Itekisi abahamba ngalo oSiyanda noMandisa liyama ngaphandle kwesikhumulo samabhasi eCape Town. USiyanda uzothatha ibhasi eliya eDurban; uMandisa uzoqhubeka netekisi aqonde eCape Town International Airport lapho ezothatha ibhanoyi eliya eJohannesburg.
“Sesifikile,” kusho uSiyanda.
“Ngizokukhumbula,” kusho uMandisa bebambene.
“Ungikhonzele kumama wakho,” kusho uSiyanda. “Bekuzoba mnandi ukuba ngigcine ngihlangene naye.”
“Yebo, babe. Kodwa akukho nawe ozokwenza. Ubaba wakho uyakudinga. Ithikithi lebhasi lisephaketheni eliseceleni esikhwameni sakho. Awuyidingi enye imali?”
“Cha, angiyidingi. Izokwanela lemali engiyiphethe. Awuthi ngiqinisekise ukuthi ilona ngempela ibhasi eliya eDurban.”
Njengoba uSiyanda ephuma eyobheka ibhasi, uMandisa ushutheka imali – amakhulu ayishumi – emvilophini enethikithi lokugibela ibhasi.
Njengoba uSiyanda ebuka itekisi isuka ihamba, uMandisa uyaphenduka ngaphakathi, ambuke. Bayamamatheka bobabili, bavalelisane ngezandla igcine isithelile itekisi. Uyamamatheka futhi uSiyanda ngesikhathi egibela ibhasi ethola imali eshuthekwe uMandisa envilophini enethikithi lokugibela. UMandisa ubhale ukuthi ‘I love you’ emvilophini. Ngezinye izikhathi empilweni kuyenzeka ungakutholi okufunayo kodwa uthole okudingayo, kucabanga uSiyanda.
Kuthatha amahora angamashumi amabili nane- usuku lonke- ukuba ibhasi lifike eDurban. USiyanda unayo imali kodwa akayisebenzisi budlabha. Akakuthengi ukudla uma ibhasi lima endleleni kodwa udla amakhekhe nekhofi abawanikwa mahhala ebhasini. Njengomuntu owakhula eswela, waziqeqesha kudala ukumela indlala. Isikhathi esiningi usichitha ngokulala njengoba esebhasini. Edurban uthatha elinye ibhasi eliya eMbumbulu. Ibhasi limushiya endaweni eyibanga elingama–kilometre angamashumi amabili ukuze afike epulazini.
USiyanda ulihamba ngezinyawo ibanga elisele. Uzizwa esindelwa, kuba sengathi isifuba sigcwele ukudangala nokudikibala, ngesikhathi efika egqumeni ebuka insimi yomoba inyakaza ipheshulwa umoya.
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UDr Menzi Vezi uhamba nendodana yakhe, uHalalisa, emotweni ewuhlobo lwe-Porsche Cayenne. Unikina ikhanda, ebuka indodana yakhe. Umgomo wokuthatha loluhambo ukuba asingathe umngani wakhe engcwaba uyise, kodwa futhi ufuna ukukhombisa indodana yakhe, uHalalisa, enye ingxenye yempilo angayazi. Kodwa uHalalisa akaze awasuse amehlo ku-tablet yakhe selokhu besukile eJohannesburg. Ama-earphones awakaze asuke ezindlebeni.
UMenzi uqhweba uHalalisa ehlombe.
“Yeka leyonto manje, Halalisa,” kusho uMenzi. “Sekwanele. Ngeke uphile impilo yakho ubuka phansi ku-tablet.”
“Ngiyezwa, Baba,” kusho uHalalisa.
UHalalisa ubuka ngaphandle ewindini, ajule ngimicabango ebona okwenzekayo ngaphandle: abantu besifazane bethwele izinkuni nezigubhu zamanzi, umhlaba omkhulu ongenalutho, nemizi egqagqene.
“Baya kuphi, laba bantu? Bakuthenga kuphi ukudla?” kubuza uHalalisa.
“Iyona impilo abayiphilayo abanye abantu. Asiphili izimpilo ezifanayo,” kusho uMenzi. Uyafifiyela ebuka i-navigation system. “Nakhu silahlekelwa i-GPS.”
UMenzi uzama ukufonela uMatt, kodwa abaxhumani ngoba i-network inyamalele kumakhalekhukhwini. Khona lapho, phakathi emgwaqweni, babona indoda egqoke ngokwesimanje – i-skinny jean nehudi. Lendoda idonsa isikhwama esinamasondo.
“Buza indlela kulomuntu, Baba,” kusho uHalalisa.
UMenzi uyimisa eduzane noSiyanda imoto.
“Sihamba sibheka ipulazi lakwa-Stevens. Uyalazi?”
“Alikude kakhulu,” kusho uSiyanda. “Sekusele mhlawumbe i-kilometre elilodwa nifike khona. Nami ngiya khona.”
“Ngena!”
Imoto ihamba ibangana, bangene emasangweni epulazi. Kukhona amaqoqo amabili abhekene egcekeni. Iqoqo lokuqala elabasebenzi basepulazini, elesibili elomndeni wakwaStevens.
“Engabe kwenzakalani la,” kusho uMenzi.
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Sitshele umbono wakho: Ucabanga ukuthi lamaqoqo abhekene akhuluma ngani? Yini engaxabanisa abantu esimweni esinjena?