“Sinemibuzo ethile kuwe, Thato, noma ngabe ungubani-ke,” kusho u-Andiswa sakumbeka icala, edonsa uThato ngengalo emyisa ngasechibini lokubhukuda. UBongi walandela.
“Ngiyazi ukuthi nina zintombi nifunani, futhi ngizoninika,” kusho uThato ecifela uBongi iso. Bonke abantu base beqalile ukudansa otshanini. “Yini singangcebeleki, sikhululeke, sixubane …” Watshikizisela izinqulu ngakuBongi no-Andiswa wazama ukubadonsela esixukwini esidansayo. Kodwa u-Andiswa wayengayingeni leyo nto.
“Sitshele ukuthi ungene kanjani eyunivesithi, Thato noma Katlego noma ungubani-ke. Sitshele ukuthi ubaba wakho umazi kanjani uXavier…” kubhoka u-Andiswa. “Usitshele futhi ukuthi kungani uqhosha ngegama lakho ‘elisha’. Ulintshontshile? Akunjalo?”
“Sixoxele ngomkhonyovu,” kwengeza uBongi. Zonke iziqephu zase zihlangana manje. Kwakukhona uThato, uyise owayewumngani kaXavier – uThato owayefeyile uMatikuletsheni kodwa manje wayeseseyunivesithi.
Bese kuba nguBongi, owayedinga imali kabi kodwa isicelo sakhe sokwebolekwa imali sasichithwe isigubhukane. UBongi owayengakwazi ukuthola imininingwane kuwebhusayithi yaseyunivesithi.
UNana wayeqolwa yinkampani yomshuwalense ethile imali yakhe yesibonelelo sakwaSASSA ngoba uBongi enike uXavier inombolo yakhe. Wayeyiphenduleleni yonke leya mibuzo? Ukumnika ulwazi ayeludingela ukukhokhela imoto kanokusho eyayipake ngaphandle kwehhovisi lakhe, ecabanga.
“Muphi wona umkhonyovu? Thina asi-…”
“Yebo!” u-Andiswa enqamula inkulumo kaBongi. “Sitshele ngomkhonyovu. Umngani wami ukufanele ukuya evasithi. Uphasile, okungaphezulu kwalokhu wena okwenzile! Kodwa nangu, futhi uXavier ngeke amnike nemali ebolekisayo amethembise…”
UThato wababuka bobabili. Amehlo akhe ayesenamathela kuBongi. “Dansa nami, Bongi, ngizokuxoxela konke… Ngethembe, ngingakungenisa… Ngingenza ukuthi onke amaphupho akho afezeke … ngizokhuluma noMalume uXavier… ngiqinisekile ngokuthi konke kuyiphutha elikhulu…”
Cha!” kumemeza uBongi. “Cha. Ngeke ngigwaze futhi ngingene ngomkhonyovu eyunivesithi. Ngitshele nje ukuthi umalume wakho …”
“Bheka, wonke umuntu kufanele akhokhe. Ongakhokhi akadlali. Kudlalwa emazingeni aphezulu manje.”
UThato waphazanyiswa yintombazane eyayedlula yayisitshekela ngakuye ihleba okuthile endleleni yakhe, yayisiphendula ikhanda ibuka ngemuva ngenkathi itshikiza ihamba.
“Sizobuye sixoxe…” esho ehleka ngenkathi egijima elandela intombazane, eshiya uBongi no-Andiswa lapho bezibuza ukuthi yini le eyayiqeda ukwenzeka.
“Manje sikudinga ngempela okuphuzwayo,” kwamemezela u-Andiswa edonsa uBongi ngengalo.
***
Kwathi kuphela ubusuku, u-Andiswa noBongi base bezwe izinto eziningi mayelana noThato. Bonke abantu babexoxa izindaba ezehlukene ngendlela ayengene ngayo eyunivesithi nokuthola kwakhe igama elisha. Igama okwakungelomunye umuntu owayephasile futhi efanele ukungena eyunivesithi. Bonke abantu babenezindaba ngoMalume uXavier.
U-Andiswa wahamba wayofuna indlu yangasese, washiya uBongi ecumbacumbaza ibhodlela lakhe le-cider kanye nekhanda lakhe elibuhlungu. Wabuya esegaxe umfana ebukekayo ngengalo.
“Lo nguJulian,” emethula, “ungisize ukuthi ngingenele emgqeni oya endlini encane yabesilisa….”
“Hhayi manje, Andiswa.”
“Ubeqaphe emnyango. Ungithatha njengomuntu onjani?”
“Mngani, ngiphethwe yikhanda. Bonke lobu busuku bebuwuhambo.”
“Nginecebo,” kusho u-Andiswa. “NoJulian, lapha, uvumile ukusisiza ukuba sithole ubufakazi balokhu uXavier aphezu kwakho.” U-Andiswa wakhipha ucingo lwakhe. “Unganginika inombolo yakho,” ephendukela kuJulian, owayebonakala ethathekile. “Mina nomngani wami sidinga ukugoduka. Ngizobuye ngikuthinte ngikunike imininingwane.”
Egcwele amahloni, uJulian waluthatha ucingo wafaka inombolo yakhe. Wayesezithumelela umyalezo wocingo olungabanjwanga.
U-Andiswa wamamatheka, ethatheke ngempela, uJulian wamqabula isandla.
Sitshele: Ucabanga ukuthi bazokwazi ukudalula ukuthi uXavier uyiqola?