USandra undinika enye ipilisi phambi kokuba ndiye kwigig yam eseMidrand ngoMgqibelo ebusuku.
“Yintoni eyenza ukuba ungade ube ngathi uyaphela ngumsindo ngenxa yento nje engenamsebenzi enjengempahla yokunxiba?”
“Ndingathini ukungabi nawo?” Nditsho ndimbombozela.
Ishoti yejini ibingandilungela, ingcono kunale not, le lokhwe ngathi yeyokulala, le nto ngathi yenziwe ngelaphu leleyisi elinwebekayo, undinyanzela ukuba mandizinxibe kungekho nalaphu lokufihla kule ndawo yesifuba enamabele.
Kodwa sele ndiziva ndisiba ngcono yile pilisi, ndiyamyeka noGaone ukuba andityhalele eqongeni.
“Awusemhle, uyatshisa, sana,” utsho isandla sakhe sibambe iimpundu zam. “Uyibambile, isezandleni zakho ngoku, uyayiqonda le nto. Phuma uye kubabonisa ukuba wenziwe ngantoni na, ubasleye uyeva.”
Uze naye umntu wesandi nodanya-danya, ungulo mfana ongaqhelekanga ngenkangeleko omalunga namashumi amabini eminyaka, ii-dreads zakhe ziqhiniwe i-ponytail elapha phezulu. Unxiba iiglasi ezenza amehlo akhe akhangeleke makhulu xa uwabona kule ndawo yeglasi, kuyacaca nje ukuba ziyimfuneko kuye aziyohombo, ifreyimu yakhe imile okwedayimani, ibomvu inemijiko-jiko eluhlaza okwengca.
“Owu, akhange wenze nempazamo kwisandi,” Nditsho njalo ukugqiba kwam xa ebeze kuzibambela ibhotile yamanzi etafileni yasemva komkhusane. “Andiyiqhelanga loo nto, ndiyabulela Lefa, uyeva?”
Uyanqwala, akukho noncumo, undijongile qha. “Ngubani elona gama lakho?”
“NdinguDintletse.” Ndiziva ndivuya xa endibuza.
“Khawundixelele, Dintletse, kutheni le nto ucula la mfitshi-mfitshi phaya?”
Iyandikruna le nto ayitshoyo, kodwa okungaqhelekanga kukuba akayitsho krwada, kungathi nje unomdla wonobangela.
“Ukuba yimfitshi-mfitshi kuwe, hayi ndicinga ukuba ke ngoku awuzi kundenzela sandi nadanya-danya kwakhona,” nditshilo, ndafumanisa ukuba andiyithandi mpela ke phofu loo nto ndiyitshoyo.
“Ndenza into endiyiqashelwe ukuba ndiyenze, nokuba kuphina nokuba ndiyenzela bani na.” Upholile aph’ engqondweni, akayikhuseli ngabuxoki into ayitshoyo. “Yinto entsha le endisafundayo kuyo. Ndifuna ukuba ngogqwesileyo kwinto endiyenzayo.”
“Ndinqwenela ukuba bangandenza ukuba nam ndizame ukuba ngogqwesileyo.” Ndiyaqonda ukuba amandla epilisi ebesele ephela emzimbeni wam, andisaziva ndipholile engqondweni ngoku, konke ukungonwabi kwam kuyandigubungela ngoku kwakhona.
“Yintoni ebangela ukuba ungazenzi ogqwesileyo?” Uyabuza uLefa. “Zange khe ndikuve ucula kwesinye isikolo semfundo ehakamileyo eTembisa kulo nyaka uphelileyo? Andisakhumbuli ukuba nanizibiza njani na, kodwa wawukunye nabanye abantwana abathathu, umfanyana kumagubu, intombazana…kwikalimba, ndiyacinga yayiyinto engaqhekekanga leya. Kodwa yayiyingoma le endaba nomdla kakhulu kuyo. Yayingemnandi, yayibaba—amazwi ayo atsho nqo kum.”
Ukuva oku, kundenza ngathi kukho into endiyiphumeleleyo. Ndiziva ndiglowa ndiqaqambile kwakhona, ndiziva ndiphilile ndinehlombe, yonke into ingenzeka.
“Yayiyingoma yam,” ndiyamxelela, ndizingca kodwa ndikwabuntlonirha.
“Ukuba uyakwazi ukubhala iingoma ezinje ngaleya, kutheni le nto usiza kucula le mfitshi-mfitshi ubuyicula ngokuhlwanje?” Ubonakalo enomothuko kwakhona ethe mfixi ngumsindwana.
“Ngumama wam omtsha noGaone abafuna ndicule le nto.”
“Wena uyayivuyela loo nto?” Unyikinya intloko yakhe. “UGaone! Kuye, yonke into imalunga nembonakalo komculi wakhe kwanokuloba abantu abaculelayo ngelo xesha… Kodwa bhetele ndithule phambi kokuba nditsho izinto ezingalunganga, bhetele ndingapolitiki, kuba kaloku mhlawumbi nawe ukhetha ukwenza akufunayo …Hayi mandithunge imilebe yam.”
“Asikokuthanda kwam,” Ndikhawulezisa nditsho xa efuna ukuthula, kuba ndiziva ndifuna ukuba ayazi loo nto. “Yinkangeleko neenoma engathi zimsulwa, asindim lo. Ndiyazi yonkele not yezelwe ukuba ilobe ezesondo, kwaye ndiyayicaphukela.”
“Ke ngoku, kutheni uqhubekeka—”
“Bitsy-D?” UGaone ulapha. “Wenza ntoni ulibele kukujinga apha nje? Sikulindile sana lwam, sime ngawe.”
ULefa wabuyela umva ekusitheleni. Ndimthi jezu ngeli xesha ndisiya kuGaone. Ingaba ngumhlobo wam omtsha lo, okanye ngumgxeki wam ongenalusini? Andiqinisekanga.
Khawusixelele: Ingaba ukudibana noLefa nokuva ukuba uya zithanda iingoma zakhe kuya kumkhuthaza uDintletse ukuba athabathe unyawo, atshintshe izinto, okanye useza kuqhubekeka ezibona engenamandla?