Lendoda iye yamkhumbula uAirtime. Yambrakaza umnyango besajonile.

‘Vula!’ uye wakhwaza uSbu, enqonqoza ngamandla.

Uye wafaka igxalaba ezama ukungena ngenkani kodwa tu ukuvuleka umnyango.

‘Ndincediseni!’ utshilo kwitshomi zakhe. Babale kathathu, baziphosa emnyango,bewuncothula kwihinjisi.

Baphoseleke e lounge. Yayinuka,igcwele ngudothi-iibhokisi zepizza ezingenanto, iieshtreyi eziphuphumayo namakatoni efast-food.

U Sbu uluze ibhalans wagxadazela. Yaziphosa kubo iraki, inkala uSbu edongeni.

Ukhwaza ngokwekarati uAirtime, ehlasela,kodwa yayifast iraki,yambetha ngengqiniba esuswini. Wathi thaxa phantsi uAirtime, ebindekile, wakhamisa okwentlanzi ifun’umoya. Kodwa imizamo yakhe yayinike uSbu ithuba, amanqindi akhe azingenela kule ndoda.

Kuvakale ingxolo ngaphakathi endlini, nomkhwazo ongavakaliyo ncam.

‘Nguye!’ utshilo uSongezwa.

U sbu uye wayityhilizela emva iraki, yakhubeka kuAirtime owayephantsi,yawela phezu kwakhe, yamqinda.

Iraki izamile ukuphakama kodwa uSbu wayityhilizela etafileni yeglasi eyayigcwele uthuthu neemagazine. Yophuka itafile, yatsho isikhalo lendoda isikwa yiglasi engalweni.

Ngelixesha iphantsi, uk8 ubaleke ngepaseji esiya kwisandi esasivakala siphuma ebathroom.

‘Ndincede!’ utshilo uAdelle ngaphakathi. ‘Ndikhuphe apha!’

Yayivaliwe, kungekho sitshixo.

‘Buy’umva!’ uye wakhwaza uK8, walukhaba ngamandla ucango, lakrekreza lusophuka. Uye waphinda walukhaba ngamandla kwakhona, lwavuleka. UAdelle wayephantsi, ebotshelelwe ngamahanbhoyi kwimibhobho yamanzi.

Kwigumbi lokuhlala, uSongezwa, ungenelele emlweni esophula isibane entanyeni yeraki.

Ichole ieshtreyi egcweleyo, yaphosa uthuthu kuye emehlweni, emva koko yambetha ngayo entloko. Ugxadazele ebuya umva.

‘Lumka!’ uye watsho uAirtime. U Sbu uphephe ngethuba ephuma engozini xa kanye iraki izakumhlaba ngengceba yeglasi yetafile.

Amehlo entywizisa, uSongezwa uziphose kwiraki, kodwa yamkha’ezantsi emilenzeni,wawela etafileni. Kuvakale isandi sento ephukayo, wakhala zintlungu uSongezwa.

Iraki imbambe ngentamo uSbu, yamkrwitsha.

Wakhohlela,exakwe kukuphefumla uSbu, iraki iye yaphakamisi ingceba yeglasi.’ Ngowam!’ itshilo. ‘Kuphela kwento endinayo eshiyikileyo!’

Kuvakale isandi sento edubulayo. Amacingo amabini ayejinga esifubeni seraki. Kwakuvakala isandi esiduma ngathi ziintambo zika gesi, yaxhuzula, isiwa phantsi, imyeka uSbu.

Uphulule intamo yakhe uSbu, ejonga indoda esemnyango, ebambe itaser.

‘Ndisuka e Hyena Personal Protection’. Itshilo lendoda.

Ubungathini ukuba bekufuneka uncede umntu ofana nalo?