U-Andiswa wayefa wuvalo ngenkathi egcwalisa ifomu lakhe kwa-EezyLoans! Kodwa wayengelona nje elinye iwundlu elingazi lutho elalingena emhhumeni wempisi. Wayeze lapha ukuzothola ubufakazi bokuthi uXavier Buphoto wayeqola abantu, okufaka nomngani wakhe. Wayelapha ukuze athathe ngocingo lwakhe izithombe zamaphepha emafayeleni uXavier ayewagcinile ayenolwazi ayeludingela imikhonyovu yakhe. Wayeze lapha ezoqumba phansi impisi. Wayexhuxhuma.
Ukuxhuxhuma novalo kwenza aqubuke uhlevane esikhumbeni. Wayecabanga kuphela ngemiklomelo ayezoyithola, nezifundo nezinkulumo ayezozethula. Njengentatheli encane kunazo zonke eyayizokwembula umkhonyovu womshuwalense ofana nalona; lokhu kwakuzombeka esimweni esihle emnyangweni wezobuntatheli eyunivesithi. Wayengakaqali nonyaka wokuqala eyunivesithi kodwa wayesesensimini.
Ngenhlanhla kwakungeke kwenzeke ukuthi uXavier wayembonile enoBongi ephathini ngoba kwathi lapho evula umnyango wagcwala ukumamatheka.
“NginguXavier,” ekhuluma ngezwi elinomusa, elula isandla exhawula u-Andiswa ngaphandle kokusukuma.
“Ngingu-Andiswa.”
“Manje, ake ungixoxele kancane ngawe, Andiswa?”
Lena yiyona impela yindlela uBongi abeshilo ukuthi ingxoxo yabo yayiqale ngayo. Kodwa u-Andiswa wayekulungele lokho.
Ngenkathi ekhuluma, u-Andiswa wayebuka ngokuntshontsha yonke indawo waze walibona ikhabethe lamafayela. Kufanele ukuthi amafomu ayelaphaya. Elilodwa kulawaya mafomu laliqukethe yonke imininingwane kaBongi kodwa kulo kwakunanyathiselwe isithombe somunye umuntu. Manje konke ayedinga ukukwenza kwakuwukuthatha isithombe salo.
“Ngidinga ukweboleka imali, Mnumzane Xavier… ngixakekile. Ngidinga ezinye izingubo futhi … nginenqwaba yezinto engizenzayo ngaphezu kokufunda, manje ngibona sengathi sengi-… manje bengingasakwazi ukukhokheka ikhadi lami lesikweletu. Futhi akufanele ukuthi ubaba azi-…”
Amehlo kaXavier ayegxile ku-Andiswa. Wayecwaninga ukuma kobuso bakhe.
“Asikaze sihlangane nawe? Ngicabanga ukuthi kukhona lapha engike ngakubona khona. Bekungekhona kuleya phathi…?”
Inhliziyo ka-Andiswa yama. Kusho ukuthi wayembonile impela ephathini, ngabe wayenoBongi ngenkathi embona? Isu lakhe lokuzifihla lase lihlakazekile.
“Ngikholwe. Ubuyokhumbula ukuba sike sahlangana,” ezama ukuzithandekisa.
Wasindiswa ukukhala kocingo lukaXavier. Wayeseyilamulile uJulian. Wayethinte uXavier ngomzuzu ofanele impela. Isu lalisebenza. UJulian wayevumile ukuzenza umzali owayezimisele ukufaka ingane yakhe eyunivesithi futhi ephakamise ukukhokha imali eningi. Wayezoshayela uXavier lapho u-Andiswa esesehhovisi ukuze amnike isikhathi sokuba asale yedwa ehhovisi ukuze athathe izithombe zobufakazi. Wayezocela ukuba uXavier eze ehhovisi lakhe elingekho ukuze baxoxe ngemininingwane nokuthi emukele imali eyisibambiso. Futhi wayedinga ukuthi afike khona manje.
“Uxolo. Kufanele ngilubambe lolu.”
UXavier wasukuma waphuma eseyokhulumela phandle. Lapho nje ezwa umnyango uvaleka ngemuva kwakhe, u-Andiswa waphuthuma wavula ikhabethe lamafayela. Wacinga igama likaBongi wayesedonsa ifayela. Nazo-ke. Phezulu kulo kwakunesithombe sikaBongi. Wathi uma ebukisisa wabona ukuthi kwakungeyena umngani wakhe. Inswebu yayimangalisa, isithombe sasithe ukungacaci. Kodwa lo nakanjani kwakungeyena umngani wakhe. U-Andiswa wasithwebula isithombe. Ngenkathi esethi uphindisela amafomu kaBongi efayeleni kwaqathaka iphepha elalihamba lodwa. Wabuka umbhalo owawubhalwe enhla nefomu ngepeni elibomvu. Steadfast Insurance. Kukhona lapha wayeke walibona khona lelo gama. Wayesekhumbula imiyalezo kaWhatsApp kaNana. Wakuthwebula futhi nalokho.
Wayesedudula ishalofu nje elivala ngenkathi kuvuleka umnyango wehhovisi.
Waqathaza ucingo lwakhe ngokushesha wenza sengathi beluwile, manje wayeselucosha.
“Ubudlabha,” etshela uSharon, owambuka sengathi ubona udoti ayengene nawo ewuhudula ngesicathulo sakhe esinesithende esicijile.
“UMnumzane Xavier uthi ungawashiya amafomu akho, uzothintwa nge-imeyli ngokushesha,” emyalela.
“Kodwa umhlangano wami ubungakapheli. Ngingalinda.”
“Ngeke abuye namuhla. Yisimo somsebenzi esiphuthumayo. Buya ngelinye ilanga noma ushiye imininingwane yakho lapha.”
U-Andiswa wasukuma. Wayesethole ubufakazi obenele njengomuntu owayeqala ukuphenya. Wanika uSharon amaphepha akhe okufaka isicelo emamatheka.
“Ngiyabonga ngesikhathi sakho,” kusho u-Andiswa, imithambo yakhe ichichima ukukhululeka.
Sitshele: uXavier wayenzani ngamafomu kaBongi aseyunivesithi?