UMihlali walala ngomhlane ebheke uphahla olumnyama. Zonke izibani zasehostela zisanda kucinywa. Wabheka ubumnyama njengobuthambile nobududuzayo, njengeduvethi ethambile yesembozo esisha sikakotini, esihlofozelayo akade elala ngayo.

Ngaphesheya kwekamelo leli kukhona amanye amantombazane amathathu asemibhedeni yawo. Aseneminyaka wona ehlala ehostela lesikole, futhi azana kahle kakhulu. UMihlali wayeyintokazi entsha; ngaphandle kokungamkhulumisi nje, amanye amantombazane ayengasamnaki kusukela ekubuyeni kwakhe emva kwesikhathi ntambama ngalelo langa.

UMihlali wayengenayo inkinga ngalokho. Empeleni wayenelisekile ngokuba lapho, esikoleni okukudala ayefisa ukuba kuso. Ihostela elakudala, futhi upende wawusuxexebuka kwezinye izindawo, kodwa lalihlanzekile, futhi amanzi eshawa ayenele, eshisa kakhulu.

“Angelique, ngiyabona ukuthi uSol ubuyile kulo nyaka,” kuhleba enye intombazane ebumnyameni. Iyasineka.

“Ngempela bengicabanga ukuthi ngeke aphumelele,” kusho enye intombazane, kanti uMihlali wayizwa njengoba ijika embhedeni wayo nje.

“Bekungeke kwenzeke ukuba angaphumeleli uSol,” kusho izwi uMihlali alaziyo ukuthi ngelika-Angelique. “Akehlulwa yilutho.”

“Yuqiniso lelo,” kuphendula enye intombazane, isho ihleka, “ikakhulukazi ukweqa ehostela.”

“Noma ukukwenza ukuthi uze ulale naye enkundleni yemidlalo, angithi Angelique?”

“Thula wena!” kuhwahwaza izwi lika-Angelique ebumnyameni, kodwa naye owayegegetheka. “Thula wena, hawu!”

Manje amantombazane aqala ukukhulumela phansi ngokwedlulele. UMihlali wayazi ukuthi lokho bakwenzela ukuthi angabezwa. Kodwa wayengenandaba. Wayengafuni ngisho nokwazi ngezinto ababezenza nabafana.

Kodwa uMihlali wayekuzwa kancane lokho amantombazane ayekusho, azithole naye esehleka kancane. Wawavala ngci amehlo ache. Umzimba wakhe washintsha ngaphansi kweduvethi yakhe entsha.

Wabona isithombe sika-Abram, umphathi wasepulazini lapho ayehlala khona, njengoba evale amehlo akhe nje. Waphakamisa izandla zakhe, wacindezela amehlo akhe ngezintende zezandla zakhe. U-Abram wayengumuntu wokugcina ayefuna ukucabanga ngaye. Noma kunjalo wayengakwazi ukukugwema lokho. Wayobayoba embhedeni wakhe, wazizwa ecindezelekile, iduvethi imsinda kakhulu, njengesisindo somzimba ka-Abram usuphezu kwakhe.

UMihlali wafuthaniswa ukububula njengoba ayezitshele ukuthi, ekugcineni, wayekude kakhulu no-Abram. U-Abram wayengekho lapha. Wayengeke, ahlangane naye kumashawa, kumaphaseji ehostela noma emihubheni yesikole. Waphefumula ngokujulile. Wayephephile lapha.

Wayesekamelweni eligcwele amantombazane, esezitezi eziphezulu, ngemva kwesango lokuphepha. Lapha, kwakuphethe owesifazane, ongasineki, owayebonakala sengathi ubukhali, kodwa enamehlo anomusa. Waba nomusa ngokubonisa uMihlali indawo yakhe yokulala ngenkathi efika.

Ipulazi uMihlali ayehlala kulo nabazali bakhe manje lalibonakala likude kakhulu. Evale amehlo akhe uMihlali waba nesithombe sikanina emomotheka naye. UMihlali wathi ukukhululeka lapho ekhumbula izwi likanina.

Ukhumbula unina ethi “Ngiyaziqhenya ngawe ndodakazi yami. Ngempela yonke iminyaka yokusebenza kanzima lapha ibe wusizo. Leli ithuba lakho lokuthi wenze okuthile ngempilo yakho, okwedlula okwethu. Ubaba wakho wenzele lo mninipulazi konke okusemandleni akhe kusukela esengumfanyana, futhi nami ngenze konke ebengingakwenza ekhaya lakhe. Manje umninipulazi usesenzele lokhu – kanye nawe. Uye wakuxhasa ukuze uye esikoleni esihle kakhulu. Kuyisibusiso lokhu, ndodakazi yami. Ngempela uNkulunkulu ukubusisile.”

UMihlali wakhumbula uyise = ehlezi esitulweni sakhe sasekhisini elokhu ephendula esandleni sakhe inkomishi yakhe yetiye. Wabona ukuvuma ngekhanda kukayise, – ukuvuma ngekhanda kwakhe okunensayo nokucatshangelwe kahle.

Kusasa kwakuyisiqalo sempilo yakhe entsha esikoleni.

“Thulani manje mantombazane,” kusho izwi elibukhali ephasiji lika-matron, owesifazane ophethe indawo yokulala. Umnyango wendawo yokulala wawuvulwe kancane, ukuze ukukhanya okufiphele kwephaseji kungene kancane, kwenze unxande laphaya phansi.

“Yebo Ma’am,” kusho u-Angelique.

UMihlali walalela izigi zika-matron njengoba esehamba nje. Walala kancane futhi wagqolozela ubumnyama. Kungenzeka ukuthi amantombazane ayesezumekile ngoba kwase kuthule.

UMihlali naye waphenduka wabe esezumeka.