U K8 ufikile ezobalanda.

‘Siyaphi?’ uye wabuza uAirtime xa bengena etransini.

‘Nokuba kuphi apho singaphindisa lafowuni. Funeka silumkise uAriell, okanye nobangubani wethu igama lakhe, ngale ou yeleather jacket.’

‘Nee sms ezothusayo’ uye wongeza uSbu.

‘Mhlawumbi zivela kule ou’ uye watsho uK8. ‘Sithini? Ikhona into eno’sxelela apha efowunini?’

‘Andiqondi’ uphendule uSbu. ‘Akho foto, akho miyaleza. Ndiye ndazama ihotel,iMuseum, inkoskazi yomFrentshi…’

‘Aha!’ utshilo uK8 ebeqhwaba ivili lokuqhuba imoto. ‘Ngomnye umntu esingaphinde simzame lowo’

‘Kodwa akekho kuthi othetha isiFrentshi’.

‘Ndiyayazi’ uye watsho uK8. ‘Kodwa ndiyamazi umntu osaziyo’

U K8 uye wemisa kwi restyu i’St. Emilion’, kwingingqi ekumgangatho ophakamileyo edolophini. Kwakungenjikalanga, kungeka vulwa ncam, izitulo zisabekwe phezu kweetafile.
U K8 uthethe nomnye wabasebenzi, bamlandela besiya ekhitshini.

Badibene nomfo onomzimba, oye watsho ngoluka blanket akubona uK8. ‘Catherine!’ utshilo lomfo, indlela athetha ngayo kucaca ukuba ulwimi lwakhe sisiFrentshi. ‘Unjani?

‘Hi Garron!’ ubulisile uK8, bahagana. U Garron ubone uSbu no Airtime, wabajonga engathembi.

‘Akho nto’ uye watsho uK8. ‘Ngabahlobo. Mamela man, ungasenzela i favour?’

U K8 uye wacacisa imeko ku Garron, wavuma ukuthetha nalaa nkosikazi yomFrentshi. U Sbu umnike ifowuni, waphuma nayo ngomnyango wasemva eyokufowuna

‘Yintoni ingxaki yakhe?’ uAirtime uye wabuza ku K8 ngelixesha belindile.

‘Uthetha ngantoni’ ubuzile uK8.

‘Indlela asijonge ngayo.’

‘U Garron uphuma eCongo. Ndidibene naye kulonyak’uphelileyo, emva kokuba indlu yakhe itshisiwe, ngokuya bekubethwa abantu abasuka ngaphandle. Yi ou e grand, qha akathembi emva koko. Akathandi abantu angabaziyo’.

Umnyango wangasemva uye wavuleka ngokukhawuleza, wangena uGarron. ‘Ndimfumene’. Utshilo ku K8 evuya.

‘Ibi ngubani? Lo ebese fowunini? Uye wabuza uK8.

‘Li oledi lakhe. Uhlala eFrans. Ndimxelele gefowuni yakhe elahlekileyo, wandixelela igama layo lakhe! U Garron uye wathula ithutyana, eyibaxa. ‘Ngu Adelle Mateja!’

U sbu no Airtime baye bamjonga bengazitholi.

‘Zange neva ngo Adelle Mateja?’ Ubuzile uGarron.

‘Uyi…’ U Garron uthethe ngezandla efuna elona gama lililo. ‘…Superstar’.


Ukuba ibinguwe ophetheyo, yintoni ongayitshintsha ukunqanda ukuba abantu abaphuma kwamanye amazwe bangahlaselwa?