? Nemali yami iyacwila?”

“Njengoba namhlanje kunguLwesihlanu mina ngizobuya ngoMsombuluko.”

“Ohhe, wakude ke nalowo Msombuluko. Umkhwenyana ungikhokhele kahle. Ibhange lami liqumbile. Ngiyabonga, uyezwa?”

“Yebo, baba. Ngiyaxolisa ngendlela izinto ezenzeke ngayo.”

“Ngikuxolele, umkhwenyana ungivale umlomo. Yini enye engingabe ngisayilwela? Buya ekhaya wena.”

Baxoxe kamnandi noyise. Aphindisele ifoni kuRhino. Ajike ebusweni.

“Hawu, Mary, wangabe usaba muhle nje? Ukhumbule ubaba wakho?”

“Cha.”

“Pho?”

“Rhino, ungubani?”

“Ngingubani? Uqonde ukuthini?”

“Angisazi isibongo sakho, angilazi negama lakho. Uyasebenza kodwa angikwazi ukuthi usebenza kuphi. Ungubani ngempela?”

Aqale akhokhe umoya uRhino. Ahlikihle izandla.

“NginguSimo Majola.”

“Usuqedile? Ngifuna ukwazi konke ngawe.”

“Ekhaya kuseMgababa.”

“Abazali bakho?”

“Ngikhulele ezintandaneni, ngatshelwa khona ukuthi ekhaya kuseMgababa.”

Aphatheke kabi uMary.”Ngiyaxolisa ukuvusa amanxeba. Pho usebenza kuphi?”

“Ngiyazisebenza.”

“Ndlelani?”

Uthula eside isikhathi uRhino. Aphenduke abuke uMary.

“My love, ngicela siyixoxe kahle ngelinye ilanga lento. Singamoshi usuku lwethu. Ngiyakucela”

Avume ngekhanda uMary, kodwa aqhubeke.”Ngingabuza okokugcina?”

“Yebo.”

“Igama lakho waliqanjwa abazali bakho?”

Aneke izandla uRhino okusho ukuthi akazi.

“OK, sengibuza okokugcina ngci ngci ngci. Awazi ukuthi kwenzekani kubazali bakho?”

“Angithandi ukukhuluma ngalento, Mary. Ngakhulela ezintandaneni. Kwathi sengina-18 ngakhishwa, ngahlala emgwaqeni. Ngaqala ngazama ukuziphilisa. Umndeni wami nguwe noNdlovu noBhubesi. Uyeneliseka?”

“Yebo. Kunenkinga ekhona njengoba ngikugaxa yonke lemibuzo. Kuhlale kufika izimoto la, zifi…”

Wakhincwa amathe uRhino, “Nini? Zinjani? Zifunani? Bathi bangobani?”

Athule uMary ambukisise. Wethukile uRhino manje. Asukume ngejubane, angabe esalinda nezimpendulo. Abuye esehudula ama-suit case amabili. Adlule ngakuye uMary aqonde e-garage. Awafake emotweni abuye ame abuke uMary.

“Rhino, yini?” usehlahle amehlo uMary.

“Kumele sihambe Mary. Awusho, akukaze kufike muntu la?”

“Zifikile izimoto lezi ekade ngikutshela ngazo ukuthi bezifika zipake esangweni. Enye yafika, ababekuyo behla bashutha lendlu. Kwafika nemoto yamaphoyisa.”

“Ngale kwalokho akufikanga muntu obelethe into yami? Amaphoyisa angenile?”

“Cha, nawo ajike esangweni.”

“Akekho owafika elethe into yami?”

“Into enjengani, baby?” Uyazibuzisa uMary.

“Noma yini nje, noma ukhiye wami? Kunento yami okumele ngihambe nayo ekhiyeleke phezulu.”

“UMenzi uzishiyile nje izikhiye.”

“Asikho lesi sikhiye engisifunayo kulezi zikaMenzi. Kulungile, asihambe.”

“Linda kancane nami ngiyoqoqa iz…”

“Ngizithathe zonke izimpahla zakho. Asihambe.”

Baphume bayongena emotweni. Useyesaba noMary ukubuza ukuthi kwenzekani. URhino udumisa imoto, ahoshe isibhamu ngemuva kwesihlalo, asifake esiswini.

“Izikhiye zendlu?” kubuza uMary.

Angabe esaphendula uRhino. Aphume eqhasha eyozilanda. Abuye, afake imoto egiyeni, basuke ngesikhulu isivinini.

“Rhino, siya eThekwini?”

“Kunjalo, my love.”

“Ekhaya?”

“Uzoya ngoMsombuluko.”

“Siyabaleka?”

“Kucishe kube njalo.”

Athule uMary, ambuke.

“Mary.”

“Yebo.”

“Kuzomele sishade, sithandwa sami.”

***

Uthini umbono wakho: Uthini ngale ndaba yababa kaMary yokwamukela ilobolo kuRhino?