UMihlali akezwanga lutho olwalushiwo ehholo. Kwakuculwa, ezinye izingane ziya phansi phezulu. Wabona inyoni yasolandle ehlezi onqenqemeni lwefasitela ngaphandle kwefasitela elilodwa kwaphezulu. Yayilunguza ngaphakathi yase indiza ngokushesha iphuma onqenqemeni, kuzwakala ukukhala okunamandla kwamaphiko ayo. Wayibheka ngenkathi isindiza.
UMihlali wakugwema ukubheka esiteji. Wayehleli ikhanda lakhe eligobele phansi ede eliphakamisa ukuze abheke eceleni emafasiteleni kuphela. Wasukuma ukuze acule kanye nabanye abafundi abaseduze kwakhe.
Wayezwa sengathi indoda esesiteji imgqolozele, ibheke yena kuphela nje kula makhulu ezingane ezijabulile ezazimzungezile.
Wacishe waquleka lapho embona esiteji. Wayegcine ukumbona ezinsukwini ezedlule nje, epulazini. Wayishayela kancane i-BMW yakhe eluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka emgwaqweni wasepulazini odlula ngasezindlini zabasebenzi basepulazini lapho ayehlala khona. Ingalo yakhe eyodwa yayincike ngaphandle kwefasitela lemoto, kuyilapho enye ingalo ibambe kancane isitelingi. Imoto yakhe yayilokhu iqhamuka isithela emgwaqweni onezisele njengomkhumbi omkhulu oluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka, kwathi umlotha wogwayi ayewubambile ulenga phakathi kweminwe yakhe emikhulu enoboya, wade upheshulwa umoya.
Lapho uMihlali ebona le ndoda wazifihla ngemva kwezitshalo zamaklabishi amakhulu nobhontshisi owase uzoba nezinhlamvu lapha engadini kaGogo. UMihlali wayekade ehlakula, ezama ukuhlenga lokho ayengakwazi ukukugcina okwakutholakala engadini eyayigcwele ukhula ngoba inganakekelwa, njengoba uGogo wayesegula nje.
USenaso wayekade enaye, futhi bayibheka le ndoda bethule njengoba iyishaya izula nje imoto, kanye no-Abram ehlezi eceleni kwayo, umlomo wakhe ukhamisile, elokhu ehleka. Izingilazi la madoda ayephuza ngazo zabanekiswa kancane yilanga lapho bephuza ubhiya.
Le ndoda yayivamise ukuza apulazini ngempelasonto. Yayizwana kakhulu no-Abram. Kukaningana imomothekela uMihlali nakuba yena angazange ayimomothekele. USenaso wake wamtshela ukuthi, yake yapotoza izinqe zakhe ngeminwe yayo enoboya, ngenkathi eyedlula yencike emnyango wangaphambili kamakhelwane wabo.
Le ndoda yayithanda ukuzulazula no-Abram ezindlini ezisepulazini, njengoba u-Abram wayememeza okumele kwenziwe yizisebenzi. Babehlekela phezulu. Ezikhathini eziningi eminyakeni eminingi uMihlali wayezwa ukuthi amehlo ayo ambhekile ngaphansi kwamajwabu amehlo angamagqinsi, ngenkathi imbungculu yekhanda layo, eshelelayo ilokhu ibenyezela ngenxa yomjuluko okhishwa yilanga lasemini.
UMihlali waze wabona ukuthi umhlangano wabafundi wawusuphelile lapho bonke abafundi ababeseduze kwakhe beqala ukusukuma bahambe, bebanga ukuyophuma eminyango yehholo. Waphuma ehholo kanye nesixuku sentsha, ikhanda lakhe libheke phansi futhi amahlombe akhe eshone phansi. Izandla zakhe zaziqhaqhazela, izintende zezandla zakhe zijulukile.
Ngaphezu kwalokho, nakuba ethuke enjalo, wakwazi ukuthola ikilasi lakhe. Igumbi lase ligcwele kakade, nezingane ziyaluza ezinye zigijima. Wathola itafula elingenamuntu, elalingakathathwa izingane afunda nazo ezazinomsindo, wase esehlala phansi.
Yonke injabulo nethemba ayenalo ngenkathi ephuma ehostela ekuseni ngalolo suku, kwavese kwashabalala, wafikelwa ukucasuka netwetwe. Lowo muzwa omubi wahlala emphinjeni wakhe sengathi uzomklinya. UMihlali wagwinya kanzima, ezama ukwehlisa lokho kwesaba okwakukhula ngaphakathi kwakhe.
Wahlala phansi, elokhu ezungezwe umsindo, lapho uthisha wakhe engena.
“Thulani!”
UMihlali waphakamisa ikhanda ukuze abone le ndoda, uthisha, ayemazi ngokuthi uMnu. Xola Casa, waqonda ngqo kubafana ababehlezi ngaphambili wase ebashaya kabuhlungu emakhanda, ukuze abathulise.
Omunye wabafana wagoloza, ikilasi lonke labukela, lithule cwaka, ngenkathi uMnu Casa emdonsa kabuhlungu lowo umfana edeskini lakhe, emhudulela ngaphambili kwekilasi. Wayembambe umphimbo ngesandla sakhe esisodwa esikhulu, uMnu Casa wahosha isinqamu sethumbu lamanzi ngemuva kwetafula lakhe ngesinye isandla. Wabe esebhaxabula lo mfana, kathathu ngemuva ehembeni lakhe. Wabe esemyeka, umfana wahlala phansi edeskini lakhe, amehlo egcwele izinyembezi.
Konke kwenzeka ngokuphazima kweso kangangokuthi ikilasi lonke, naye umfana owayeshayiwe, azange lithi vu.
Kwakhuluma uMnu Casa kuphela.
“Ungalokothi ungiphendule. Ngisho nanini. Ungalinge. Ngiyakhuluma mina. Wena uyalalela. Kuyezwakala?”
UMihlali wezwa izingane eziseceleni kwakhe zikhipha izincwadi ezikhwameni zazo, futhi wezwa umsindo wezinyawo ezethukile zilokhu zishayisana ngaphansi kwamadeski. Akekho owathi vu.
Wahlalela ngezansi esitulweni sakhe, wabamba ikhanda ngezandla, ezama ukugwema amehlo kaMnu Casa.