Endleleni eya e-EezyLoans!, uBongi wayecabanga ngawo wonke amathuba ayesezomvulekela; indlela impilo yakhe eyayizoguquka ngayo uma engangena eyunivesithi. Wayezosebenza ngezimpelasonto nangamaholidi enze noma yimuphi umsebenzi ayengawenza, njengokukhangisa ayebona kwenziwa ngabanye abafundi benikeza amaphepha azisa abathengi ngezinto ezidayisayo edolobheni, noma abe nguweta.
UBongi wayelokhu edideke ngendlela yokuthi mhla eyobona uXavier wayengakunakanga okuningi. Wayengakhumbuli ebona umuntu owemukela izihambi. Umnyango wengilazi waveza intombazane, eyayingendala kakhulu kunaye, ihleli etafuleni lokwamukela izihambi. Abantu babelindile ezihlalweni zepulastiki ezazigudle izindonga ezingenalutho. Wanyathela kancane eqonde etafuleni lokwamukela izihambi, engazi kahle ukuthi uzothini.
“Sawubona, ngizobona uXavier Buphoto. Ngithole umyalezo kaWhatsApp–”
Phambi kokuthi aqede, intombazane eyamukela izihambi yayisimngene emlonyeni.
“Hlala phansi ugcwalise leli fomu,” kusho intombazane, ithi ukumbuka.
UBongi wathatha ifomu wayesehlala phansi. Ayengekho amafomu mhla egcina ukufika lapha.
UBongi wagcwalisa imininingwane yakhe efomini wayeselishishilizisa phezu kwetafula elinika intombazane eyemukela izihambi, eyayimatasatasa ichofoza ucingo lwayo ibuka i-akhawunti yayo ye-Insta.
“Unawo amaphepha akho aphelekezela isicelo sakho?” iphakamisa ubuso ekugcineni. UBongi waphawula indlela eyayiyinhle futhi izinakekela ngayo. Nakuba ihhovisi lalingethembisi, intombazane yona yayiwugqokele kahle umsebenzi.
“Yebo, ngiwaphethe lapha onke,” UBongi wanika intombazane ikhophi yesitatimende sasebhange sikaNana, ikhophi ye-ID yakhe, nencwadi efungelwe eyayifakaza ukuthi babengenawo omunye umthombo wemali ngaphandle kwesibonelelo esasitholwa nguNana.
“Hlala phansi,” kusho intombazane eyamukela izihambi. Yayisibuyele ocingweni lwayo, manje isibuka ividiyo yeTik Tok umsindo wayo uphezulu.
Emva kwesikhathi esezwakala singangehora, kwavuleka umnyango wehhovisi, kwaphuma intombazane imamatheka. Isicelo sayo sokwebolekwa imali kufanele ukuba sivunyiwe, kucabanga uBongi.
UXavier Buphoto waphuma kanye nayo, emamatheka. Waqoqa amafayela ayesetafuleni lokwamukela izihambi.
“Ungathumela olandelayo, Sharon,” esho ephindela ehhovisi ngaphandle kokubingelela abantu ababezofuna usizo lwakhe. Wayengambonanga, kucabanga uBongi.
USharon akanyakazanga, esalokhu egqolozele ucingo lwakhe. Olandelayo wasukuma wangena. Babephuma ngamunye, abanye bemamatheka abanye behwaqabele.
Ekugcineni, lafika nelakhe ithuba.
“Bongi,” washo esineka. “Kuhle, usukulungele ukuthatha isinyathelo esilandelayo. Ngiyakuhalalisela. Ngitshele-ke, phambi kokuthi siqale, ukuthi lezi zinyanga ezisanda kwedlula zibe njani…”
Wayeseqala efunda amafomu kaBongi.
UBongi wamxoxela ngendlela okwakube nzima ngayo ekhaya ezama ukufunda nokunakekela uNana wakhe.
“Awu, kuhle lokho,” kusho uXavier, ephakamisa amehlo ekugcineni. Kwakusobala ukuthi wayengazange alalele ngisho elilodwa izwi elalishiwo nguBongi.
UBongi waqaphela imbondela yamafomu ayefana nawakhe phansi, amanye ayenanyathiselwe izithombe zama-ID.
“Angisiphathanga isithombe,” kungingiza uBongi, ekhomba amanye amafomu okwakunanyathiselwe izithombe zama-ID kuwo.
“O, lawo…” kusho uXavier, ebhenguza ngesandla. “Lawo empeleni asevunyiwe. Sidinga isithombe sakho kuphela lapho sesiyifakile imininingwane yakho. Cha, into ebalulekile ukuthola isitifiketi sakho sikaMatikuletsheni, mina-ke ngiyobuye ngidinge eminye imininingwane yakho phambi kokuba ngilungise imali yokwebolekwa…”
“Sharon,” ememeza. USharon wangena etshikiza wathatha isitifiketi sikaBongi sikaMatikuletsheni wayosikopisha.
UXavier wathwebula ifomu elase ligcwaliswe uBongi.
“Lonke ulwazi luphelele?” kwabuza uXavier.
Inhliziyo kaBongi yayishaya ngamandla. Kwakungafanele ukuthi kube khona angakwenzi ngendlela. Wacabanga konke emqondweni wakhe… Hawu… UNana wayethole ucingo olusha ezinsukwini ezimbalwa ezedlule njengoba oludala lwalulimele. Wayethole inombolo entsha ngoba wayengaqondanga ukuthi wayengayigcina endala. Babeyihlekile nje leyo nto.
UBongi wanika uXavier inombolo kaNana entsha, wayesedweba umugqa phezu kwendala wabhala entsha ngepeni elibomvu ngaphezu kwendala wayeseyidwebela ngaphansi.
“Ngitshele, umndeni wakho unawo nje umshuwalense?”
UBongi wamangala nje ukuthi uXavier wayekubuzelani lokhu njengoba wayazi ukuthi babedinga imali ebolekisayo ukuze bathenge ukudla, kodwa wayezomnika lonke ulwazi ayeludinga.
“Ugogo wakho yena unawo umshuwalense? Uyawazi umshuwalense wempilo, umshuwalense wokungcwaba, noma okunye okunjalo?”
UBongi wanikina ikhanda. “Asinakho konke lokho.”
Amehlo kaXavier akhazimula ngempela manje.
“Ngizokhuluma iqiniso, ezinye izinkampani bezingeke zikuboleke imali kulesi simo sakho somnotho …bezingeke zethembe ukuthi ungayibuyisa imali. Kodwa hhayi lapha. Futhi ngakuthembisa … futhi angizephuli izethembiso.”
Kwakuyiqiniso, kucabanga uBongi. Izinkampani zihlale zifuna inzuzo ngemali yazo, futhi abantu abahluphekayo bayehluleka ukukhokha.
“Kodwa angiyena umashonisa.” kusineka uXavier. “Ngikholelwa ekusizeni abantu. Ikakhulu izinto ezincane ezihlakaniphile njengawe ezinekusasa elihle kakhulu kodwa ezingenayo indlela yokuligcwalisa. Sidinga ukusekela intsha … Yilokho okusehlusayo kulabo abancintisana nathi,” ehleka.
UBongi wamamatheka, ekhuthazwa ukukhuluma kukaXavier okunomdlandla. UXavier wabheka iwashi lakhe. “Ngiyabonga kakhulu ngokufika kwakho. Ngizosisebenza mathupha isicelo semali oyibolekayo bese ngikwazisa nge-imeyli. Konke kuzolunga, ngiyaqinisekisa. Ngokushesha nje uzobe usubhalisa futhi usuqala indlela yakho entsha eqonde ekufezekeni kwephupho lakho …”
“Ngiyabonga kakhulu ngesikhathi sakho,” kumamatheka uBongi. “Kukhona enye into eyodwa nje. Unganginika igamamfihlo (iphasiwedi) lami lesicelo saseyunivesithi? Ngifuna ukubheka isimo sami.”
Wahwaqabala uXavier. “Ngiyakulungisela yonke into. Ungangethemba.” Kodwa wabuya waqhikiza amahlombe. “Kodwa uma ufuna ukubheka ngempela, nansi.” Wathatha ifomu eshalofini letafula lakhe wayesebhala inombolo esiqeshini sephepha, wamnikeza sona. “Ngizoyithumela ngoWhatsApp futhi,” ethembisa.
Lapho ephuma, uBongi wamuzwa ethi kuSharon. “Ngisayodla ukudla kwasemini. Ngizobuya…noma nini…”
Lapho efika ekhaya, uBongi akamxoxelanga ugogo wakhe ngohambo lwakhe lwasehhovisi lemali ebolekisayo. Wayezolindela i-imeyli evela kuXavier eqinisekisa yonke into. Waqala lapho ukuzwa ukukhathazeka okuncane emqondweni wakhe. Into ayenayo nje kwakuyizwi likaXavier. Wayengenamaphepha, noma nani-ke nje ethi wayeke wahlangana noXavier Buphoto. Kodwa wakwedlulisa nje lokho. Wayekhathele kakhulu nje …
Sitshele: ucabanga ukuthi Xavier wayeyifunelani imininingwane kaBongi eminingi kangaka?