Uma ubuka ubuqamama kubukeka sengathi kunengxabano. UMatt, uNaomi noEvelyn bakwelinye uhlangothi. Abasebenzi basepulazini bakolunye uhlangothi. Njengoba uMenzi, uSiyanda noHalalisa bedilika emotweni besondela, bayezwa ukuthi akuliwa kodwa kukhona abakudingidayo. Uma abasebenzi bebona uSiyanda, bamemeza igama lakhe. USiyanda usondela kubasebenzi, ame eceleni kwekhehla elikhulumayo. Uyaxhawulana nalelikhehla.
“Baba, unjani?” kusho uSiyanda.
Uyise uyahleka, agcwale injabulo ebusweni, “Ukwazile ukufika ekugcineneni, mfana wami.”
“Yebo, sengifikile, Baba,” kusho uSiyanda, egaxana noyise.
USiyanda uphendukela emndenini wakwaStevens, azazise kuwona. Uphendukela kuyise.
“Kwenzenjani, Baba? Kukhona inkinga?”
“Cha, mfana wami, sizama ukuchazela umndeni kaStevens mayelana nomlindelo. Besibatshela ukuthi kufanele sihlabe inkomo eyinkuzi ngomlindelo ngoba uStevens ubeyindoda futhi ubengomunye wethu.”
“Lalela,” kusho uMatt, elengise izandla, ubuso bugcwele ukudideka. “Njengomndeni thina besingazimiselanga ngokuhlaba. Angazi nokuthi ngingayithenga kuphi kwaleyo nkunzi – ngibezwa sengathi bayagcizelela ukuthi kufanele kube inkuzi.”
“Cha, Mr Stevens,” kusho uSiyanda emamatheka, ebona ukuthi yini inkinga. “Abasebenzi bayithengile inkunzi ezohlatshwa. Bafuna ukwazi ukuthi iyiphi indawo abangahlabela kuyo lapha egcekeni.”
Umndeni wakwaStevens, uMenzi kanye noHalalisa babuka uSiyanda nabasebenzi ngokumamatheka okugcwele ukudideka.
“Yebo,” kusho uSiyanda. “Abasebenzi bahlanganise imali, bathenga inkomo eyinkunzi yokuvalelisa ubaba wakho. Ngiyacabanga ukuthi ukudideka kudalwe ukungezwani ngenxa yesingisi. Empeleni ayikho inkinga.”
“Wow,” kusho uMatt, emamatheka. “Bangahlabela laphaya.” Ukhomba isihlahla sikamango.
USiyanda udlulisela abasebenzi umlayezo wokuthi bangahlinzela kuphi. Wonke umuntu uyamamatheka, kuxhawulwane. UMatt udonsela uSiyanda eceleni ngesikhathi abasebenzi behamba beyolungiselela ukuhlinza.
“Uyazi, ngimangele, ikakhulukazi emuva kokungezwani kahle nabasebenzi uma sikhuluma,” kusho uMatt. “UBaba ubekhuluma kanjani nabasebenzi?”
“UBaba wakho ubesikhuluma isiZulu,” kusho uSiyanda.
USiyanda ulandela abasebenzi, ashiye umndeni wakwaStevens umangele.
UMatt noMenzi bama buqamama ngesikhathi kuhlinzwa inkomo. Kodwa emuva kwesikhashana bayasondela, baxoxe nabasebenzi. Kuyazenzakalela ukuba baxoxe nabasebenzi ngoba wonke umuntu okhona uzokwenza into efanayo – ukungcwaba uStevens.
Njengoba ilanga lishona uMatt uqala ukwazi okuthile ngoyise. Njengoba amadoda esebenza ngokukhululeka ezikhandla ehlinza ukuze avalelise uyise ngendlela ehloniphekile, uMatt uyabona ukuthi uyise ubengumuntu obalulekile kubasebenzi bakhe.
Umlilo wezinkuni uvutha ngokuwolinsthi ebusuku. Enye yenyama yenkomo ehlinziwe iyahlohloza emlilweni, kosiwa intshontsho. Eningi inyama ingena kwi-mobile freezer. UMatt noMenzi baphuza i-whisky, baqhelile ngamagxathi ambalwa kubasebenzi, basamangele bamangazwe isivinini esiphuthumayo abasebenzi abayihlinze ngaso inkomo. UMatt ubiza uSiyanda.
“Manje, sekuzokwenziwani?” kubuza uMatt.
“Sizodla inyama esemlilweni. Kujwayelekile nokuthi emuva kokuhlinza, amadoda othole utshwala. Ikesi lobhiya, nebhodlela elimhlophe.”
“Singakuthola kuphi lokho?” kubuza uMatt.
“I-bottle store ikude, futhi ngiyacabanga ukuthi ivaliwe manje. Bengikwazisa nje ngoba ubuzile. Ayikho inkinga uma bungekho utshwala.”
“Cha, cha. Ngibonile ukuthi basebenze kangakanani. Ngabona lesenzo esihle abasenzile sokuhlabela ubaba inkunzi. Ngiyacabanga ukuthi bukhona utshwala obusendlini. Angazi ngobhiya kodwa ngiyakhumbula ngibona ugologo ekhabetheni. Woza, siyobheka.”
USiyanda ulandela uMatt, bangene endlini. Bathatha amabhodlela amahlanu ekhabetheni lotshwala. USiyanda uhlangabezwa ukuhlokoma nokushawa kwehlombe uma ebeka amabhodlela kagologo phakathi kwesikokela sabasebenzi. UMatt noMenzi basondela kubasebenzi uma sekuphuma inyama emlilweni. Bonke badla ogqokweni olukhulu olulodwa. Baphuza ndawonye. Emuva kokudla, utshwala sebugijima egazini kuwo wonke umuntu, bonke abasebenzi bayacula. UMatt ushaya izandla ehambisana nawo wonke umuntu.
Umdali ahambe nawe
Umdali ahambe nawe
Umdali ahambe nawe
Umdali ahambe nawe
Sizobuye sibonane
UMatt uqhweba uMenzi njengoba eshaya izandla. “asho ukuthini amagama eculo, Menzi?”
“God be with you. God be with you. God be with you. God be with you. Until we meet again,” kuhumusha uMenzi.
UMatt uvukwa umunyu. Ushaya izandla kakhulu, izinyembezi ziziqathakela ngokukhululeka ebusweni, njengoba abasebenzi beliphindaphinda leliculo.
***
Sitshele umbono wakho: UMatt akaze acabange ukuthi angazizwa ephatheka kanjena ngoyise angamazi. Ucabanga ukuthi yini emkhalisayo manje?