Emva kweeyure ezintathu babesele befince uthotho lweekhilomitha. . Ekugqibeleni bade bafike kule ndawo iyimfihlo – esibhedlele.
“Ufe isiqaqa okanye sizame ukumvusa?” kubuza u-Onikwa omi ecaleni kwebhedi alele kuyo uKhayone.
UBantwini uhlunguzela intloko, kumnyama kuye.
Kufika umongikazi oze kufunza uKhayone amayeza emihla ngemihla. Umchwetha ngobunono egxalabeni ngeenjongo zokuba avuke. UKhayone uphaphama ebuthongweni. Ubonakala eneentloni yinto aguquke wabayiyo.
Uyazi ukuba phaya elalini, kwaNoqabaka, alisaphathwa igama lakhe. Lakubizwa igama lakhe kuthi nyaka isicaphu-caphu emadodeni. Kufukanywe izenyeliso zizifuba zabafazi. Zide zapakishana izithuko zilinde ukuthululwa ngomhla athe wabuya ngawo. Ngoku kuza kusetyenziswa amagama anje ngala – Nofotyela, Nontwentywe, Lulwane – ukumchaza ngokuba uyindoda engafaniyo namanye amadoda.
“Bathini ngam elalini?” kubuza uKhayone ebhekisa umbuzo kuBantwini no-Onikwa. Uyagushuza. Uzama ukugqiyama ngomqolo kwiintsimbi zebhedi ezibanda ceke. Inkwankca imtsho aqonde ukuba usaphila.
“Bayakukhumbula. Sonke siyakukhumbula Khisto,” kuphendula u-Onikwa ehlala ecaleni kukaKhayone. Umphuza esidleleni.
“Bathi ndingubani ngoku?” ubuza ethe ntsho uBantwini ngamehlo.
“Kuthiwa Khayone … Bhut’ Khayone. Ungu Tar-Killer,” kuphendula uBantwini
Ugeqezisa intloko. Ukhangeleka engenguye la Killer waziwa nguBantwini. Akanguye la Khisto ka-Onikwa. UnguKhayone oselusizini. Le nto ayiyo ayiqhelekanga yaye inobunzima.
U-Onikwa ukhumbula ngala mini wagqibela ngayo ukubona uKhayone, phambi kokuba asingele ebudodeni. Babephantsi kwemibala ebhanyaza bomvu namthubirha, kutshona ilanga. Wayebambe uKhayone ngesandla ebophelela isacholo seentsimbi amenzele sona esihlahleni sakhe. Kwakusazi bani ukuba imincili eyayibonakaliswa luncumo ebusweni bukaKhayone ingaze ithi shwaka namhlanje?
Ngoku apha esibhedle, ujonge ubuso bukaKhayone obuthi: “Ndibuncamil’ ubomi.” Le nto iyayiqhekeza intliziyo ka-Onikwa.
“Ungasipha ithuba Onikwa, ndikhe ndithethe noKiller bucala,” kutsho uBantwini akube eqaphele unxunguphalo lukaKhayone.
Ade ajika abomvu krwe amehlo kaKhayone kukunqanda iinyembezi zingawi.
“Ntang’am –”
Uqhawulwa nguKhayone engawagqibanga la mazwi uBantwini, efudumele ngumsindo. “Ingana ubundithembisile nje ukuba awuphindi undibize ngelo gama. Andiyondoda.”
“Kodwa usengumhlobo wam yaye siyalingana,” kutsho uBantwini ezolile.
Kuthi zole egumbini lezigulana.
“Andibazi obu butyhakala ndizifake kubo,” kutsho uKhayone.
Aphele emlonyeni kuBantwini.
“Ngeliya xesha bendingayiboni itenxile into yokuza kwam apha. Bendizama ukuzisindisa ekufeni. Bekunyanzelekile ndize esibhedlele. Ngoku ndiphilile, ndizisola kuyo yonke into endiyenzileyo,” uquqa ebuyelela kula mazwi.
“Wathetha ngathi umoshile,” kutsho uBantwini. “Ukholisile uze apha.”
“NdinguNofotyela. Ndixelel’ inyani,” utsho enyanzelisa uKhayone.
Utshon’ evela uBantwini kodwa ide ivele inyaniso ekugqibeleni. “Ewe sele bekonyelisa ngamagama.”
Uzithi mbo ngengubo uKhayone, phantsi kwayo wonga iinyembezi zakhe.
“Awuzibizelanga le nto,” utsho ngelokuthuthuzela uBantwini. “Asilo xhiba lakho.”
“Andisayi kuze ndiphinde ndichukunyiswe ngesandla nangubani. Abandichukumisayo baya kuba nebhadi, isiqalekileso sikaNofotyela.”
“Sohlala sinawe … Mna no-Onikwa,” kutsho uBantwini.
“Ndiza kuthini ngo-Onikwa? Ndiwalahle onke amagunya okwakha ikamva naye, ukutshata naye sibe nenzala. Andinaso isizathu endingamnika sona sokuba makaqhubeke athandane nam ngokuba ngoku andisenabudoda.”
“Akanakude akushiyele loo nobenani. Uyakuthanda nokuba uyintoni na.”
Ngaphandle kwesakhiwo sesibhedlele kuhleli u-Onikwa kwisitulo esiphantsi komthi awuthandileyo, ulinde uKhayone. Uphulula isisu sakhe, ukhangeleka onwabile. Ethubeni uncumo lujikalube lubi, ajongise intloko ezantsi i esakuqonda ukuba esi isisu siza kukhula simgqakre. Uyafixiza. Uyazinqanda koko kuchininika kuba engenanjongo zakutsala mehlo. Akafuni kwaziwa mntu ukuba unto.
UKhayone ukhululwa esibhedlele kwangale mini. Uza kuba sisigculelo kwaNoqabaka ethanda engathandi.
Kufika iimvakalelo ezifudumeza intliziyo kaO-nikwa xa befika kwinkcochoyi yeNtaba Yethemba, bejongise imibombo emakhaya. Beqwalasel’ ezantsi kwilali yabo enkulu.
Bayakoyika okuphambi kwabo kodwa kukho into ekhuthazayo ngaphakathi – ithemba. Lithi mabomelele. Behla entabeni, bawela umlambo, basinga elalini. Phambi kokuba bafike elalini, kuna izantyalantyala zemvula – lidyudyuza ngokungathi liyabalilela.
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Sixelele: Ingaba yintoni ethe yehla kuKhayone emshiye engenabudoda?