“Tata, andicingi ukuba ndiyafuna ukuba uGaone alawule umsebenzi wam njengokuba uSandra esitsho njalo.”

USandra uxakekile utshintsha iimpahla, elungiselela ukudibana noGaone, mna ndiqonde ukuba manditsibele eli thuba ndithethe noTata egumbini lokuhlala.

“Yintoni le ngoku? Nguyena mntu oza kululungela olu lawulo, unabantu abaziyo kwicandelo lomculo.”

Ibuhlungu indlela avela ayilahle ngefestile indlela endiziva ngayo. Ngokuya ndandisemncinci, uMama esaphila, wayendimamela, ezicingisisa iinngxaki zam zobuntwana.

Ndibhaqa uPhetisi ebusijongile, ehleli esitulweni exakekile yifowuni yakhe. Ngudadewethu omncinci lo qha yena akangokaMama, ngokaTata noSandra. Ndiziva ndinomona xa ndibona udadewethu, ndikwamsizela kwangezizathu ezifana nezo ndizisizela ngazo: USandra akanikisi kwamdla kuye, akamhoyanga. Ndiqinisekile ibuhlungu loo not kuye, ngumama wakhe ncam lo, kodwa ke mna bendinokuvuya kakhulu xa uSandra ebenokuvele angandihoyi.

Ndikhumbula indlela awayecaphuka ngayo xa afumanisa ukuba kukho usana oluzayo. Kwathi xa uPhetisi ekwazi ukuhamba nokuthetha, waqalisa ukuba nomdla—waphela lo mdla mhla wafumanisa ukuba uPhetisi akakwazi kucula, kwaye babuphela nobuya butum-tum bobusana. Mna ndandingulo umhle, kwaye uSandra ebeza kuqinisekisa ukuba ndihlala ndinjalo, anditshintshi.

Ndiyancama malunga nokulungisa indaba kaGaone. Ndinenye into ebalulekileyo endifuna ukuyibuza uTata.

“Tata, awunakho ukubuyela kulaa nto yokundipha imali kwakhona, njengoko wawukade usenza ukuqala kwam ukucula?”

“Awuyidingi, mntanam. Siyifaka elugcinweni lwemali, imali yakho, esiyisebenzisayo siyisebenzisela wena nomsebenzi wakho,” uTata uphendula atsho. “USandra undenze ukuba ndikubone oko. Yonke into oyidingayo iyathengwa, andithi? Njengale nto entle oyinxibileyo.”

Ubhekisa kule nto ndiyinxibileyo emfutshane, le nto eziintloni eyenziwe emagxa amakhulu, yafakwa ileyisi ne-embhroyidari eninzi, le nto ibininokunxityiswa umntwana omncinci ecaweni okanye anxityiselwe umhla wokuzalwa kwakhe xa egqiba unyaka, xa abazali befuna ajongeke okwentombazana eqhelekileyo kwifashoni yakudala.

“Uthini ngezinto ezintle uSandra amana ekuthengela zona okoko iqale ukungena imali?” Le ke yinto ethe yandimangalisa.

UTata wafinga iintshiya. “Yena akufuneki abe nezinto ezintle, cinga ixesha lakhe namandla awafaka kweli shishini nokukulungiselela ukuba ukuba ube yimpumelelo? Awunambulelo.”

Ubuso bam buyatshisa. Ingaba andinambulelo nyhani, ingaba ndinentliziyo embi, umntu ongayiboneli ntweni imigudu kaSandra nendlela andincede ngayo? Ndandisoloko ndifuna ukuba ngumculi, ngoku ndinguye—ndicula iingoma zabanye abantu.

Yonke le nto yokuba ndifuna ukukhululeka ayitshintshi, kwaye xa bengafuni ukundinika imali eza kuba yeyam, ingaba ndiza kukhululeka njani? Andiziboni ndikwazi ukusinda xa ndingenayo kwamalana, kwaye abandiniki xesha laneleyo lokuba ndinganako nokuba ndizifumanele umsebenzi wabucala wexeshana.

Ndithi krwaqu kuPhetisi, asuke aveze ubuso obulusizi. Ngokuya wayelusana ndandimjonga ixesha elininzi, kwaye nangoku kusekho obo budlelwane phakathi kwethu, ngaphandle nje kwento yokuba uSandra undigcina ndixakekile, uyandithengisa utsho ke yena, ngoku andinalo nexeshana lokuthetha nodadewethu sibe nexesha ngendlela enentsingiselo.

“Kuvakala ngathi nguGaone lowo,” utshilo uTata, emamele into evakala ngaphandle kwendlu.

Ndiye ndabukrwaqela, ndinqwenela ukuba loo ngokuhlwa ingadlula endaweni yokuba iqale.

Khawusixelele: Ingaba utata kaDintlets unyanisile xa esithi akanambulelo?