“Kufuneka sijonge ekwakheni i-brand yakho, Bitsy-D,” Utshilo uGaone.
I-Brand ke ligama alithanda kakhulu ke yena. Inokuba kokukwamashumi amabini elitsho elo gama.
Njengesiqhelo, unxibe iimpahla ezimhlophe, idimasi zakhe akazikhululi.
“Ndingasuke ndiziqambe ngokutsha ngokwam,” nditshilo, ndibonise ukuba ndiyayazi i-jargon, ndizenza nangathi andiziboni ezo ntshiya zifingwe nguSandra. “Ndibe ne-image entsha, negama elitsha, igama lowesifazane okhulileyo, ndiziculele iingoma zam.”
“Bitsy-D.” Yaba lilizwi lika Sandra elo eliqatha lindilumkisa.
Yena, noTata noGaone bahleli besela besitya izimuncu-muncu ezisesityeni esikhulu esimthebelele (i-platter gabula makhumsha). Andinako nokuziphatha, mna ndisela amanzi asebhotileni athengiweyo ndigrenya nekherothi.
“Ndizama ukukubhukishela kulo lonke eli laseRhawutini.” UGaone akayihoyi le nto bendiyitsho “Andijongi nje apha eTembisa…ndiqalisa ukujonga eMidrand, eDaveyton, eMamelodi, eHammanskraal, naseKatlehong, emva koko, siza kuya nangaphandle ze siphele siwujikeleza uMzantsi. Sele ndilungiselele ukuba usebenze nomfana omtsha okrele-krele wesandi nodanya-danya (sound and lighting), yena uza kusebenza elo cala lomculo wakho. ULefa yena sele esaziwa kwezomculo.”
“Siyakubulela okwenzayo,” utshilo uSandra. “Akunjalo, Bitsy-D?”
“Liyinene elo?” Indlala yayidlala ngam indikhupha nesimilo. “Nditsho ukuthi sazi njani ukuba wenza ezi zinto kuba usenzela oko thina esikufunayo, Gaone? Okufunwa ndim kona? Andikuboni unyanisekile koko, indlela le ozifihla ngayo ngaphantsi kwezo ndondo. Ingaba kukho into engalungile namehlo akho? Ubona njani? Ukukhanya apha kweli gimbi kusele kungalunganga kakade, ngoku ufake iindondo ezimnyama.”
Mhlawumbi yinto yokuba uSandra uthenge ezi zibane zimbeje-mbeje—mhlawumbi usebenzise imali yam?—akusasetyenziswa isibane esisesona seli gumbi lokuhlala ngoku. Zintle, kodwa ke iindondo ezo zenza ukuba ukukhanya kungabonakali nangakumi xa ukude.
“Bitsy-D!” watsho kabukhali uSandra. “Xolisa kuGaone ngoku. Uze kusinceda apha, ngoku yindlela omhlawula ngayo le?”
“Bendisitsho namhlanje ukuba ukungabi nambulelo kwalo mntwana kuya kusiba yingxaki,” Utshilo uTata. “Ndicela uxolo ngobukrwada bentombi yam, Gaone.”
UGaone uqhubekeka nje yena ngoncumo. “Ubugcisa bokukwazi ukuzibamba. Ukuqhubeka siye phambili, ndiza kumisela amaxesha odliwano-ndlebe, konke oku kuza kwakha le bhrendi. Ndiza kuthanda ukuba ndibekho kuzo zonke, njengoko kulindelekile ndiya kukunika iingcebiso ukuba uzibonakalise njani na, uthini na nokuba ungathini na. Amaxesha okuthabatha iifoto? Ubundixelele ngebeniye kulo namhlanje, Sandra. Ndicinga ukuba kufuneka amanye aloo maxesha okufota. Ungahlupheki, Bitsy-D, ndiceba ukukunakekela kakuhle.”
Uhleli esofeni noSandra ngoku uyangqiyama ekugqibeleni kwelinye icala lesofa ukuze abe kufutshane nam, ze andiphulule apha ngentla kwingalo yam, azenze ngathi uphazamile ukuba ubhontsi wakhe undonwaye icala lebele lam. Ndabuyela umva ndisonyanya eso senzo.
“Ndingazikhethela iimpahla zam?” Ndiyanzanzela, ndicinga ukuba yena anganikezela noko kuno Sandra ngalo mba.
“Okona kulungileyo kukuba ndikukhokele.” Ujonga ifowuni yakhe ngokungathi ukhangela kuluhlu analo. “Ngoku ke, malunga nee-akhawunti ze-social media. Ndimbonile umama wakho omtsha inguye okulawulela zona, kodwa ke ngoku siza kuzibeka kwizinga elingaphezulu. Sandra, manditsho ndithi wenze umsebenzi oncomeka kakhulu kodwa ukusukela ngoku, ndiza kufuna umntu oza kukuncedisa.”
“Ndingatsho ukuba, kukhona ulwazi oluncinci endinalo malunga necandelo lezomculo.” Mhlawumbi uSandra uzama ukuvakala engumntu ozithobileyo, kodwa indlela ubuso bakhe obubonakale bungonelisekamnga ngayo kuphelise yonke loo ntobeko.
Xa ndicinga ngee-akhawunti zam ze-social media ezindala andenza ukuba ndizivale xa ndandiqalisa kulo mculo, ndiva ulwamvila lwento endilahlekene nayo.
“Kufuneka ndicele indlela,” utshilo uGaone, encumele wonke umntu xa ephakama. “Khawundikhaphe ndiye emotweni, Bitsy-D.”
“Hamba naye,” utshilo uTata xa ndimjonga ukuba angenelele andincede.
Owu Nkosi yam, yintoni ngoku?
Khawusixelele: Ingaba uGaone ngumntu wokuthenjwa?