“Ola Ntini! Yiz’apha, Ntwana,” Wandibiza uSandiso, xa ndandidlula kwenye indlu awayeme ecaleni kwayo yena nomnye umhlobo wakhe. USandiso wayengumhlobo kaZanoxolo ngexesha besebancinci; babeyintlaka nexolo besekwisikolo samabanga aphantsi. Kodwa zonke izinto zaguquka xa bengena kwisikolo samabanga aphezulu. USandiso waqalisa ukutshaya itiki waza wakhuthuza abantwana ukuze abe nemali yokuthenga esi siyobisi.

“Kutheni usidlula ngathi akusazi?” wabuza.

“Khange ndinibone; kukho izinto ebendizicinga,” Ndatsho. Ndiyacinga inokuba wabona emehlweni am ukuba bendilila.

“Heyi, Asanda, khawugqithise apha la nto,” wolula isandla ethatha izoli kumhlobo wakhe abeyitshaya. U-Asanda wamgqithisela waza wayithatha wafunxa ngamandla, akugqiba wagqithisela izoli kum. “Ina, tsala ngamandla emva koko onke amaxhala akho aza kuphela,” watsho.

Ndayithatha izoli ndithandabuza ndaza ndatsala. Ndakhohlela basuka baphela yintsini bendihleka. Ndaphinda ndatsala kwakhona intloko yam yaqalisa ukuba nzima. Ubuhlungu ebendibuviswe ngumama kwimizuzu embalwa edlulileyo ndabuva buphela kancinci.

“Siyawazi la makhwenkwe abulala uZanoxolo, omnye ulapha ngaphakathi endlwini ngoku sithethayo. Ndiyacinga ukuba izizalwane zakhe zihlala phaya,” watsho uSandiso ekhomba indlu engqamene nathi kwelinye icala.

Ndacinga indlela uZanoxolo awabulawa ngayo ndaza ndawuva umsindo wam usiya unyuka. “Anenzanga nto ngaloo nto. Nimyekile nje wahamba. UZanoxolo waye kade engumhlobo wakho omkhulu, Sandiso, yikhumbule loo nto,” Ndatsho. Intsangu yayisenza umsebenzi wayo kum. Azange ndibuze nokuba le nto waye eyithetha uSandiso ngale nkwenkwe iyinyani na.

“Ngubani othe siza  sizakumyeka ahambe? Amapolisa awambambanga, kodwa thina singakwazi. Yiza maan, thatha  nantsi imela. Siza kumhlaba xa ephuma apha.” USandiso wakhupha imela ye-Okapi empokothweni yakhe waza wayinika mna.

Le nto yayisenzeka ngokukhawuleza kum. Kwakungekho thuba lokuba ndikhe ndibuye umva ndizikise ukucinga malunga nesi sigqibo ndisithathayo. Ukuba ibindim kakuhle ngokoqobo lwam, bendiyakoyika ndize ndihambe. Kodwa kwakungenjalo. Ndasuka ndaba nomfutho wokubulala.

Xa iphuma kula ndlu la nkwenkwe yayikhatshwa  yintombazana endalana kunayo. Ndabona kakuhle, ngokothuka noloyiko ebusweni bakhe xa sibavalela indlela, ukuba akakhange asibone ukuza kwethu. Le ntombazana yakhala yaza yazama ukumkhusela apha kuthi.

“Ndiyanicela bafondini, ndiyekeni ndihambe! Andilo lungu lemiguvela. Bendize kutyelela umalume wam, andizanga kubanga ingxabano. Ndiyanicela ndiyekeni ndihambe,” Yacenga le nkwenkwe.

“Voetsek, wena!”  Watsho uSandiso etshovela kude le ntombazana.

Ndayixhumela le nkwenkwe ndaza ndayihlaba imela yamila entanyeni yayo. Yaqalisa ukopha, yagxadazela. U-Asanda wayibetha entloko. Le nkwenkwe yawa phantsi kwangoko.

Ndakhwela phezu kwayo ndaza ndayihlaba ndiphinda phinda. Ndandikhala njengokuba ndimhlaba nje, “Kutheni? Kutheni? Kutheni uze ubulale umntakwethu?”

Seva amaxilongo emoto zamapolisa esitsho kufutshane ndaza ndabaleka, ndishiya le nkwenkwe ilele apho echibini  legazi Ndalandela uSandiso no-Asanda saya kungena kwityotyombe eliphakathi kwindawo yoogobityholo. Eli tyotyombe lalizele qhu zizinto ezihamba ngombane ezisetyenziswa ekhaya. USandiso no-Asanda baziphosa esofeni endala enukayo emveni kokuba betshixe ucango. Izandla zam neempahla zam zazinkone ligazi.

Ubomi bam bonke banga bumile, xa zibuya ingqondo ngale nto ndiyenzileyo.

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Khawusixelele: Ingaba ukufa komntakwabo Phumlani kwenza umahluko na kwindlea amele ukuthatha uxanduva ngayo ngezenzo zakhe?