Aqede ukuphuza itiye ubaba kaMary. Asukume nemvubu. Ambheke indlu yonke kodwa angamtholi. Wedlulela e-garage, alithole livuliwe. Uphuma ngejubane eqonde endlini kamaMgobhozi.
Ungqongqoza ephindelela, angalindeli impendulo. Ukucasuka kuhlangene novalo.
“Ngiyeza! Ngubani lowo?” kuphendula umaMgobhozi.
“Vula! Imina uButhelezi!”
Avule isicabha umaMgobhozi.
“Iphi lengane?” kumemeza ubaba kaMary.
“Ingane?” kubuza uMaMgobhozi emangele.
“UMary, uphi? Mkhiphe umlethe la!”
“Hawu, umfice engekho uMary?”
“Angidlali wena mfazi, ngithi khipha lengane uyilethe la!”
“Akekho la uMary. Futhi ungangisukeli endlini yami. Ngizovusa uSibiya mina ngimtshele ukuthi uzongeyisa emzini wami.”
“Uphi uMary we muntu wesifazane?”
“Nkosi yami, uMary angimazi. Kanti ngizoze ngithini? Umfice engekho ubuya emsebenzini?”
“Uhamba khona manje. Ngeke akwazi ukuphuma esangweni ngoba i-remote ihlala kumina.”
“Uma evulelwe unogada?”
Asuke ngejubane uShenge ebheke esangweni. Alandele uMaMgobhozi. Aphume noSibiya.
“We Mantshingelana! Phuma ngikubone!” kusho uShenge.
Aphume emangele unogada. Angabe esabuza uShenge, amtalabhe ngemvubu.
“Hhayi bo! Baba ngenzeni?” unogada uvika imvubu.
“Iphi ingane yami?”
“Hawu baba ithe uyithumile, yacela ngiyivulele.”
“Kahle ngolaka,” kukhuza umaMgobhozi.
“Zibambe, Shenge. We mfana kukhona imoto eke yafika la?” kubuza umaMgobhozi.
“Cha, Mama, ayikho.”
“Awumbonanga uphume washonaphi uMary?”
“Unyuke ngomgwaqo.” Useyaqhaqhazela unogada, udidekile.
“Shenge, ngena emotweni umlandele manje angaze adlale izelelesi,” kusho umaMgobhozi.
“Uma esemadodeni akhe?” kusho ubaba kaMary.
“Kahle ukudlala ngengane. Amadoda asuka kuphi lawo?”
“Lawa amthengela izimbali wona awakuphi?”
“Kukhona indoda ethengela uMary izimbali?”
“Ngibone izimbali nobucwebe obubizayo kufihlwe ngaphansi komatilansi. Bekukhona neselula entsha ceke!”
“Habe! Habe habe! Kanti indaba inkulu kangaka? Manje senze njani?”
“Angazi.” Izinyembezi sezigcwele amehlo kubaba kaMary. USibiya yena uthule sengathi udutshuliwe.
“Awucabangi ukuthi siyomubheka kubangani bakhe?”
Yabuya ingqondo kuShenge. Noma kanjani uLondi uzomkhipha uMary. Agijime ayongena emotweni. Bamlandele uSibiya nomkakhe, umaMgobhozi.
*****
Uthe esamile uMary, lwaphinde lwakhala ucingo.
“Hello, Rhino. Uyamthola?”
“Ja, wena mana kanjalo. Usendleleni lo ozokulanda.”
“Uzongiyisa kuphi?”
“Uzoya nawe e-Aboretum.”
“Kukhona bani lapho?”
“Okwamanje akukho muntu.”
Besakhuluma, uMary ubona imoto kayise iphuma emaflethini ngesivinini.
“Ohhe! Nansiya imoto kababa iphuma esangweni, iza ngapha.”
“Suka emgwaqeni. Casha, Mary! Ngizotshela umngani wami akufonele uma esesondele.”
Uvala ucingo abaleka alale esikhotheni ngezansi komgwaqo. Ayijikise imoto uyise, ibuyele esangweni laseflethini.
*****
“Hawu wajika manje Shenge?” kubuza uSibiya.
“Ngikhohlwe isibhamu sami, ngizwa nginukelwa igazi.”
“Yehlisa umoya,” kusho uSibiya ebuka ubaba kaMary emehlweni, “Uyabona ukuthi ubizwa ijele? Angithi uyakholwa wena.”
***
Uthini umbono wakho: Ngabe uMary wenza into elungile ngokubalekela ubaba wakhe?