Ndijonge kumama njengokuba engena emnyango. Usuka kuphendula ucingo olufike ngonomyayi wasebumelwaneni.
Uze neendaba ezimbi zokuba utata uphelelwe ngumsebenzi. Umlungu wabo uye eBotswana. Bave ngomhlobo womlungu wabo ukuba akazukubuya eBotswana. Lo mlungu akabanikanga nepeni emva kokuba bemsebenzele iminyaka elishumi elinesithathu.
Sisuke sajongana noLuxolo xa umama esixelela ezi ndaba. Sithe zava esitulweni sikhedamile.

“Ngubani oza kuncedisana notata kwelaKapa mama?” Ndibuzile.
“Hayi, akatshongo mnwtan’am. Ndicinga ukuba uza kubuya xa engawufumani omnye umsebenzi.”

ULuxolo uphange ukutya kwakhe wakugqiba. Uphakamile waphuma ngomnyango engatshongo nelinye igama.
Ndiyayazi ukuba uLuxolo ukhathazekile njengam. Ndiqinisekile nomama ngokunjalo. Ndiyaqonda ukuba sicinga into enye, asifuni abuye! Akufuneki avunyelwe aphinde abethe umama. Hayi kwakhona!

“Mphumeleli, Mphumeleli,” ndive ndikhwazwa phandle. NguBongeka. Ungqiyame ehekeni. Unoncumo oluhle. Unxibe ibhlukhwe emfutshane embala ubomvu. Iimbadada zakhe zityheli. Njengathi sonke apha ezilalini, uthuli luzinabele ezinzwaneni zakhe nasemaqatheni.

“Tyhini, nguwe,” nditshilo ndivuyiswa kukumbona.
“Ewe, bendilapha nayizolo ndifuna wena,” itsho incumile lenzwakazi, indijongile.
Impendulo ayiphumanga kwamsinyane. Uncumo lakhe luhle alufuni kuphazanyiswa ngamaganyana aphuma emlonyeni wam. Ndiyozoyozo.
“Bendifuna ukubuza ukuba uyaya na emguyweni kaSivuyile?” ndimjonge emilebeni ngelixesha athethayo.
“Ndiyaya. Wena?”
“Kukho inkwenkwe esuka kwaNtsela. Yhu hayi, uyandidika maan. Uyandinyanzelisa ukuba ndithandane naye. Ndicela wenzengathi uyinkwenkwe yam emguyweni. Ungakwazi ukuyenza loo nto? Ndifuna asuke emva kwam.”
“Ngubani le nkwenkwe?”
‘Igama lakhe nguMbongeni.”
“Owu, lo bambiza Gqagqaba?”
“Ewe, ndiqinisekile ndibavile abahlobo bakhe bembiza ngelo gama ngaphambili.”

Ndimmemele ngaphakathi endlwini. Andiqondi ukuba uyayazi ukuba uMbongeni walifumana njani eli gama lithi Gqagqaba. Andiyazi ukuba ndiza kuthini kuye. Lenkwenkwe, nguphuma silwe.

Ekuseni ndivuke ndicinga ngoBongeka nesicelo sakhe. Ndithe ndisacinga njalo suke yamisa imoto emhlophe uluhlobo lwebhaki phambi kwendlu. Umqhubi uphumile wayokuvula ngemva. Ndiqwalasele ngapha kwe-lace khethini. Andiyikholelwa ke le ndiyibonayo. Ndisukile ndayokuma emnyango. Utata nentombazana engangam behlike emotweni bethula imithwalo.
Emva koko imoto ishiye uthuli ngelixa itsala ukuphuma ngeheke.

Ndimncedisile utata ukufaka imithwalo yakhe ngaphakathi endlwini. Ndifuna ukubuza ukuba imoto iza kubuya izokuyilanda kusini na le ntombazana. Kutheni ishiyekile nje? Ndiyazibuza.

“Kufuneka ndithethe nomama wenu kuqala. Hamban’ okudlala phandle,” utsho utata, engabulisanga nokubulisa kum noLuxolo. Uyasinyanzelisa.

Ndiphume ngomnyango ndingabhekisanga nto kuye. Intombazana le iye yandilandela. Fohlo phantsi esituphini. Zava intombazana ecaleni kwam. ULuxolo ngomsindo, uphuma ehesha ngeheke.

“Khawutsho, unjani?” iqale yatsho intombazana.
“Ndiphilile, unjani wena?”
“Uhlala apha?”
“Ewe.”
“Ngubani igama lakho?”
“Mphumeleli.”
Ndimbukele ezoba ngokhuni emhlabeni. Andiqwalaselanga ukuba uzoba ntoni. Nanko esoyama edongeni.
“Hayi, iinwele zam! Yintoni lena?” ubuza engakholisekanga. Ngoku uphethe ezi nwele zakhe zinekalika.
Andimphendulanga. Kucacile ukuba zange wava ngekalika.
“Awuzukundibuza ukuba ndingubani?” ubuzile.
Ngoku ezi nwele zakhe zifakelweyo uzibophela ngaphambili. Undijonga ngesikrokro, watsho waqhubeka ke wandixelela; “igama lam ndingu Faniswa. Utata wandipha elo gama.”
“Uphi yena?”
“Nanku ngaphakathi.”

Ndiziva ndigevezela amadolo. Kodwa ndikwazile ukuzama ukuphakama ndihambe ndithi cebu kudana endlwini. Andiyazi ukuba ndiyaphi. Ndiqhubekile ndijongise ngasehlathini.

Phantsi komthi womnga ndimile ndibambelele amadolweni. Ndahlala phantsi. Ameva omnga akrwece elusu lam emqolo.
Yintoni le yenzeka kuthi? Ngokungathi ukusilambisa bekungabuhlungwanga ngokwaneleyo. Ngoku usiphathele umntu omtsha osuka kubomi bakhe baseKapa.