“Khawundixelele ke, Bitsy-D?” UGaone undigonile, ebeke isandla sakhe emagxeni am ngeli xesha sisiya emotweni yakhe. “Unaye umntu wakho othandana naye?”
Akaqapheli nendlela endivele ndaqina ngayo. Ndivele ndakhupha amehlo, ndawajukelezisa.
“Ubuza ngathi bangandivumela abaya.” Ndijike intloko ndajonga endlwini ndizama ukumbonisa ukuba ndithetha ngabani na.
“Ziindaba ezimnandi ezo.” Ngoku undisondeza kuye ngakumbi, ndizama ukubuyela umva ndizama ukuphuncuka. “Kufuneka undivumele ukuba ibe ndim okujongayo ukususela ngoku ukubheka phambili. Icandelo lomculo lizele amadoda alindele amaxhoba angamantombazana amancinci aneentliziyo ezintle anjengawe…Ngaphandle kwecandelo lomculo, kukho amakhwenkwe aza kukufuna kuba uza kuba ngusaziwayo. Ungabathembi bonke, sana lwam.”
“Loo nto ke, ingaba ithetha ukuba ndithembe wena?” ndibe buhleka intsini enentiyo.
“Ewe, ungandithemba ukuba mna ndiya kusoloko ndisebenzela ukukuhlumisa.”
Ingaba kukundihlumisa okunjani oku kundenza ndizive ndingakhululekanga kangaka? Ndiyayicaphukela into andenza yona yokundigona, ndicaphukela kwanale nto yokuba engayiqondi into yokuba andifuni andiphatha-phathe.
“Funeka ndibuyele endlini.” Ndazidlakathisa ndizisusa kuye ngamandla angaphezulu, waze wanyanzeleka ukuba andiyeke, ngokukhawaleza ndithe, “Enkosi ngento yonke, ulale kakuhle.”
Andifuni nokuva ukuba uphendula athini na, ndiyayivevula ndibuyela endlwini ngokukhawuleza. Yonke into ivele yambi ngokungaphezulu, kuvakala ngathi … Kufuneka ndenze into! Indlela endibona ngayo ngalo mzuzu, lincinci ithemba lokuba ndingajik’ izinto, ndibe ngumntu endifun’ ukuba nguye, mhlawumbi kwanomculi endifun’ ukuba nguye likhangeleka limfiliba eli themba.
Ndiya nqo egumbini lokulala endilala kulo noPhetisi, kukho amagumbi amabini kuphela okulala apha ekhaya—silindele de uSandra azalisekise izicwangciso zakhe zokongeza isakhiwo okanye siye kwenye indawo enkulwana. Udadewethu omncinci ulele phezu kwebhedi yakhe, uxakeke efowunini yakhe njengesiqhelo.
“Kwenzeka njani ukuba wena usoloko une-data ne-airtime?” Ndibuza ndikhulula le lokhwe izintloni yabantwana abancinci. “Basakunika wena imali yesibonelelo nangoku mna beyihluthile kum”
Ungqengqile ifowuni yakhe iphezu kwesisu. “Ndifumana imali eninzi ngokuhlawulisa abanye esikolweni xa ndibenzele umsebenzi wesikolo wasekhaya. Kodwa ke, ewe uTata yena usandinika intwana. Ndiyacinga ukuba yona iya kuphela xa ethabatha umhlala-phantsi kuba ngelo xesha yonke imali engenayo iya kube iyeyakho. Umama yena akasoze aphinde abuyele emsebenzini.”
“Hayi kodwa, uTata usemncinci,” Ndimxolisa ngelitshoyo ngeli lixa mna nditsala isikipa esidala endasisindisa xa uSandra wayezama ukusilahla. “Iseza kuba yiminyaka phambi kokuba athabathe umhlala-phantsi. Nawe uya kuba sele umdala.”
“Hayi, bathetha ngokuthabatha umhlala-phantsi phambi kwexesha.”
“Intoni? Ayibhadlanga ke loo nto. Ngoba?” Andiyikholelwa ke le.
“Ukuze uTata azokujonga ukuba umsebenzi wakho wokucula uyimpumelelo.” Ilizwi likaPhetisi’s litsholo phantsi.
“Awu! Bacinga ukuba bangaphi na abantu abaza kundilawula? Hayi ke yena akufunekanga athabathe umhlala-phantsi!”
Ndiziva ndibuphaku-phaku, kuba kaloku ukuba uthe wathabatha umhlala-phantsi ze umntu wonke axhomekeke kwimali engena ngam kuphela, ndiya kuze ndiphume nini kula khamandela ze ndikwazi ukuqala phantsi khe ndicule ezam iingoma? Kwaye ngokuqinisekileyo andithi andikabi mkhulu namkhulu emculweni ukuba bangade bandibale njengalowo abangaxhomekeka kuye? Le nto indenza ukuba ndicinge indlela ebebethetha ngayo bonke emini, izicwangciso zabo ngam. Kucacile ukuba bafuna ukuba ndibe mkhulu emculweni.
“Ingaba kukho okungalungile kule nto?” UPhetisi undiqwalasele ubuso bam.
“Phetisi, kuza kufuneka ukuba undinced,” Nditshilo.
Khawusixelele: Ufanele ukuba uDintletse enze ntoni, kwaye, ucinga ukuba unecebo elicacileyo?