Ubungafunga uthi akhomntu, sithe cwaka sijongene nomama. Ndiziva ndicinga, njengokuba ndihlala ndicinga ukuba ndingayenza njani ibe ngcono imeko yasekhaya. Iinyembezi zigcwalise amehlo xa ndicinga ukuba akukho nto ndingayenza.
Kumama ndibona umfazi olikhalipha. Umama ophume eyokukhangela ukutya waze waphantse wabulawa. Besiya kuthini ukohluthwa umama?
Utata uyafika kwiingcinga zam. Ingaba uya kuthini xa esiva le yenzekileyo?

“Iye yaphinda yathini le ndoda mama?” Ndimbuzile umama ndithandazela ukuba ezo ndaba aziyi kuba mbi kakhulu.
“U … u … Hayi, usemncinci Mphumeleli. Akufanelekanga ndikuxelele yonke into.”
“Hayi mama, thetha.”
“Uhlise ubhlukhwe yakhe. Uvalo belibetha ngemithambo yentloko. Ukoyika mntanam, ukoyika ukuba angandisulela ngentsholongwane kagawulayo kundiqhubile. Kundiqhubele ekubeni ndimbuze into eza kumenza atyhafe.”
“Umbuze ntoni? Wathini lo mntu mama, ukwenze ntoni? Kowu, uya kubanesono!”
“Ndimbuzile ukuba unaso na i … i … isikhuseli. Ndimxelele ukuba ndinentsholongwane kagawulayo. Bendicinga ukuba iya kumenza andiyeke loo nto …”
“Yho! Uye wathini mama?”
“Uthe cwaka okomzuzwana. Wathetha wathi, ‘uyaxoka’. Ndivale umlomo wam andamphendula. Undikhabile esinqeni kabuhlungu, ephindaphinda. Uthe mandiphakame. Hayi mntanam, andikwazi ukuxelela ukuba undenze ntoni kwesisihlandlo. Okufunekayo ukwazi nje kokuba akandidlwengulanga. Uthe kum uyakuphinda afumane omnye kwangobu busuku.”
Umama uphumlile waphefumla, phambi kokuba andibuze, “uphi uLuxolo?”
“Owu mama, andimazi uyephi uLuxolo. Ikwenze ntoni le ndoda mama?”
“Uthe mandithathe imithwalo yam ndihambe. Uthe mandibaleke. Khawufane ucinge mntwan’am. Loo mbono. Indodana engakaya itsho kumama ongangam ukuba makabaleke.”
“Kufuneka siye kwasibonda ngomso lusayo mama.”
“Siyokuthini mntwan’am? Ndisichaza njani isithinzi somfananyana ondilinde ebumnyameni? Mfana lowo uthe wandikhaba kabuhlungu. Nosibonda uya kundibuza ukuba bendifuna ntoni ebusuku ngela xesha mntwan’am.”
“Ilizwi lona mama? Awulikhumbuli ilizwi olivileyo lalomntu? Ungamcacisela usibonda ukuba imela ibinjani … kubekho into esiyenzayo mama.”

Hayi owam umama. Umile kweyokuba ayinasihlahla esiza kuyisa kusibonda. Ngoko ke masingayi.
Ekuseni ndivuke ngenja ixukuxa. Ubhuti Luxolo ulele komandlalo wakhe phantsi. Andimvanga ukufika kwakhe ezinzulwini zobusuku okanye ekuseni. Inoba uvulelwe ngumama. Ndicinga ukumvusa. Ndifuna ukumxelela ukuba kwenzeke ntoni kumama. Kodwa, ndiphela ndingamvusi.
Ndiyokubilisa amanzi okupheka umphokoqo eziko. Akufani nocwaka, namhlanje sinawo amasi esiwaphiwe ngaMatshawe kwaDikidikana.

“Uyapheka?” ubuzile umama engena ngeheke.
Ndimbukele ewisela iinkuni egoqweni. Umama wam uyamangalisa. Uphantse wabulawa ngobusuku bayizolo, kodwa uphinde wavuka ekuseni wayokutheza.

“Ewe mama, ndipheka umphokoqo wokuvubisa.” Ndiphendule ndatsho kuye.
ULuxolo uyanwabuluka uyavuka. Ndiqaphela igazi ezihlangwini zakhe. Ndiqinisekile bayifumene inyamakazi izolo. Kodwa iphi yona inyama? Ndizibuze ndiyitshele.

Ndiyacinga ukuba umama uyakumxelela uLuxolo ukuba kwenzeke ntoni kuye. Makhe ndilinde. ULuxolo ubhinqe ibhlukhwe yakhe watsho ephuma ngomnyango. Inokuba uya kumhlobo wakhe.

ULuxolo ukhawuleze wabuya nesabelo sakhe senyama. Lo uMgqibelo ingathi yimini yokuzalwa kaYesu, iKrismesi. Silindwe zizitya ezigcweleyo zomvubo. Kanti kukho nezenyama yenyamakazi!
Ndimbukele eyisikelela loo nyama egoqweni uLuxolo. Umama uchwechwele ngasegoqweni esiya kuthetha naye.
Nanko uLuxolo ewisa intloko. Akabonakali ethetha. Andisaboni nemilebe yakhe ishukuma. Akukho kunyakaza kuye. Suke wahla phantsi kulo mhlaba uqinileyo.

Umama ubuyele endlwini. Ukhawulezile ukuya kuzivalela kwigumbi lakhe lokulala.
Ndichwechwele ngakuLuxolo egoqweni. Ndifuna ukumncedisa ukusikelela inyama. Inyani mayithethwe, ndifuna ukuva ukuba ucingantoni ngale nto yenzeke kumama. Usike inyama ndimbambele. Ndimane ndiphosa embizeni.

“Khawutsho, ukuxelele, ukuxele umama?” Ndimbuzile.
Cwaka uLuxolo, akandiphenduli.

“Bhuti, ukuxelele umama ukuba kwenzeke ntoni?” Ndiphinde ndazama.

“Yeka kwedini, yeka,” utsho ngomsindo. “Yeka!”

Zange wakwazi ke owam ubhuti ukuzibonakalisa xa ebuhlungu.
Usuke waphakama wathi khwasu waze loo mbiza yenyama wayibeka emlilweni.