Mangaphi amaxesha endithe ndamamela umhlobo wam uPrecious elila? Kwaye ibali lisoloko lilinye lifana.
“Intliziyo yam yophukile! Undishiyile! Bendicinga ukuba ngoyena yena!”
Ngamagama nje kuphela atshintshayo: UThabo, uHenry, uDumisani, uSpencer. Uluhlu alunasiphelo. Intliziyo kaPrecious yophuka rhoqo kwiinyanga ezintathu. Okokoko!
“Yintoni engalunganga kum?” wayekhala atsho. Ndandihamba ndiye kufuna enye ibhokisi yethishu. Wayesele eyigqibile leyo yayisecaleni kwakhe. Ngethamsanqa umama wayenazo zininzi azifihlileyo.
“Ingaba uThabo ukuxelele isizathu?”
“Uthe ndisoloko ndimjinga, ndiyamfuthanisela ebomini bakhe, ngoku akasakwazi nokuphefumla. Kodwa uHenry – usamkhumbula uHenry? – wohlukana nam kuba wayesithi mna ndiyazichaselisa kuye. Ndingaba ngabantu ababini abanjalo njani? Ndimfuthanisela njani omnye ze ndiphinde ndichasele njani komnye? Mhlawumbi bazimela nje ngesebe lenkawu”
UPrecious wathatha ezinye iithishu ezintsha walilela kuzo. Andikuthandi ukumbona elolu hlobo.
“Ndingenza ntoni?”uyakhala. “Ubomi bam kwezothando bubunyhubhunyhubhu nje!”
Andinazo iimpendulo. Ubomi bakhe kwezothando bubunyhubhunyhubhu, kodwa obam ubom bothando yintlango. Yintlango elilize, enentlabathi eyodwa yobulolo!
Ndibe nobudlelwane obunye jwi kwiminyaka emibini – lawo ngamanqaku am! Oko kuko nje endikwazileyo ukukwenza. Kwaye yayingelothando okanye nantoni na esondeleyo apho. Samane sibonana ngokwamadinga iinyanga ezimbalwa kuba sobabini sasikuthanda ukubaleka sinkcunkca. Waze wasuka wacima loo mlilwanyana weendiza. Akuzange kwabakho kohlukana kunesiphithiphithi, akuzange kufane nala mava uPrecious awafumanayo. Akuzange kwabakho zinyembezi okanye amakhoba eebhokisi zeethishu. Sasuka nje saqhabalakana, sankcunkcela kwiindawo ezahlukileyo.
Umama wam ukhathazeka kakhulu ndim. “Awuzami ngokwaneleyo!” ukhalaza atsho. “Uneminyaka engamashumi mabini anantlanu kodwa awukatshati, kwaye nam andikafumani bazukulwana. Uza kuphela uwedwa ukuba awuzami kangangoko, mntwana wam! Uya kuba ngusoka-dala! Kwaye oko kwakuba kokukulungeleyo!”
Ngoko ke, ndingamcebisa njani umhlobo wam xa mna ndinamava angephi ngolu hlobo kwicandelo lezothando? Ndenza konke endinako.
“Precious, ngenye imini kuza kubakho umfana oza kuyiqonda indlela okhetheke ngayo. Nditsho kuba kudala ndakwazi ukususela kwiBanga lokuqala, kwaye ndiyakuthembisa. Ulungile kwaye uyahlekisa, umhle kwaye uyathandeka, uthembekile kwaye unobubele. Yintoni enye ongenayo enokufunwa ngamadoda? Khumbula: kufuneka uphuze amasele amaninzi phambi kokuba ufumane inkosana yakho.”
Noko akuncedanga nto oko. Ibhokisi yokugqibela yeethishu nayo iphelile. Ndiye ekhitshini ukuze ndifumane itawuli yephepha. Kodwa ndibuye nengcinga entsha kraca.
“Kutheni singayi kulaa msitho wokuvulwa kweklabhu entsha ngokuhlwa nje? Uyayazi, yiCyril’s Flying Squirrel? Kubonakala ngathi iza kuba ngumsitho omkhulu. Kuza kubakho abantu abaninzi. Siza kunxiba ezona mpahla zethu zintle! Mhlawumbi sobabini singaba nethamsanqa. Mhlawumbi sobabini siza kufumana oondofanaye.”
UPrecious wafinya, wosula iinyembezi zakhe wazilungisa. Wayekhangeleka eligorhakazi nangona intliziyo yakhe yayophukile.
“Hayi. Yingxaki yam yonke leyo, ndicinga ukuba ndisoloko ndikhangela uthando kuzo zonke iindawo ezingafanelekanga. Hayi, lifikile ixesha lokuba ndijongane ngqo noko ngoku. Sinye kuphela isisombululo sengxaki yam. Inye kuphela indlela endinokupholisa ngayo intliziyo yam ebuhlungu ukuze ibuye ingaphindi ibe buhlungu kwakhona.”
Waza umhlobo wam uPrecious wathetha amazwi ekwakukudala ndinqwenela ukuweva. Ndinqwenele ukuweva iminyaka ngeminyaka. Mhlawumbi okokoko, sisafunda kwiBanga lokuQala sihlala edesikeni enye sobabini.
Uthe, “Jacob, ungatshata nam?”
Isiphelo