Kuntambama uZine uhlezi nomngani wakhe uKhanya. Unembeza awumniki ukuthula uZine ngesenzo sakhe sokwenza ucansi noMnumzane Buthelezi. Unamahloni njengoba elokhu ecabanga ngakho konke abakwenzile.
“Buka imali engiyenzile ngobusuku obubodwa vo. Wena lemali ejalidini ungayenza ngonyaka,” kusho uKhanya.
“Uqinisile iningi yona angeke ngiqambe amanga,” kuphendula uZine.
“Uma ungasebenza nami angeke uphinde uzwe umama wakho efona ekhala ngemali.”
“Angeke ngikwazi ukudayisa ngomzimba mina Khanya. Angathini yena umama uma engezwa leyonto?”
“Uzobe etshelwa ngubani?”
“Unembenza wami angeke ugezeke. Wena qhubeka wenze okwenzayo mina angeke ngikwehlulele. Sonke sizele ukuzokwenza imali lana eGoli ukuthi wena uyenza kanjani akudokwe ligayelwe mina lelo,” kusho uZine.
“Lomsebenzi wethu awumubi kakhulu buka nje uLelo uthole indoda elungile uThemba. Uyazi bahlangana kanjani?” kusho uKhanya.
“Cha.”
“UThemba wayengumthengi kuLelo bagcina sebethandana. Woza uzosebenza nathi mhlampe nawe uzomthola umaqondana.”
“Ukubuya kwami emendweni ngavele ngaphosa ithawula kwezothando. Angiboni ngiyophinde ngimthembe futhi umuntu wesilisa empilweni yami. Ubuhlungu engabuzwiswa nguJabu angisoze ngabukhohlwa nanoma inini.”
“Ngiyakuzwa. Nami amadoda angizwisile ubuhlungu kodwa ngisenalo ithemba kwezothando. Ngiyazi ukuthi ngelinye ilanga ngiyohlangana nalo ubambo lwami,” kusho uKhanya.
“Ngikufisela inhlanhla ngalapho.”
UZine usembenzini. Ujuluke umanzi te uhlanza igumbi lika mama nobaba wekhaya. Ulihlanza ngesikhulu isinono lesi. Kuthi eseqedile, esephuma, kungene uButhelezi avale isicabha.
“Uyazi phela angidelanga ngaleliyalanga. Ngifuna siphinde ngizokunika imali ethe xaxa,” kusho uButhelezi.
“Cha angeke ngikwazi. Lokhu okwenzeka kwaba iphutha futhi angifisi kuphinde kwenzeke,” kusho uZine.
“Uma unqaba ngizotshela unkosikazi wami sikuxoshe ungabe usasebenza lapha ekhaya.”
“Ngicela ungayenzi leyonto, ngiyakucela ngiyawudinga lomsebenzi,” kuncenga uZine ehlengezela izinyembezi.
“Uma uwudinga ngempela uzokwenza lento engiyishoyo ngesikhathi engifuna ngaso.”
“Uma ungixoshisa ngizotshela umfazi wakho lonke iqiniso.”
“Ngizophika ngime entabeni ngithi uwena obungifuna. Uma ucabanga uzokholwa bani phakathi kwami nawe?”
Abone uZine ukuthi inhlanzi ishelwe ngamanzi. Acabange ukuthi njengoba kuphela inyanga ekhaya balinde imali yokudla kanti izingane zakhe zizohamba nesikole ziya olwandle. Lapho kuzodingeka imali eningi. Avume bagcine khona embhedeni noButhelezi.
“Buka bekumnandi kanjani? Yini obuyinqabela?” kubuza uButhelezi.
“Lento esiyenzayo ayilungile neze,” kusho uZine ngamahloni.
“Nansi imali yakho,” kusho uButhelezi emnika imali eyinkulungwane yamarandi.
Ayithathe ayifake emabeleni uZine. Ubesathi uyagqoka ngenkathi kungena unkosikazi kaButhelezi uLuyanda.
“Kwenzakalani lana?” kubuza uLuyanda ngokushaqeka.
“Sthandwa sami, akusikhona lokhu okucabangayo,” kuzincengela uButhelezi.
“Ngiyaxolisa medemu,” kusho uZine eshalaza.
“Ufunani embhedeni wami? Phuma uphele emzini wami!” kusho uLuyanda egxumela kuZine. Athi umshaya ngempama avike uZine. Aphume ngejubane uZine abashiye kanjalo belwa.
UZine uthatha isikhwama sakhe aphume abaleke. Uthola ukuphefumula ngenkathi esehleli ekhumbini. Afike endlini athele ugologo kaKhanya ezama ukwehlisa umoya. Into okumele ayenze manje ukuthola omunye umsebenzi. Uzibona zonke izinkinga zakhe kodwa indaba esemqoka imali. Kungene uKhanya.
“Ukhalelani Zine? Akufanele engabe wena usemsebenzini?” kubuza uKhanya.
“Ngixoshiwe. Angisenawo umsebenzi.”
“Ngiyaxolisa ukuzwa lokho. Uxoshelweni?” kubuza uKhanya.
“Ngicela uthembise ukuthi angeke ungahlulele.”
“Ngiyathembisa.”
“Ngilale nomphathi sabanjwa unkosikazi wakhe,” esho ngamahloni.
“Wena besenithandana yini nomphathi wakho? Kungani ungakaze ungitshele?”
“Cha asithandani, salala okokuqala ngidinga imali ngixakekile. Namuhla besiphinda okwesibili.”
“Ubekunika kanti imali? Mina nawe siyafana kanti. Siyakwamukela ebhizinisini lethu.”
“Khanya, izinto ezingafani lezi.”
“Zifana ncamashi.”
Sitshele umbono wakho: Wake waba sesimweni sokuthi wenze into ongafuni ukuyenza ngenxa yokudinga imali?