USiyanda umile egumbini likaMandisa, ubuso bugcwele ukukhathazeka njengoba ekhuluma kumakhalekhukhwini. Mandisa ubona ubuso baSiyanda bugcwala ukukhathazeka, naye asukume embhedeni.
“Baba, kwenzenjani?” kubuza uSiyanda. “Ngimdala, Baba. Ngikwazi ukumela noma yini, ngitshele ukuthi kwenzekeni.”
“UStevens akasekho emhlabeni. Ushonile,” kusho uyise.
“Nini? Kanjani? Kwenzekeni?” kubuza uSiyanda.
“Ushawe inhliziyo ekuseni. Simuphuthumise esibhedlela, usanda kushona manje. Akukapheli nemizuzu emihlanu eshonile.”
“Eish! Izindaba ezibuhlungu lezo, Baba. Usuwazisile umndeni wakhe? Ngiyakhumbula ungitshela ukuthi wake washada kodwa wahlukana nonkosikazi wakhe.”
“Yebo, ngimtshelile u-ex-wife wakhe. Uzodlulisa umlayezo endodaneni yakhe.”
“UStevens unendodana?”
“Yebo, ubejwayele ukungixoxela ngendodana yakhe ngezinye izikhathi.’
USiyanda uthula isikhashana.
“Manje ubuya nini ekhaya, ndodana?”
“Kufanele ngisebenze, Baba. Kuyabheda ngapha ngakwezemali. Ngifuna nokuqhubeka ngizama ukuthola umsebenzi. Bengisazokutshela nokuthi angiwutholanga umfundaze. Futhi-”
“Ngiyazi ukuthi isimo sinzima, ndodana. Kodwa ungakwazi ukuthatha impelasonto eyodwa uzongcwaba uStevens. Lendoda isenzele lukhulu empilweni, Siya.”
“Ngiyazi, Baba. Kodwa kubheda ngempela ngapha. Uma ngizosebenzisa imadlana enginayo ngeke ngikwazi ukuthenga ukudla uma sengibuyile, ngizoshoda namgemali ye-rent uma sekuphela inyanga.”
“Isebenzise leyomali onayo ugibele ubuye ekhaya. Sizolakha icebo uma usufikile ngapha. Sizobona ukuthi senza kanjani, Siya.”
USiyanda uthula isikhashana ecabanga. Akathandi ukuthatha imali kuyise ngoba uyasazi isimo sezimali ekhaya ukuthi sibucayi. Bekungcono uStevens esaphila – uyise ubekwazi ukuboleka imali kuyena. UStevens ubeyithatha kancane kancane emuholweni.
“Ungizwile ukuthi ngithini kuwena, Siya? Kufanele ubuye ekhaya, kufanele uhloniphe lendoda enguStevens ngokuba khona emgcwabeni.”
“Ngiyakuzwa, Baba. Izindaba ezibuhlungu ngempela lezi. Ngizolakha isu lokubuya.”
USiyanda uvala ucingo. Uhlala embhedeni eceleni kukaMandisa, ujulile ngomcabango, uphatheke kabi, ikhanda ulibambe ngezandla.
“Kwenzenjani, babe?”
“Izinkinga phezulu kwezinye izinkinga, babe,” kuphendula uSiyanda. “UBaba ungitshela ukuthi umnikazi wepulazi lapho esihlala khona, uStevens, ushonile.”
“Shame, babe. Kwenzekeni?”
“Ushawe inhliziyo.”
“Ubemdala yini?”
“Nabo ubudala bunomthelela, kodwa ngaphezu kwakho konke ukuthi uStevens ubephila budlabha. Ubephuza ibhodlela le-brandy nsukuzonke, ebhema amakhathoni amabili ogwayi ngosuku.”
“Yhu!? Manje kuzokwenzekani ngepulazi?”
“Angazi.”
“Kuzwakala sengathi loStevens ubengumuntu o-rough.”
“Yebo, kunjalo. Kodwa futhi ubengumuntu oqotho ngendlela yakhe.”
“Kanjani?’
“Ungadideki. Kusepulazini. Kusemakhaya, kuhambisana nokusebenza kanzima. Akumnandi neze khona kodwa uStevens, ngendlela yakhe enobudlabha, ubenabo ubuntu. Wahlangana nabanye abanikazi bamapulazi endaweni bakhela izingane zabasebenzi bamapulazi isikole. Yibo abaqasha othisha babakhokhela.”
“Wow!”
“Bonke abasebenzi basepulazini ubebakhokhela ngesikhathi. Noma bekungeyona imali enkulu kodwa wonke umuntu ubekwazi ukuthenga ukudla, aphile,” uSiyanda ukhuluma ebuka uMandisa emehlweni. “UStevens ubekukhombisa ubuntu. Uma sekufanele kusetshenzwe yena ubethetha, ethetha kakhulu, kodwa uma kukhona umsebenzi oshonile ubeqiniseka ukuthi umenzela umngcwabo onesizotha. Uma kushone umsebenzi oqhamuka kude, ubekhipha izimoto zakhe ukuze zihambise abanye abasebenzi abafuna ukuya emgcwabeni. Naye ubefika emgcwabeni.”
“Wow, uyazi uma ngizwa kukhulunywa ngomnikazi wepulazi bengicabanga umlungu ohlukumeza abantu abamsebenzelayo abamnyama.”
“Akulula kanjalo, babe. Umuntu eyedwa unezinhlangothi eziningi. Yena ubenazo izikhathi lapho ekhombisa khona ubuntu. Okunye engakuqaphelisisa ukuthi ubengumuntu oyidlabha ngoba ikhona kuphela ayekwazi. Ubumbulala umzwangedwa. Uma umzwangedwa usho ukumnqoba, ubefika endaweni ehlala abasebenzi, axoxe baphuze utshwala nobaba wami. Ubebazi bonke abasebenzi bakhe nezingane zabo ngamagama.”
UMandisa uvuma ngekhanda, athi, “Ngiyacabanga ukuthi konke lokhu ongitshela khona kusho ukuthi uzoya emngcwabeni.”
“Yebo, babe,” kusho uSiyanda. “Kufanele ngimngcwabe uStevens.”
***
Sitshele umbono wakho: Yini enikeza umuntu ubuntu? Wake wamangazwa ukubona umuntu ekhombisa uhlangothi – oluhle noma olumbi – obukade ungalilindele?