UMatt uwubamba isikhathi eside umakhalekhukhwini emuva kokuqeda ukukhuluma nonina. Umile uncike kusinki, ingqondo igcwele imibuzo. Ipulazi? Ubaba ongakaze abe ingxenye yempilo yami ungishiyele ipulazi? Ipulazi eThekwini, ngaphezu kwakho konke? Ngizolenzani mina ipulazi eliseThekwini?
UMatt akaze ahlangane noyise. Akakhumbuli ngisho nokuncane ngoyise ebunganeni bakhe. Uyise akasona ngisho isithunzi ezinkumbulweni zakhe. Uyise uyikhasi elingabhalwe lutho ebhukwini eliyimpilo kaMatt, ikhasi elaligcwaliswa ngunina uma ekhumbula ngobusha bakhe. UMatt uyazi, ngokulalela izinkumbulo zikaEvelyn, ukuthi unina wayemthanda uyise kudala. Isibazi esingaphezulu kweso kunina sadalwa isibhakela sikayise, uStevens. Uyazi nokuthi emuva kokuba yisosha leSADF waphathwa isifo esibizwa nge-post-traumatic stress disorder. Kwalokho nje, ukuthi uyise wayeyisosha ngezikhathi ze-apartheid, ukuthi wayeyisikhali sokucindezela abantu abamnyama, kubanga intukuthelo kanye namahloni kuMatt. Unikina ikhanda, ejulile ngemicabango, engaboni ukuthi uNaomi umile eceleni kwe-fridge, uyambuka.
“Ubani lona okade ukhuluma naye, babe?”
“UMama.”
“Umtshelile ngobulili bengane? Ngiyazi uzojabula ngoba ubefisa ukuba kube intombazane.”
“Angikwazanga.”
“Uhlulwe yini?”
UMatt uphenduka abuke uNaomi. “UMama ungitshele ukuthi ubaba ushonile.”
“Kwaze kwabuhlungu ukuzwa izindaba ezinjalo, Matt.”
“Ungakhathazeki. Ngakutshela ukuthi angikaze ngimbone ubaba. Akaze abe ingxenye yempilo yami.”
UMatt uphefumulela phezulu, athule.
UNaomi uhlikihla uMatt ehlombe, athi, “Kufanele siye kuEvelyn.”
“Empeleni asikho isidingo salokho. UMama ukahle, akanankinga. Lendoda, ubaba, ebengeyona nakancane ingxenye yempilo yethu.”
“Cha, Matt. Ungabi kanjalo. Kufanele simusingathe uMama wakho. Asihambe.”
Bamufica ehlezi ebumnyameni efulethini lakhe uEvelyn. Amehlo akhe abomvu, kuyacaca ukuthi kade ekhala. UStevens uyingxenye yempilo yakhe ayikhohlwa kudala kodwa ikhona ingxenye yenhliziyo yakhe eyayimthanda kudala. Ukhihla isililo uma befika emuzini kaMatt, ezilela okwahlanganisa impilo yakhe nomphefumulo oxakekile onguStevens; okwenza wazala uMatt – umuntu obalulekile kunakho konke empilweni yakhe. Ukhihla isililo ezilela ubuhlungu uStevens amuzwisa bona, azizwisa bona kwayena uStevens, nobuhlungu abuzwisa uMatt.
UMatt ubamba unina emduduza agcine elele uEvelyn. Uxoxela umngani wakhe, uMenzi, konke kumakhalekhukhwini.
“Uzolenzani ipulazi?” kubuza uMenzi.
“Angazi, Menzi. Ngiyacabanga ukuthi ngizolidayisa. Anginaso isikhathi sokubhekana nepulazi.”
“Ngikufisela ukube kulula ngaleyo ndlela, Matt.”
“Usho ukuthini?”
“Ubaba wakho unabasebenzi abaningi, abantu abanemindeni ephila ngemali eholwa abasebenzi basepulazini. Amapulazi omoba makhulu, baningi abantu abasebenza epulazini lomoba elilodwa.”
UMatt unyusa amehlo, abuke izinkanyezi. “Uyazi ngiyalingwa, Menzi. Lomuntu akaze angisize ngalutho, kodwa ekugcineni ungishiya nensambatheka. Mina sekufanele ngenze isinqumo ngezimpilo zabantu abaningi engingabazi. Ubaba ungizonde impilo yami yonke kwaze kwafika ekugcineni!”
“Yehlisa umoya, Matt. Khumbula ukuthi sasithini esikoleni. Yonke inkinga inesixazululo.”
“Kufanele ubekhona eceleni kwami, Menzi. Kufanele ungisize ngikhulume nabasebenzi basepulazini. Ngikudinga eceleni kwami uma ngibatshela ukuthi ngizolidayisa ipulazi.”
“Nizongcwaba nini?”
“NgoMgqibelo ekuseni.”
“Yebo, ngizobe ngikhona. Ngizofika ntambama ngoLwesihlanu. Kuzoba kuhle ukukhombisa indodana yami izindawo zasemaphandleni aseKZN. Ngifuna abone ukuthi impilo akuwona ama-private schools, ama-video games nama-shopping malls kuphela.”
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Sitshele umbono wakho: Amasosha, kanye nabanye abantu abadlula ezimweni ezinzima empilweni, kuyenzeka baphathwe i-post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), okungenzeka kugcine kulimala izimpilo zabo iminyaka eminingi. Iwenzeni umndeni kaMatt i-PSTD?